Hello, Explearners, welcome back. Recently in our community, we took personality tests and shared our results with the group. Some members felt that they completely agreed with those results, while others took it a few times to see if they'd be more accurate. It was a lively discussion, and if you yourself would like to partake in those, I'd encourage you to join our Community Explearning Academy. You can sign up at academy.explearning.co we'd love to have you.

In today's lesson, I'm sharing top strategies to improve interpersonal skills. 

Are you tired of awkward conversations and strained relationships? It's time to upgrade your interpersonal skills. With a little practice and effort, you can improve your ability to connect with others and build stronger, more positive relationships. Let's get into the strategies for improving your interpersonal skills.

Here are some strategies that can help you improve your interpersonal skills. 

Practice active listening. Pay attention to what the other person is saying, and try to understand their perspective, their worldview, and their point of view. Show that you're listening by making eye contact, nodding your head, doing a triple nod, and using verbal cues and discourse markers like mm-hmm and ah-huh. Next time you're in a conversation, focus on really listening to the other person. Avoid interrupting them and try to summarize what they're saying to show that you understand. And if you're in a group setting, try to listen to multiple people at once and see if you can follow the different conversations taking place.

Communicate openly and honestly. Be clear and direct in your communication and avoid being confrontational or passive aggressive. 

Express your thoughts and feelings openly and respectfully, and be willing to listen to others and consider their points of view as well. Next time you have a disagreement with someone, try to express your thoughts and feelings openly, directly, and honestly without being confrontational or aggressive. 

Practice being assertive by expressing your needs and boundaries in a respectful way. But always remember to remain polite. 

Be empathetic. Try to understand what the other person is feeling, and show that you care about their perspective and their feelings. Empathy can help you build stronger rapport, create stronger connections, and foster more positive relationships.

Next time you're in a conversation, try to put yourself in the other person's shoes and understand how they might be feeling based on what they tell you, how they express it, and just what they're going through. And if you're in a group setting, try to identify who might be feeling left out or excluded, and try to include them in the conversation.

Be open to feedback. It's very important to be open to feedback from others and willing to learn from your mistakes. Ask your friends, family, and coworkers for feedback on how you can improve your communication and interpersonal skills.

Reflect on the feedback that you receive and come up with a plan for how you can use it to improve. 

Take responsibility for your actions. Own up to your mistakes and apologize when necessary. Taking responsibility for your actions shows that you're mature and willing to learn from your mistakes. If you've made a mistake, that's okay, it happens. Apologize and take responsibility for it. If you're in a leadership position, be willing to admit when you are wrong and take the steps necessary to correct any mistakes you've made. 

Be assertive. Don't be afraid to express your thoughts and feelings openly and honestly, but be sure to do so in a way that's respectful of the other person or people in that conversation. Being assertive can help you assert your needs and boundaries in a healthy. Practice expressing your needs and boundaries in a clear and direct way. And if you're in a situation where you feel like your rights are being violated, speak up for yourself and assert yourself in a calm, respectful, and polite way.

Overall, improving your interpersonal skills takes time and effort, but it can have a positive impact on your personal and professional relationships. Practice the strategies above and be patient with yourself as you work on developing your skills.

Are you ready to put this into practice? I have a set of quests for you to complete if you're a member of our private community Explearning Academy. So if you would like the quests, the weekly plan of exercises, the discussion that goes along with it. And an opportunity to ask me questions live in real time, then you can sign up for our community by going to academy.explearning.co, or just use the link down below.

Improving your interpersonal communication skills takes time and effort, but it is 100% worth it. By practicing active listening, communicating openly and honestly, being empathetic, being open and receptive to feedback, taking responsibility for your actions and being assertive, you can build better rapport, stronger, more positive relationships with people in your life and also at work.

So why delay any further? Start working on your interpersonal skills today and you'll see the difference it can make in your personal and professional lives.

Thank you for joining me Explearners. Be sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel, like this video, follow the podcast and I will see you in the next one. Bye for now. Happy Explearning. 

About the Author and the Explearning Academy:

Mary Daphne is an expert in communication, executive interpersonal skills, and personal development. She is the founder of the Explearning Academy, a platform dedicated to helping individuals enhance their social fluency, boost their careers, and elevate their social game. Through immersive group coaching programs like the Executive Communication Lab and self-guided journeys, participants gain the social superpowers and career catapults they've been searching for. If you're ready to take your negotiation skills to the next level and connect with like-minded individuals, visit academy.explearning.co and explore the various plans available. Join the Explearning Academy community and unlock your full potential.

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