eSight Careers Network

www.eSight.org

"People Skills"

By: Nan Hawthorne

You hear about them all the time. Employers prize them. But what are "people skills?"

In a nutshell, "people skills" are those qualities of genuine interest in other people and their successes along with your own. "Genuine" is the key concept because glad-handing and other affected "friendly" behavior doesn't make it. They are almost always transparent, even to the least perceptive people.

A person with "people skills" knows how to communicate with others and knows that communication is a two-way process. Listening to others and taking pains to understand others are just as important as speaking well. The person with "people skills" knows how build effective relationships with even the most difficult people and practices teamwork ?? in other words, supporting the efforts of others for the good of the company.

In an article for the Portland Business Journal, "Invest in people skills to boost bottom line," Harriet Rifkin outlines the qualities employers can observe that demonstrate when a person possesses good people skills:

They understand themselves and how their behavior impacts others.
They control their responses; they try to be less impulsive and to think before acting.
They have a sincere desire to assist others in the pursuit of goals.
They are able to "tune in" accurately to the feelings and needs of others and then treat people accordingly.
They work at managing relationships, building networks and finding common ground in order to minimize conflict and maximize rapport.
They are consistently approachable.
They create an environment of trust.

One of the greatest barriers to developing these skills is isolation, so get out there and practice!

eSight Disability Employment Resource of the Day.
Check back often. We present a new resource every day, seven days a week.

    Monday: Company Profile
    Tuesday: Second Thoughts
    Wednesday: Small Business Resources
    Thursday: Employer Resources
    Friday: Career Management Resources
    Saturday: Blindstorming discussions
    Sunday: Career Word

eSight Blogs
Networking Forum
Swimming in the Mainstream
Job Seekers Network
Community News