The importance of interpersonal skills

As human interaction wanes due to the excessive use of social media, changing job role expectations and more automated processes, interpersonal skills are at risk of extinction, but remain as crucial as ever.
The more time workers spend behind screens communicating with other workers and customers, the more they lose the ability to interact on a face-to-face level, according to Geoff Colvin, author of “Humans Are Underrated”.
Although it may seem as if interpersonal skills are being lost in the shuffle of this automated change, this could not be further from the truth. Communication skills in a business remain one of the most important parts of its success.
Recent research conducted by professors at MIT University found that almost half of all jobs completed by humans could be replaced by robots within the next 10 years. What is the one thing standing between this prediction and reality?
A new study conducted by David Deming at the Harvard Graduate School of Education has revealed that social skills are becoming increasingly important to employers, and that the interpersonal skills of their workers is what will prevent the automated use of robots in their roles.
“I model social skills as a reduction in worker-specific coordination costs. Workers with high social skills can ‘trade tasks’ at a lower cost, enabling them to work with others more efficiently,” Deming wrote in his study.
One way to increase the use and advancement of interpersonal skills is by engaging in a more positive mental attitude. As seen in Mastery’s e-learning training video, The Seven Keys to a Positive Mental Attitude, changing your mental attitude begins with visualizing success, embracing change and demonstrating energy for a task, among other factors.
Having a more positive outlook in your work role can also make the workday more productive, initiate more engagement between employees and foster a better group dynamic.
Mastery offers a selection of courses to help employees build and enhance their own interpersonal skills.
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