CHAPTER 1

A FRAMEWORK FOR INTERPERSONAL

SKILL DEVELOPMENT

OPENING THOUGHTS

Effective interpersonal relationships must

be combined with technical knowledge
and good work habits to achieve success
in any job involving interaction with
people.
Lack of good interpersonal skills can hurt
your career.
Interpersonal skills enable you to connect
with others, and thereby to be more
successful.

Human Relations: Interpersonal Job-Oriented Skills, 11/e

Andrew J. DuBrin

2012, 2009, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

PLAN OF THE BOOK

3-part strategy of book is (a) key

concepts, (b) suggestions or behavioral
guidelines, and (c) a variety of exercises.
Interpersonal skill training teaches
skills to deal with others so they can be
put into practice.
Interpersonal skills training involves soft
skills rather than hard skills.

Human Relations: Interpersonal Job-Oriented Skills, 11/e

Andrew J. DuBrin

2012, 2009, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

SEVERAL SOFT-SKILL
COMPETENCIES

Translating and conveying information

Interpreting emotions of others
Sensitivity to peoples feelings
Resolving conflicts calmly
Avoiding negative gossip
Being polite
Cooperation and teamwork

Human Relations: Interpersonal Job-Oriented Skills, 11/e

Andrew J. DuBrin

2012, 2009, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Soft Skills, continued

Soft skills training is important because a

combination of human effort and
technology is needed to produce results.
Soft skills are often the difference
between adequate and outstanding
performance because dealing with people
is part of many jobs.
Leading executive coach says that
building relationships with people is
important for workers at every level,
including the CEO.

Human Relations: Interpersonal Job-Oriented Skills, 11/e

Andrew J. DuBrin

2012, 2009, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

A MODEL FOR IMPROVING

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
Goal
(desired state)

Assessing
reality

Feedback on
Actions

Human Relations: Interpersonal Job-Oriented Skills, 11/e

Andrew J. DuBrin

Action plan

Frequent
practice

2012, 2009, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

FINE POINTS ABOUT

GOAL SETTING
1.

2.
3.
4.

5.

State each goal as a positive

statement.
Formulate specific goals.
Formulate concise goals.
Set realistic goals as well as
stretch goals.
Set goals for different time
periods.

Human Relations: Interpersonal Job-Oriented Skills, 11/e

Andrew J. DuBrin

2012, 2009, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

REALISTIC GOALS

Represents right amount of challenge.

Easy goals not very motivational.
Goals too far beyond capabilities can lead
to frustration and despair if person fails.
Self-efficacy (confidence in ability to
carry out task) helps determine realism.
Several goals that stretch capability might
be included in your list of goals.

Human Relations: Interpersonal Job-Oriented Skills, 11/e

Andrew J. DuBrin

2012, 2009, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

ACTION PLAN

Mechanism to change relationship

between person and environment.
Series of steps to achieve a goal.
Personal goal will be elusive without
action plan.
Self-discipline needed to implement
action plan.

Human Relations: Interpersonal Job-Oriented Skills, 11/e

Andrew J. DuBrin

2012, 2009, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

FEEDBACK ON ACTIONS

Measures effects of actions against

reality.
Obtain feedback on consequences of
actions.
Need short- and long-term measures of
effectiveness of actions.
Long-term measures important because
skill-development of major consequence
has long-range implications.

Human Relations: Interpersonal Job-Oriented Skills, 11/e

Andrew J. DuBrin

10

2012, 2009, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

FREQUENT PRACTICE

Final step in model makes true

development possible.
Skill must be integrated into usual
way of conducting self.
Skill becomes a habit after it is
programmed into brain.
Interpersonal skills involve many
habits.

Human Relations: Interpersonal Job-Oriented Skills, 11/e

Andrew J. DuBrin

11

2012, 2009, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

IDENTIFICATION OF
DEVELOPMENTAL NEEDS

A developmental need is a specific

area in which a person needs to change.
To improve interpersonal skills we must
first be aware of how we are perceived
by others who interact with us.
Be candid with self about areas for
needed change.
Think about consistency in feedback you
have received from others.
Solicit feedback from others.

Human Relations: Interpersonal Job-Oriented Skills, 11/e

Andrew J. DuBrin

12

2012, 2009, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Developmental Need Identification, continued

Ask opinion of people who know you well

to help you identify needs for
improvement with respect to
interpersonal skill.
Reflect on feedback from performance
evaluations. What constructive
suggestions did you receive from the
evaluation?
Self-Assessment Quiz 1-1 will help you
identify your interpersonal developmental
needs.
You are now ready to develop action
plans.

Human Relations: Interpersonal Job-Oriented Skills, 11/e

Andrew J. DuBrin

13

2012, 2009, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

UNIVERSAL TRAINING NEEDS

FOR INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS

A universal training need is a

common area for improvement,
such as better spoken
communication skills.
Chapters 2-17 deal with universal
training needs. Treat each chapter
as an opportunity for development.
The 16 broad areas for universal
training needs are listed next.

Human Relations: Interpersonal Job-Oriented Skills, 11/e

Andrew J. DuBrin

14

2012, 2009, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

1.

2.

3.
4.

5.
6.

7.
8.

Understanding individual
differences.
Self-esteem and self-confidence.
Interpersonal communication.
Behaving appropriately when using
digital devices.
Developing teamwork skills.
Group problem solving and
decision making.
Cross-cultural relations.
Resolving conflicts with others.

Human Relations: Interpersonal Job-Oriented Skills, 11/e

Andrew J. DuBrin

15

2012, 2009, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

9.
10.
11.
12.
13.

14.
15.

16.

Becoming an effective leader.

Motivating others.
Helping others grow and develop.
Positive political skills.
Customer service skills.
Enhancing ethical behavior.
Stress management and personal
productivity.
Job search and career
management skills.

Human Relations: Interpersonal Job-Oriented Skills, 11/e

Andrew J. DuBrin

16

2012, 2009, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

DEVELOPING INTERPERSONAL
SKILLS ON THE JOB

This course emphasizes the learning of

interpersonal skills.
Opportunities exist also in the workplace
for developing interpersonal skills.
Dual opportunity for learning soft skills is
similar to learning of hard skills.
You study written material, then apply
the information to a job problem.

Human Relations: Interpersonal Job-Oriented Skills, 11/e

Andrew J. DuBrin

17

2012, 2009, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

INFORMAL LEARNING

Acquisition of knowledge that takes

place naturally outside structured
learning environment.
Trend is for companies to integrate
formal and informal learning.
Worker can learn by observation.
Coaching brings about informal
learning.

Human Relations: Interpersonal Job-Oriented Skills, 11/e

Andrew J. DuBrin

18

2012, 2009, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENTAL
EXPERIENCES

Unfamiliar responsibilities
Proving yourself
Problems with employees
Influencing without formal authority
Difficult manager

The above on-the-job challenges

require high-level interpersonal skills.
Human Relations: Interpersonal Job-Oriented Skills, 11/e
Andrew J. DuBrin

19

2012, 2009, 2007, 2004 Pearson Education

Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.