Becoming People Savvy in the New Year

Becoming People Savvy in the New Year

It's a new year! 2013 has started and it's time to make new beginnings! New resolutions, skills, adventures, jobs, homes, etc...All of us are keen to start the new year on a positive note. Yet there are many people like Neil who are impatient and too critical to make a positve impact. He is a manager with many years of experience but he tends to misread others and is often unable to clearly understand their strengths and weaknesses. This has become a roadblock which is preventing his promotion from happening. What he lacks are people skills. Well, here are 13 ways in which they can be developed:
1. Avoid generalizations about people. Just because they are unable to do one this competently does not mean that they can't do a 100 things better than you do.
2. We often tend to stick to people with whom we are comfortable. They are similar to us in personality, views, skills, etc. There isn't much we can learn from someone like this. Instead, it is important to look for people with whom you disagree or who gets on your nerves. Try to understand what they do well and not well. Stop judging them.

3. Listen when people talk and try to find out what drives them. When you hear them out, it shows that you care. Find common ground. Also freely share information abut yourself.
4. When someone is speaking, don't interrupt, finish sentences or wave off further information by saying you already know it. Ask questions to learn more about people.

5. Think of the people you with whom you work closely and see if you can write down 3 specific strengths and weaknesses that they have. After that decide how confidnet you are of your assessment. You may find that you are more sure about the people whom you like or with whom you share a personal relationship. Spend time with people until you can comfortably list their strengths and weaknesses.

6. Become a people watcher. Try to predict what they are going to say or do before they do it. Find patterns in their behaviour. This will not only help you to understand their strengths and weaknesses but also adjust to their responses.

7. On a more formal level take up a job or assignment which requires you to interact with a different culture, new and diverse set of people.
8. Opt to work with a cross-functional team or a new group of people from another function who have a different background and perspective.

9. Take on additional responsibilities which entail managing a large group of people and the onus for their training and development.
10. Join a start-up which requires you to build a rapport with a new team and develop new skills.

11. Work on a project which requires you t use your personal power and influencing skills rather than your position or authority.

12. Volunteer to assemble a diverse team to resolve a challenging issue.

13. Handle a tough negotiation with an internal or external.

Try them out and share your feedback on how they worked for you.