Interpersonal Skills Practicum in LPSCS

Positive Personal Traits Good relationships at work can help you enjoy your work and do your job more effectively Assess your own traits as a starting point to developing good work relationships Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2011. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission.

Positive Personal Traits (continued) Responsibility – dependability, punctuality, and positive motivation Self-esteem – confidence Self-management – self-control and tact Integrity and honesty – loyalty and trustworthiness Dressing appropriately Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2011. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission.

Positive Personal Traits (continued) Sociability Be friendly and enthusiastic Respect others Have a sense of humor – be able to laugh at yourself Be courteous Greet coworkers, addressing them by name when possible Don’t talk so loudly as to disturb others Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2011. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission.

Positive Personal Traits (continued) Self-awareness Be aware of your strengths and weaknesses Use this information to help you develop the personal traits that need improvement Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2011. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission.

Being an Effective Coworker Working effectively with others is part of doing your job well Essential traits Respecting others Understanding others Communication skills Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2011. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission.

Being an Effective Coworker (continued) Respect others – show by your actions and words that you value your coworkers Be courteous Tolerate differences Respect privacy – i.e., treat others’ email, faxes, phone calls, etc. as you would treat private mail Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2011. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission.

Being an Effective Coworker (continued) Understanding others Show interest in coworkers by asking about their interests Empathize Be open to suggestions and change Pay attention to body language and facial expressions that can express emotions Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2011. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission.

Being an Effective Coworker (continued) Communication skills How well you listen is as important as what you say Failure to convey information clearly can cause problems Speak up if you need help Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2011. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission.

Negative Traits and Habits to Avoid Arrogance – conveys that you feel superior to others Prejudice – a negative attitude toward a certain group of people Jealousy – can be damaging in the workplace Negative attitudes and complaining Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2011. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission.

Negative Traits and Habits to Avoid (continued) Revealing too much about your private life Gossiping – wastes time and can result in rumors Interrupting private conversations Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2011. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission.

Valuing Diversity Today’s workforce is becoming more diverse, with people from different countries, cultures, backgrounds, and generations. Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2011. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission.

Benefits of Diversity The workplace can benefit from the ideas and perspectives of many different people Working with people who are different from us makes us less likely to rely on old assumptions that might be wrong Opens us up to considering new ideas and points of view Leads to new discoveries Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2011. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission.

Benefits of Diversity (continued) Respect differences in culture, religion, age, gender, and viewpoint Aids communication Shows that you are part of a community of workers with common needs and goals Helps employees relate to each other and be more accommodating to others, which spills over to the people they serve Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2011. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission.

Look Beyond Stereotypes To take advantage of a diverse workforce, look beyond stereotypes Cultural differences Gender distinctions Generational distinctions Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2011. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission.

Look Beyond Stereotypes (continued) Cultural differences People from different ethnic backgrounds have different customs; what is polite in one culture may be rude in another Cultural blunders happen, even when you have the best intentions Learn by reading and observing, and apologize, even if you are unintentionally impolite Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2011. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission.

Look Beyond Stereotypes (continued) Gender distinctions Have mutual respect for others regardless of gender It is illegal to harass or discriminate against someone because of gender Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2011. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission.

Look Beyond Stereotypes (continued) Generational distinctions Young people and old people can have different points of view Bridge differences by listening carefully to the other person’s viewpoint and finding areas of agreement Copyright © Texas Education Agency 2011. All rights reserved. Images and other multimedia content used with permission.