Notes

Managing Relationships. You spend a lot of time with the people at your workplace. If you are a full-time employee, you can expect to spend 40 or more hours a week with your coworkers. Once you understand that you can begin to understand why it's so important to have good relationships with your coworkers and managers. Good relationships will help you get along well with people and help you to do your job better
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Good workplace relationships are built on the following five characteristics:
Trust
Be open minded
Respect
Communication
Social Interaction
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Trust. Healthy relationships require people to trust in each other. A manager has to be able to trust employees to do their work. Employees have to be able to trust their managers to give them proper guidance and lead them in the right direction. Two coworkers need to be able to trust in one another to be honest in sharing information.--
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Be open minded. To be open minded means that you encourage and respect the ideas and opinions of others. This respect for ideas that may be different from yours will lead to better, more creative ideas and solutions to problems.
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Respect. You can't have good relationships without people showing respect for each another. Showing respect for people at work is simple. Think about how you want to be treated, and treat others that way.
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Communication. Communication between coworkers, supervisors and employees must be open and honest. People must also be willing to participate in different types of communication. Face-to-face, group discussions, email and telephone are just a few ways you can communicate in the workplace.
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Social Interaction. You will have stronger relationships with the people you work with if you interact, or spend time with them, outside of work. This type of social bonding helps strengthen your relationship on a more personal level. Then, when it comes to work-related interactions, you will have a relationship on which to build.

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Understanding the feelings of others. The ability to understand and relate to the feelings of others is called empathy. Having empathy will help you develop strong relationships with other people. When people tell you about something important, that shows they feel comfortable around you. Do your best to put yourself in their shoes. Think about how you would want to be treated if you were in their position. What would you want someone to say to you? What would you hope someone would do for you?
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Cooperating with others. Cooperating, or working well with others, is an important part of interpersonal skills in the workplace. Even though each employee might have their own individual tasks and goals, the entire staff or team has the same goal. That goal is to help the company be successful. This common goal is why cooperation is so important in the workplace.
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Here is a list of ways you can cooperate with others in the workplace:
Share ideas
Help others
Listen to and respect the ideas of others
Respond to the requests of others
Resolve conflicts
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Employee smiling and handing a customer their change.
Showing respect. When you show respect for others in the workplace, people will show respect for you. You can show respect for others by being polite and using your manners. Always remember to say please and thank you. When someone is talking to you, listen to what they are saying and make eye contact to show that you are listening. Wait until the person has finished talking before you respond so that you don't cause the person to forget what they wanted to say.
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Two workers standing the correct distance apart.
Appropriate contact. Interpersonal skills are not just about the things you say at work, they also include your actions, or the things you do. The way you act toward people at work will determine whether or not they feel comfortable around you. Start by always standing an appropriate distance away from the person you're talking to. A good rule of thumb is to stand an arm's length away from the person. That way, the person can easily hear you but won't feel like you're in their personal space.
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Some people don't like to be touched, so it's important that you respect people's personal space. Besides a simple pat on the back or handshake, it's best not to touch people in the workplace. Keeping your hands to yourself will ensure that you don't offend or upset others.
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review
Interpersonal skills are the skills we use to communicate or talk with other people. Strong interpersonal skills will prepare you to work with all types of people in the workplace, including managers, coworkers and customers.
The ability to understand and relate to the feelings of others is called empathy. Having empathy will help you develop strong relationships with other people.
The way you act toward people at work will determine whether or not they feel comfortable around you. Some people don't like to be touched, so it's important that you respect people's personal space.

2 section
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Separate your feelings from your actions
Stay calm
Wait until you are calm to respond
Write down your emotions
Stay positive
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Separate your feelings from your actions. It can be difficult to control your emotions. That's because emotions, or feelings, are actually signals that are telling you to do something or act a certain way. In order to control your emotions, you need to learn to separate your emotions from your actions. It's best not to do anything when you're feeling strong emotions. Instead, think about why you feel that way and then decide if your feelings are telling you the right thing to do.
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Stay calm. Work can be very stressful at times. The pressure to do a good job, meet deadlines and deal with challenging situations can result in an emotional overload. The key to handling these emotions is to stay calm.
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Figure out what's causing your stress
Practice breathing exercises
Count to ten
Think about your options
Respond appropriately
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Wait until you are calm to respond. Sometimes your emotions can take control of your words. When your emotions take control of your words, you might say things before thinking about what you really want to say. That's because it's difficult to think clearly when you are upset or emotional about something. Responding while you're upset can result in hurt feelings and arguments. Before you react emotionally, stop and think about what you want to say. Sometimes it's best to step away from the situation for a moment in order to collect your thoughts and calm down
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Write down your emotions. A healthy way to deal with your emotions at work is to put them into writing. If you feel very strongly about something, take a moment to write down your thoughts. Simply writing down your thoughts is a good way to deal with stress. Writing down your thoughts will help you think through the stressful situation and help you move on. On the other hand, it could cause you to address the situation in a positive way with your supervisor. Either way, writing down your thoughts and emotions is a good way to think through your emotions and can prevent you from reacting inappropriately.
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tay Positive. You may feel a lot of different emotions in the workplace. Anger, frustration, stress, worry, nervousness, and disappointment are just a few of the emotions you could feel at work. These emotions all have a negative effect on your mood, so it's important to try to stay positive. Practice thinking positive thoughts and saying positive statements in order to fight off these negative emotions. Even if something is causing you to feel these negative emotions, your positive thoughts and statements can help you stay in control.
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sectio n2 review = key points
It's okay to have emotions, or feelings about things as long as you can stay in control. Controlling your emotions will help you to get along with others and will help other people feel more comfortable around you.
It's best not to do anything when you're feeling strong emotions. Instead, think about why you feel that way and then decide if your feelings are telling you the right thing to do.
Practice thinking positive thoughts and saying positive statements in order to fight off negative emotions. Even if something is causing you to feel negative emotions, your positive thoughts and statements can help you stay in control.
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Socializing with people at work is different than socializing with your friends and family. Some people have very social personalities, so socializing with people at work comes easily. Others might not feel as comfortable socializing with people at work. No matter what type of personality you have, the following five topics will help you learn to

socialize at work:
Socializing with managers
Socializing with coworkers
Socializing with customers
Know when it's okay to socialize
Be friendly-
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Let's take a closer look at what it means to socialize in the workplace.
Socializing with managers. Some people might find it hard or uncomfortable to socialize with their manager. The difference in status, or rank, at work can result in a social obstacle, making conversation more difficult. However you feel about your manager, it's important to try to socialize with your manager and build a relationship with him or her. Try to learn about your manager's interests. If you have something in common, that's always a great way to get a conversation going.
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No matter how comfortable you become with your manager, always be respectful when talking to him or her. Use language that is appropriate for the workplace. Talk about topics that are not offensive or inappropriate in any way. Even if you're not talking about work while you're socializing, you should still try to make a good impression on your manager
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Socializing with coworkers. Socializing with coworkers will help to strengthen the quality of your relationships. Strong relationships with your coworkers will help you to form a team and work better together. For example, if you enjoy a nice conversation with a coworker, when it comes time to get back to work, you will probably feel more comfortable asking for help. Likewise, you might be more willing to give help to others if you have a strong connection with them.
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Socializing with customers. If your job requires you to work with customers, it's important to be able to talk about both business and non-business related topics. Customers like to feel as if they are working with a real person. Build trust and bond with your customers by getting to know them. Much like socializing with your manager, you want to avoid topics that are too personal or inappropriate. It's a good idea to let the customer do most of the talking until you get to know them better. That way you can listen and learn about what they're interested in and get an idea of what they like to talk about.
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Three employees discussing work.
Know when it's okay to socialize. Socializing is important in order to build workplace relationships. However, it's also important to know when it's okay to socialize. Socializing too often can keep you from getting your work done. Socializing at the wrong times can lead coworkers and managers to think you have a poor work ethic, or that you don't want to do your work. The following situations are examples of times when it's okay to socialize at work:
During breaks
Waiting for a meeting to start
Passing someone in the hall
While helping a customer
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Be friendly. If you're ever unsure about how or when to socialize, remember it never hurts to be friendly. Always say hello and smile to people as you see them so that they know you are friendly. If a conversation starts, listen to what the person is telling you and try to respond appropriately. It's also a good idea to give sincere, or honest, compliments. It shows that you notice and care about the person you're complimenting and makes the person feel good about himself or herself.
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3 section reviw = key tips
Socializing with people at work will help to strengthen your relationships. Socializing usually involves talking about more personal topics, which will help you get to know the people you work with on a more personal level.
No matter how comfortable you become with your manager, always be respectful when talking to him or her. Use language that is appropriate for the workplace. Talk about topics that are not offensive or inappropriate in any way.
It's important to know when it's okay to socialize. Socializing too often can keep you from getting your work done. Socializing at the wrong times can lead coworkers and managers to think you have a poor work ethic
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Memorize your “elevator speech”
Prepare questions
Remember names
Recognize an opportunity
Be open-minded
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Memorize your “elevator speech.” An elevator speech is a short description of what you do for a living and the benefits you and your company provide. The reason it's called an elevator speech is because it should be short enough that you can say it in the amount of time it takes you to ride an elevator with someone.
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Think of it as a quick commercial about yourself and your business or employer. Your elevator speech should include information about your skills, what you have to offer and what you are looking for in a professional relationship. Depending on where you are in your career, you could be looking for a new job, new customers or even a mentor. Having your elevator speech memorized allows you to quickly and easily describe to people what you do in any situation.
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Prepare questions. If you're going to a networking event, it's helpful to think of questions you can ask people ahead of time. That way, if you run out of things to talk about or want to start a conversation with someone, you can ask one of the questions you planned ahead of time to get the conversation going. Stick to questions that anyone can answer, no matter what they do for a living.
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ent:
Two people having a conversation
What do you do for a living?
What is your biggest challenge in your job?
How do you go about getting new customers?
How did you get started in your career?
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Remember names. An important part of networking, and probably one of the most difficult, is remembering the names of people you meet. Remembering names is important because it shows that you care about the connections you make. While you might not be able to remember the names of everyone you meet, there are a few tricks that will help you remember as many as possible.
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For example, you could ask for the person's business card and later, right down some notes on the card about that person. Figure out a system that works for you and make an effort to always remember peoples' names.
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Recognize an opportunity. You don't have to be at a networking event in order to network. You can make new connections anywhere, whether you're at a sporting event or out to eat at a restaurant. When there are new people around, don't be afraid to introduce yourself. Once you get to know them a little, tell them about what you do. Even if that person can't help your business now, they might know someone who can, or maybe they will help you sometime in the future.
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In order for networking to work, it needs to go both ways. That means you can't expect people to help you with your career and not return the favor. Never pass up an opportunity to help others, whether by sending business their way or giving them advice. People will remember your kindness and will likely return the favor.
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In order for networking to work, it needs to go both ways. That means you can't expect people to help you with your career and not return the favor. Never pass up an opportunity to help others, whether by sending business their way or giving them advice. People will remember your kindness and will likely return the favor.
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Be open-minded. Success is all about who you know. The more people you know, the better. With networking, it's best to be open-minded and include everyone. Don't assume that if people are not in a management position that they can't help you. Never ignore someone just because you think they can't help you achieve your networking goals. Meeting new people is never a waste of time, so always make the best of networking opportunities. Go out of your way to meet as many people as possible.
Smiling cashier.
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An elevator speech is a short description of what you do for a living and the benefits you and your company provide. Having your elevator speech memorized allows you to quickly and easily describe to people what you do in any situation.
You don't have to be at a networking event in order to network. When there are new people around, don't be afraid to introduce yourself. Once you get to know them a little, tell them about what you do.
With networking, it's best to be open-minded and include everyone. Meeting new people is never a waste of time, so always make the best of networking opportunities. Go out of your way to meet as many people as possible.
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5. If you have a conflict with someone at work, you must resolve it, or fix the issue. The sooner you resolve the conflict, the better. Some people might be tempted to ignore the conflict in hopes that it will go away on its own. However, ignoring the conflict usually just makes the problem worse.
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Recognize the conflict
Focus on what you can control
Find out what you can do to resolve the conflict
Be assertive
Make suggestions
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Let's take a closer look at resolving conflict in the workplace.
Recognize the conflict. The first step in resolving conflict is recognizing, or noticing, that a conflict exists. It might sound simple, but some people might not notice, or may not want to admit, when there is a conflict. If you think that someone has a problem with you, ask the person about it in private.
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