Interpersonal Effectiveness
Competency Area:
Interpersonal Effectiveness
An integrated planning approach recognizes that moving a plan or initiative forward in an institution requires strong relationships, productive collaboration, and clear communication. These competencies relate to building relationships and working effectively with others.
Competencies for Interpersonal Effectiveness
Inclusion
The ability to interact effectively with those who are different from you
- Value and navigate differences among groups of people in a multicultural environment.
- Value inclusion and diversity.
- Identify how words, behaviors, choices, and structures impact historically underserved groups, and work to cultivate inclusion and improve diversity.
- Adapt your words and behaviors to constructively interact with different stakeholder groups, including leadership, administration, faculty, front-line staff, external stakeholders, and students.
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Emotional Intelligence
The ability to manage your emotions and work with the emotions of others
- Maintain awareness of your emotions and how they impact your behavior.
- Read verbal and nonverbal cues to determine how others might feel. Modify your behavior where appropriate.
- Establish and maintain interpersonal boundaries.
Conflict Resolution
The ability to effectively address conflict
- Empathize with others. Meet resistance and fear with patience, compassion, and curiosity.
- Identify potential conflict, and acknowledge it with honesty and empathy. Manage difficult conversations. Disagree with respect and without escalating.
- Work to resolve conflict. Determine and articulate areas of agreement and disagreement. Generate ideas, and take steps to mitigate or solve issues.
- Negotiate between different groups. Facilitate compromise.
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Relationships
The ability to build and nurture relationships
- Foster safety and respect in your interpersonal relationships.
- Build and maintain relationships with diverse stakeholders in a variety of contexts (outside the institution, across unit lines, etc.).
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Collaboration
The ability to work effectively with other people, informally or on a team
- Give suggestions, advice, and feedback to other units, committees, and leadership based on your expertise.
- Adapt your working style and behavior based on what’s needed for the collaboration to succeed.
- Discuss individual goals, and determine what the collaboration will achieve.
- Analyze how your strengths and the strengths of each collaborator can contribute to team goals.
- Negotiate and synchronize tasks so efforts are shared appropriately and goals are reached.
- Share relevant information with teammates and collaborators.
- Use feedback to adapt your behavior so you can contribute more effectively.
Communication
The ability to exchange information with others to reach mutual understanding
- Speak and write clearly.
- Use a wide variety of communication methods, formal (presentations, meetings, written memos) and informal (conversations, email, chat, storytelling).
- Tailor the methods, timing, and message of communications to the audience, situation, and desired outcomes.
- Translate jargon into language that will be understood by stakeholders across the institution, regardless of their background and expertise.
- Actively listen to others and ask questions that illuminate their point of view.
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