How Can Having Good Interpersonal Skills Help Build Your Startup?

How can having good interpersonal skills help build your startup?

So often we are told building a successful startup is achievable if you are willing to do the work, immerse yourself in the industry through years of practice and experience, and if you have the technical skills. These are obvious and are often talked about, but what about the less-heralded, equally important ingredient which is interpersonal skills?

Interpersonal skills are people skills. And while some people believe it to be inconsequential, research has pointed out its importance in building a high-functioning team and a successful startup. Rather than spinning your wheels and guessing what to do, in this article, we give you some tips and reasons why you need to establish interpersonal skills and nurture it within your company:

It helps build a great company culture

If you don’t have good interpersonal skills and don’t have good relationships with your team or at least make an effort to build it, then starting a business and establishing a great company culture is a pipe dream. Research says that people with good interpersonal skills are often seen as passionate, disciplined, optimistic, and energetic and if you have these, it is so much easier to influence people around you, especially your team members and you would have synergy in your company and office space.  What else can you do? Hire the right people.

Look for interpersonal skills in your employees and new hires. Although it is preferred to hire people who are born with such skills, it doesn’t mean you can’t hire people who still need to acquire and improve them. Keep in mind that it is also vital to hire people with the right attitude and possess a willingness to learn and adjust. Most often than not, these people are easier to manage and impart your knowledge and skills to. 

Helps ensure job satisfaction

Having good interpersonal skills within your team helps ensure job satisfaction. The reason is that it is easier for you to communicate your thoughts, vision, and goals and avoid misunderstandings. One thing you can also do to help achieve this is to take care of your employees by being vocal in acknowledging their good qualities, achievements, and efforts they put into helping your startup succeed, and rewarding them for their outstanding performance.  

The backbone of every company is having healthy team dynamics

Having healthy team dynamics requires getting to know your team a little better. Make an effort to get to know them and even if you don’t have the same personality and interests. Use your interpersonal skills and try to find a common ground and focus on building trust. Trust that they can do a great job and embrace the fact that they are the backbone of your company. They don’t have to be your best friends, but everyone on the team needs to build trust for the greater good of your startup. If you have confidence within your company, it will be easier to form good relationships and build trust with your potential partners, investors, and clients. You can’t have healthy team dynamics if you don’t build trust first. Other ways you can build a healthy team dynamic is by organizing team buildings, regular meetings, one-on-ones, training, and workshops

While these will help you start your business and get you set to grow, there’s never a perfect plan and fast way to establish interpersonal skills and build a great company culture. It takes time and effort, especially if you are just launching, but you will surely get what you put into your team and business. Discover and meet a community of successful and promising startups in the country and visit our space now!

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