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Get to know people in other workgroups, levels of the organization, or functional areas. The principles
of interpersonal savvy are the same regardless of the audience. Do what you do with the comfortable
group with the uncomfortable groups. The results will generally be the same.

Want to learn more? Take a deep dive…
Burns, K. (2010, January 27). 10 Tips for playing well with others at work. U.S. News and World
Report.
Chamorro-Premuzic, T. (2012, July 6). Less-confident people are more successful. Harvard
Business Review Blog Network.
Lutz, A. (2012, May 18). The secret to working with 4 different types of people. Business Insider.

4. In a hurry to get down to business? Manage the first three minutes. Life moves fast. Decisions
need to be made. Information needs to be shared. Action needs to happen. But can you take three
minutes? The first three minutes are essential. The tone is set. First impressions are formed. Work on
being open and approachable. Take in information during the beginning of a transaction. This means
putting others at ease so that they feel OK about disclosing. It means initiating rapport, listening,
sharing, understanding, and comforting. Approachable people get more information, know things
earlier, and can get others to do more things. The more you can get them to initiate and say early in
the transaction, the more you’ll know about where they are coming from, and the better you can tailor
your approach.

5. Are you overly private? Share more. There’s a balance to be struck between being too private and
appropriate sharing. When you share a little of yourself, you get more in return. Let people know what
you are thinking on a business issue. Talk about what’s important to you. Share snippets of your
weekend, upcoming vacation, or family events. It’s not about bragging or comparing. It’s being real
and opening up to others. Let people see into your world a little. Others are more likely to share with
you when you take the first step and show a little bit about yourself. Reveal things people don’t need
to know to do their jobs, but which will be interesting to them and help them feel valued.

6. Are you all business? Personalize. Work to know and remember important things about the people
who work with you. Know three things about each of your coworkers—their interests or their family or
something you can chat about other than the business agenda. These need not be social; they could
also be issues of current affairs, global events, market shifts. The point is to establish common
ground and connections. Show your human side. Learn people’s names and use them. Remember
dates that are important to them. Acknowledge big events in their lives. Interact because you want to,
not just because you have to.

7. Need to demonstrate more interest? Use attentive non-verbals. Understand the critical role of
non-verbal communications. It’s easy to say one thing and send a completely different message with
your body language. That’s confusing. Even before you utter a word, the other person will start to
interpret your gestures. They’ll look for meaning in your facial expressions. What they take from the
non-verbals can completely override the words. Appear and sound open and relaxed. Keep
consistent eye contact. Nod while the other person is talking. Work to eliminate any disruptive habits
such as fidgeting or frequently looking at your computer. Put down your phone. Watch out for
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