How to build interpersonal skills for training providers (and some of the training tools they need)
Establishing a good rapport with others is key in effective training. Especially with today’s workplace setting that can be both remote or physically in the same location, an ideal training course should have the right balance between individual learning and interpersonal communication. A training course – whether online training or in-person – should encourage interaction and exchange of information.
This is where interpersonal skills enter the picture.
Interpersonal skills are a set of skills related to interactions with others. They refer to how well you can communicate and build good working relationships with people.
According to Trainingmag.com, the term “interpersonal skills” covers different types of soft skills as follows:
- Mentoring: Coaching one or more people
- Leadership: Leading and assisting others by example
- Communication skills: Conveying ideas effectively through verbal and non-verbal means
- Problem-Solving: Resolving personal, group, and business conflict
- Negotiation: Coming to an agreement with others when opinions differ
- Empathy: Understanding individuals in the workspace
- Teamwork: Working together with various people to achieve a single goal
- Listening skills: Actively listening to what other people are saying
How strong these qualities are can make or break the learning experience.
So developing communication skills that involve listening, explaining, providing feedback and comments, questioning, and problem-solving will tremendously help a training provider to facilitate an engaging learning environment.
Seven ways to build interpersonal skills and key tools needed in a training program
Apply real-world situations and enable practical learning.
Learners tend to understand a training course better when theories are applied to real-life situations (also called branching scenarios). By using day-to-day situations, participants can link the lessons according to settings that are most familiar to them.
Branching scenarios involve real-life work context and characters. By using branching scenarios, participants can develop decision-making and problem-solving skills. During imaginary conflict situations, how can participants diffuse and resolve issues?
Role-playing among participants can foster interpersonal communication. This can also help the learner achieve better communication skills and know the appropriate communication style to use for different personalities and stakeholders.
Use online training simulations for challenging scenarios.
Simulations can aid in developing conflict resolution skills. Especially for situations that are difficult to replicate, online training simulations can teach the learner how to be calm and collected. A tool that contains images, sounds, and videos while building up stress and conflict would be best for this type of training.
Tell a story.
Build empathy and respect among participants by tugging at their heartstrings. An emotionally compelling scenario that evokes a deeper level of connection with colleagues will help a training course become more relatable.
For instance, tell a story about bullying in the workplace, and encourage a discussion among participants on how to respond. Use a tool that can make your story more interactive and immersive through multimedia forms. Consider incorporating images, audio, and video. Perhaps gamification can be applied to encourage more response and participation.
Provide more opportunities for team building and project management.
Group work builds interpersonal skills. Divide participants into smaller groups and create scenarios to be resolved. Working together not only fosters teamwork, but also allows participants to practice project management skills where others are involved. It may be necessary to teach them how to use online platforms and applications for Project Management. Software that involves setting up group calendars, notifications, tasks, and messaging/chat will be handy. By the end of the task, participants will be able to have a full grasp of working with others and project management within a team.
Build an online support system and learning community.
Feedback and support are essentials in enabling interpersonal communication within a training program. Support should not just come from the facilitator, but also from other participants. An online support and learning community will be vital for addressing questions from learners, as well as the exchange of insights and best practices. Online communities will also allow more access to additional resources such as podcasts, how-to videos, webinars, and downloadable guides.
Cultivate learning by mentorship.
Encourage mentor-mentee relationships. Mentorship programs among participants allow learners to experience individual learning while getting support from knowledgeable peers. Deeper learning is cultivated two-ways. First, it allows the mentee to learn more from colleagues that are more knowledgeable on the subject. Secondly, mentors learn by teaching (a study shows that people tend to get deeper learning by educating others).
Take the learners out of their social comfort zone.
Ask learners to get out and interview subject matter experts and thought leaders. Give them tasks that will prompt them to interact with supervisors and higher-ups. Put them in unfamiliar scenarios so they can build confidence later on.
Use a Learning Management System to foster interpersonal skills.
The right employee training program empowers employees to build the necessary interpersonal skills. A Learning Management System enables you to offer a structured and tailored training program for employees that makes them successful in their respective roles and responsibilities.
Create an adaptive learning environment using EduBrite LMS. Offer an open learning environment by providing a platform that allows employees to interact and immerse themselves in the course. With EduBrite’s open learning, employees can browse, find, filter, and search learning content of their interest and engage with subject matter experts and other team members.