Interpersonal Skills at Work: 6 Relationships That Matter
Interpersonal skills at work mean managing six relationships, not one. Avinash Chate's Govinda example shows why strong bonds still need self-awareness to pay off.
Interpersonal skills at work are your ability to build trust with every group you depend on: your team, peers, boss, vendors and clients. Strong relationships help, but they do not cover a weak spot in your own habits. 65% of Indian firms invest in soft-skill training, and the smart ones teach both sides of this.
TL;DR- Check six relationships: team, peers, boss, vendors, clients and referrers.
- Strong relationships make people want to work with you and raise your influence.
- Good relationships can hide a personal weak spot such as low productivity.
- Companies should train relationship skills and self-awareness together.
- Start with a simple relationship map for each employee.
What are interpersonal skills at work?
Interpersonal skills are the everyday habits that decide how people feel working with you: listening, respect, follow-through and warmth. They are not a personality gift. They can be practised. In my trainings I begin with one plain question: how are your relationships at work? Not how are your targets. Most people have never listed who they actually depend on, so they do not notice which bonds are strong and which are neglected.
Which six relationships should every employee check?
I ask employees to check six: people who report to them, colleagues even in other departments, the boss they report to, vendors, clients, and anyone who sends them business, such as a referrer. Each needs something different. A team needs fairness, a boss needs reliability, a vendor needs clear and timely payment talk, a client needs responsiveness. Ask yourself honestly which of the six you rarely think about. That is usually where the next problem comes from.
| Relationship | What they need from you | Common neglect |
|---|---|---|
| Your team | Fairness, clear direction, recognition | Only talking when something is wrong |
| Colleagues in other departments | Quick replies, respect for their time | Treating them as outsiders |
| Your boss | Reliability, early warning, honest updates | Surprises and silence |
| Vendors | Clear requirements, timely payment talk | Contact only during disputes |
| Clients | Responsiveness, honesty, follow-through | Calling only to sell |
| Referrers and partners | Thanks, feedback, a regular touchpoint | Forgetting them after the first referral |
What does the Govinda example show?
In my Marathi session on relationships I describe an office character, Govinda. His birthday turns the whole office into a celebration, with videos and photos on WhatsApp and cake. I say it plainly: "ही इज व्हेरी गुड ॲट रिलेशनशिप" (he is very good at relationships). His bosses like him, and clients call him at Diwali and Dussehra to invite him home. That is what strong interpersonal skills look like: people want to be around him.
Why do strong relationships still not guarantee growth?
Here is the part people miss. Govinda's emotional strength is high, yet I point to a problem in his personality: his productivity is the weakest part of the picture. Relationships can create goodwill, but goodwill does not do the work. When someone is liked and still slow, others slowly start to cover for him, and that quietly costs the team. Strong bonds can even hide the weak spot, because nobody wants to say it. This is why self-awareness matters as much as warmth. See my note on relationship management for the wider framework.
How can a company train interpersonal skills in its team?
Train both sides together. Teach relationship habits such as listening, giving feedback kindly, handling disagreement and following up. Then add honest self-assessment, where each person looks at their own pattern and picks one habit to change. Use real situations from your workplace, not generic slides. A short, practical workshop followed by a review a few weeks later works better than a single long lecture. See our behavioural training programme for the format I use.
What does a relationship map for employees look like?
Ask each employee to draw their six relationships on one page. Against each, they write one thing the other person values and one thing they could do better. The manager then picks a single action for the month. It takes twenty minutes and needs no software. It also gives HR something concrete to discuss in one-to-ones, rather than vague advice such as "improve your communication".
How do you know if soft skills training is working?
Look for behaviour, not smiles. Do cross-department requests get answered faster? Do vendors raise problems early instead of late? Do team members give feedback upward? Track a few of these from your own records before and after, and ask managers what changed. Do not quote a percentage improvement unless you have measured it. The goal is visible habits, not a certificate on the wall.
How do you book an interpersonal skills session for your team?
Tell us your team size, level and the relationships that are strained, and I will shape the session around them. I deliver soft skills and behavioural programmes for corporate teams across India, in English, Hindi or Marathi. Look at the signature programmes to see what fits, then use the contact page for a quote. Fees depend on format, duration and city.
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Avinash Chate TEDx Speaker · Founder, The Future Corporate · 11+ yrs experience Avinash has trained Indian Army, BRO, RBI, BARC, JSW Steel and 1000+ corporate leaders across India. His work focuses on leadership development, communication skills, and behavioural training rooted in Indian values and modern business needs. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What are interpersonal skills at work?
They are the habits that build trust with the people you work with: listening, respect, follow-through, handling disagreement and giving feedback.
Can interpersonal skills be taught to employees?
Yes. They are habits, so they improve with practice on real workplace situations, feedback and a follow-up review, not with theory alone.
How is this different from communication skills training?
Communication skills focus on how you speak, write and present. Interpersonal skills cover the wider relationship with team, peers, boss, vendors and clients, including self-awareness.
How do we book soft skills training for our team?
Use the contact page or write to connect@avinashchate.com. Share the team size, level and goals, and you will get a proposal. Fees depend on format, duration and city.
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By Avinash Chate — Maharashtra’s #1 Corporate Trainer & Motivational Speaker. .