HKSM
Interpersonal Skills
Abilities that help you build, develop, and sustain effective relationships with other people.
Key Points
- Include communication, active listening, empathy, and cultural awareness.
- Enable collaboration, negotiation, conflict resolution, and trust-building.
- Used with stakeholders, team members, sponsors, and vendors across the project life cycle.
- Reduce misunderstandings and improve team morale and project outcomes.
Example
A project manager facilitates a tense requirements meeting by actively listening to each stakeholder, acknowledging concerns, summarizing points, and negotiating a compromise, then follows up to maintain trust and alignment.
PMP Example Question
Which action best demonstrates strong interpersonal skills by a project manager?
- Sending a detailed status email without inviting feedback.
- Escalating every stakeholder disagreement to the sponsor.
- Listening to stakeholder concerns, paraphrasing for clarity, and mediating a mutually acceptable solution.
- Relying solely on the project charter to resolve team conflicts.
Correct Answer: C — Listening, clarifying, and mediating to build and maintain relationships
Explanation: Interpersonal skills involve effective communication, empathy, and conflict resolution to strengthen relationships and reach agreement.
