Are your interpersonal skills well developed?

Objectives• Examine interpersonal skills in the context

of entrepreneurial behaviors• Explore the impact of interpersonal skills

on success as an entrepreneur• Assess your interpersonal skills

MacroeconomicChange

Entrepreneurial Motivation

Entrepreneurial Behavior

Confidence

Risk tolerance

Interpersonal skills

Social capital

IndustryCondition

IndustryStatus

Opportunity Identification

ValueCurve

Competition

The Opportunity Analysis CanvasTM

Entrepreneurial Mindset

How often do you…• seek approval and affirmation from others, but

fear criticism?• guess at what normal behavior is?• isolate yourself from people in authority roles?• downplay your own accomplishments?• have difficulty following a project through

from beginning to end?• get frightened or stressed in the company of an

angry person.lie in order to avoid conflict?

• feel that others (or society) take advantage of you?

• take yourself seriously, and view other relationships just as seriously?

• have problems developing and maintaining intimate relationships?

• feel guilty when you stand up for yourself or put your needs first?

• feel responsible for others and find it easier to have concern for others than for yourself?

• act impulsive, before considering alternative actions or possible consequences?

• have difficulty feeling or expressing your own feelings?

Defining interpersonal skills

“skills relating to relationships or communication between people”

• Involves building relationships with new people

• Requires renewing, maintaining, and enhancing existing relationships

Examples of interpersonal skills

1. Communication skills in listening and speaking effectively

2. Assertiveness skills involve expressing yourself without violating others’ rights

3. Conflict resolution skills to resolve differences and continue relationships

4. Anger management skills

(1) To improve communication• Understand that people want to feel heard more than

they care about whether you agree with them– Listen to what is being said

• Remember that what someone says can be amazingly different than what you hear– Assumptions, judgments, and beliefs can distort– Repeat or summarize to ensure that you understand

• Respond, don’t react– Monitor yourself as you attempt to communicate– Focus on understanding what is being said and clarify

(2) To improve assertiveness• Be as specific and clear as possible about

what you want, think, and feel.• Be direct

– Deliver your message to the person for whom it is intended.

• Own your message– Acknowledge that your message comes from

your frame of reference, your conception of good vs. bad or right vs. wrong, your perceptions

(3) To improve conflict resolution• Focus on the problem instead of the person• Express issues directly• Set a positive tone• Acknowledge and valid the other party• Summarize new understandings• Develop alternative solutions• Determine next steps and follow-up

(4) To improve anger management• Be aware of what you are feeling

– Notice the signs that anger is building • Ask “What is really bothering me?”

– Is an interaction with someone else or something inside you causing your anger? Avoid displacing

• De-escalate with a “time out” • Examine your options

– Visualize how you might respond

• Assert yourself, and address the root cause• Develop activities that help you cope with anger

Benefits of interpersonal skills• Interpersonal relationships contribute to the

quantity and quality of your social networks• Influence one’s ability to access information

that facilitates discovery of entrepreneurial opportunities (Aldrich and Zimmer, 1986; Baron and Markman, 2000)

Building and maintaining is key• Knowing key stakeholders can open access

to information and resources• Facilitate meeting new individuals and

building positive relationships• Bypass normal communications process

and/or speed up the process of communicating effectively

Summary• Others’ perception of us are the true

measure of our interpersonal skills– Requires communications skills, assertiveness,

conflict resolution, and anger management

• Focus on building and maintaining relationships– Learn how to connect with people in a

constructive and influential way