Survey Questions: Interpersonal Skills
Definition: Interpersonal skills form the basis for effective collaboration, where communication, honesty, and empathy enable colleagues to build strong relationships and navigate challenges with openness and respect. Leaders foster a supportive environment by coaching, recognizing contributions, mediating conflicts, and providing constructive feedback, ensuring that diverse perspectives are valued and inclusion is prioritized. Through trustworthiness, responsiveness, and leading by example, employees create a culture of mutual support, adaptability, and shared success, strengthening both teamwork and organizational growth.
Collaboration
Interpersonal Skills
Client Focus
Change
Resourcefulness
Recognition
Career Development
Pride/Loyalty
Professionalism
Partnering/Networking
Cultural Awareness
Meetings
Negotiation
Respect for Others
Teamwork
Work/Life
Stress
Communication
Communication focuses on exchanging information effectively, ensuring clarity in conversations, and maintaining open channels for collaboration. This dimension highlights verbal and nonverbal communication skills, fostering approachability, articulating initiatives clearly, listening attentively, and facilitating positive interactions. It prioritizes engagement and understanding, ensuring that individuals express themselves effectively while maintaining strong connections within the workplace.
- My colleagues are easily approachable if I need help with something
- I know how to apply appropriate communication techniques to meet the needs of the situation
- I demonstrate good interpersonal skills through excellent communication with colleagues and customers
- My coworkers maintain open and regular communication with each other
- My supervisor is a good listener who is attentive to others
- My coworkers have good interpersonal skills and attend to both the content and the context of what was being said
- I have no trouble understanding the core issues of conversations
- I feel that I communicate well at all levels of the organization
- My manager communicates initiatives in a clear and actionable manner to the employees
Empathy
Empathy focuses on understanding and recognizing the emotions, perspectives, and challenges of others in order to foster deeper connections and thoughtful interactions. This dimension highlights practicing compassion, anticipating concerns, demonstrating sensitivity, and making an effort to see situations from multiple viewpoints. It prioritizes emotional intelligence and awareness, ensuring individuals can navigate interpersonal dynamics with consideration and tact.
- My team members are willing to consider the other individual's point of view
- My coworkers demonstrate a compassion and understanding of others
- I use tact, compassion, and sensitivity in my interactions with others
- My coworkers anticipates the concerns of other employees
- People in my department will listen to and interact with customers and team members in an effective, tactful, and pleasant way
- I have empathy toward coworkers
- I am aware of how awareness of how specific actions, or inaction, could affect others
- Members of my team pay close attention to what is being communicated verbally and nonverbally
- My manager is willing to consider understanding the other points of view
Honest
Honest focuses on maintaining integrity, transparency, and trustworthiness in communication and actions. This dimension highlights giving sincere feedback, owning up to mistakes, reinforcing credibility, and ensuring that truthfulness is a fundamental aspect of workplace interactions. It prioritizes trust and authenticity, ensuring that individuals engage in direct, transparent, and ethical communication.
- I give honest feedback and suggestions for improvement when asked
- I feel that honesty and integrity are core tenets of interpersonal relationships here at the [Company]
- Our department is transparent and honest in communications, intentions, and actions
- My co-workers are honest about owning up to mistakes that occur
- My supervisor comes across as a credible, knowledgeable and sincere person
- People working at the Company maintain a high degree of honesty and integrity
- People in my department are honest about owning up to mistakes made and willing to put in the effort to fix them
- I feel that the leadership here is honest and trustworthy
- I feel my coworkers would give honest opinions when asked
Relationships
Relationships emphasizes building strong, collaborative connections, fostering teamwork, and maintaining positive interactions across different professional levels. This dimension centers on working well with difficult individuals, establishing rapport, promoting cooperation, and creating a supportive network among colleagues. It prioritizes engagement and interpersonal connection, ensuring employees develop meaningful, productive relationships that contribute to a healthy workplace culture.
- My manager establishes good rapport with employees and customers
- My manager is able to work with individuals at all levels of the Company
- I feel that I am able to work closely others who may be considered to be difficult to work with
- People in my department are willing to communicate in person instead of through a mobile device
- People in my department demonstrate a willingness to work with others
- I feel that I am helpful, considerate, and cooperative towards others
- The current team leader is able to build strong relationships with team members
- I have built a strong rapport with my co-workers
- I feel we work cooperatively with each other in this department
Coaching
Coaching focuses on providing personalized guidance, helping individuals develop skills, and fostering learning through constructive feedback and mentoring. This dimension highlights encouraging self-improvement, facilitating collaboration, offering tailored advice, and ensuring employees receive direct support in refining their abilities. It prioritizes skill development and individual growth, ensuring employees have the necessary tools and insights to enhance their performance.
- My director coaches us on how to offer alternative solutions in order to help customers achieve desired results
- The supervisor encourages team members to seek and respond to constructive criticism
- My supervisor gives advice and coaches employees on how their style influences the outcomes of situations
- The team leader coaches others how to better communicate with influence and persuasion
- The department provides learning activities to help associates better relate to one another and create a collaborative environment
- The Company provides resources to enable individuals to develop themselves
- My manager coaches others whenever possible
Leadership
Leadership emphasizes influencing and motivating others to align with a collective vision, take action, and collaborate toward shared goals. This dimension centers on securing commitment from teams, persuading employees to follow strategic directions, maintaining morale, and using influence rather than authority to inspire action. It prioritizes vision and empowerment, ensuring teams remain engaged and committed to the broader mission of the organization.
- The company leadership recognizes and rewards behavior that produces excellent performance
- The team leader holds team members accountable to commitments made
- My manager influences others on the team to reach goals, improve performance, and try new things
- The team leader uses knowledge and charisma rather than position, power, or coercion to influence the direction of the team
- The department head inspires a sense of area pride and culture; co-workers are aware of what makes their area unique
- The team leader positively impacts the team's morale, sense of belonging, and participation
- I am able to adapt my management style to meet the needs of the individual or situation
- My supervisor expresses ideas in an appropriate manner to overcome resistance, complaints, and frustration from others
- Leaders at the Company are able to secure commitment from employees, supervisors, and departments when working to gain support for ideas or decisions
- My manager is effective in securing cooperation from and/or persuading others to support his/her solutions and decisions
- My manager uses appropriate persuasive techniques when talking with people of varying backgrounds and resistance levels
Openness
Openness emphasizes being receptive to new ideas, perspectives, and contributions from others in a way that fosters collaboration and inclusive discussions. This dimension centers on encouraging open dialogue, creating space for diverse viewpoints, withholding judgment in discussions, and actively listening to suggestions. It prioritizes receptiveness and engagement, ensuring that individuals feel heard and valued in conversations.
- My manager values the opinions of others
- The team is open to input on alternative ways to accomplish objectives
- People in our department actively listens to each other
- My manager listens to others, withholding judgment, and comes across as open to all viewpoints
- I feel employees in my department are open to input on alternative ways to accomplish objectives
- Leadership seeks input from key people who should be involved in, or will be affected by, decisions
- I maintain an open and accepting manner in my interactions with others
- My team leader encourages others to share ideas to develop team cohesion
- My manager creates an atmosphere that supports the open expression of ideas
- Our department manager is open to innovative ideas and suggestions from others
- The supervisor is open and approachable
- My supervisor will listen to suggestions and advice from others
Recognition
Recognition focuses on acknowledging employees' contributions, showing appreciation for their efforts, and celebrating accomplishments. This dimension highlights offering praise, expressing gratitude for hard work, reinforcing positive contributions, and encouraging a culture where success is acknowledged. It prioritizes motivation and appreciation, ensuring employees feel valued and inspired by their achievements.
- Our team leader takes time to recognize the efforts of others
- My manager offers praise to colleagues who have successfully completed major projects
- In our department we give credit where credit is due
- Our department encourages others to recognize the work of outstanding employees
- The manager appreciates the extra efforts made by coworkers
- My supervisor recognizes the contributions of others
- Leadership recognizes when we do a good job
- People in my department often express appreciation of other's work
- My supervisor appreciates the work of direct reports and subordinates
- Leadership shows appreciation for our work
Mediates
Mediates emphasizes actively resolving conflicts, fostering compromise, and facilitating solutions to disputes in a constructive manner. This dimension centers on de-escalating tensions, maintaining composure in disagreements, striving for win-win outcomes, and guiding individuals toward resolution. It prioritizes conflict management and negotiation, ensuring that workplace disagreements are handled diplomatically while preserving collaboration and team cohesion.
- The HR department is able to resolve conflicts and disagreements constructively
- Our supervisor effectively manages conflicts by dealing with them directly and immediately
- My manager remains calm, poised and rational in debates, seeking an understanding of all sides
- In our department we are able to work through disagreements with co-workers
- I know how to successfully mediate conflicts and disagreements
- My manager successfully resolves conflicts and grievances to a win-win solution
- The team leader facilitates the resolution of conflicts and grievances
- My supervisor seeks common ground and collaborative solutions in negotiations with others
- I strive for win/win solutions
- Leadership at the company resolves conflicts in a positive way
- My manager is able to defuse hostile/angry individuals in group settings to prevent disruption of work
Feedback
Feedback emphasizes providing constructive input to help employees grow, improve performance, and refine their skills. This dimension centers on offering thoughtful assessments, ensuring feedback is delivered in a supportive way, guiding individuals toward better outcomes, and fostering development through meaningful evaluations. It prioritizes growth and improvement, ensuring employees receive actionable insights that enhance their effectiveness.
- My manager is thoughtful and honest about the feedback they give others
- I gives constructive feedback on performance reviews
- I receive feedback (both positive and negative) in a constructive manner
- My supervisor provides constructive feedback in a way that fosters acceptance and development
- My manager gives good advice and suggestions to coworkers
- I always offer constructive criticism to have a positive impact on performance
Diversity and Inclusion
- My manager promotes acceptance of diverse viewpoints from team members
- My manager creates diverse teams of individuals with different backgrounds, skills, and abilities
- Coworkers in my department are accepting of individuals with different cultural backgrounds
- Our department fosters a diverse workforce free from discrimination and harassment
- My coworkers see values in the diversity of individuals on the team
- People at the company are willing to overlook personal differences and focus on completing the task at hand
- Employees in our department embraces the differences in individuals that comprise the team
Respect
Respect focuses on valuing othersâ opinions, treating colleagues with dignity, and fostering a culture of mutual appreciation. This dimension highlights recognizing the contributions of team members, creating an inclusive environment where diverse perspectives are valued, and ensuring interactions remain courteous and professional. It prioritizes social harmony and appreciation, reinforcing that every individual is acknowledged and treated fairly.
- Employees in the department are respectful of the opinions and ideas of others
- I see the value of input from coworkers
- I have respect for the other members of the team/department
- My manager is a highly respected individual in the company
- My manager treats others with respect
- My supervisor is well respected in the department
Trustworthy
Trustworthy emphasizes demonstrating reliability, keeping commitments, and maintaining confidentiality to build credibility. This dimension centers on ensuring dependability, being someone others can confide in, fulfilling promises, and maintaining ethical workplace behavior. It prioritizes integrity and dependability, ensuring colleagues feel secure in their interactions and commitments.
- The leadership in my department is able to keep and maintain confidentiality and trust
- My supervisor is someone you can trust
- Leaders keep their commitments made with the employees
- My coworkers are committed and reliable partners
- The team leader is trusted by peers and co-workers; others are willing to confide in him/her
- People in my department are reliable and dependable; they will do what they say they are going to do
Responsive
- I am able to respond quickly to inquiries from potential customers
- Coworkers are willing to lend a hand to those in the department who need help
- Our department addresses critical customer issues in a timely manner
- I work diligently to assist customers in finding the right products
- People in our department are willing to assist employees that need help
- Coworkers in the department are willing to assist those who need help in meeting performance metrics
- People in my department will follow up on inquiries in a timely manner
Role Model
- I strive to lead by example to demonstrate the value of interpersonal relationships
- Employees in the department demonstrate positive behaviors for others to follow
- My manager is a role model for others demonstrating the importance of interpersonal skills
- My coworkers display positive interactions
- My manager demonstrates a high degree of ethics and integrity in the workplace