There are very few jobs that you can do in complete isolation. For most of us, the ability to get on with other people is important.

You need to be able to understand other people’s needs and concerns and see things from their perspective. Sometimes, you have to deal with people who are not happy with the current situation or feel that they have been treated badly.

Having good people skills is not about manipulating the people around you. In some cases, you will have to persuade them to take a particular course of action. However, if you are really expert in this area, people will be happy to go along with you because you have made them feel valued and you have helped them to understand the situation.

 If you think you are not particularly good at handling other people, watch someone who is – and see how they do it. It is often just a matter of listening properly, giving other people space to express themselves and then gently bringing the conversation back to the practicalities of the situation.