10 interpersonal skills training courses

Communication is a two-way street, but more emphasis is usually placed on talking and not listening. In this course, you’ll learn the importance of active listening together with various strategies to develop active listening skills and better communicate with others. This course kicks off by defining what active listening is and the benefits that one can reap from mastering this skill. It then proceeds by discussing the different types of listening and cues and makes learners reflect on what kind of listener they are. To fully grasp the concept of active listening, it strips down the fundamentals of this skill by outlining the goals and outcomes, along with helpful techniques and examples.

Mitti (by SafetyCulture) uses a microlearning design model so learners can understand and retain information better. This means that relevant key concepts are presented in bite-sized chunks so that information can be easily absorbed and stored in long-term memory. In fact, it has been reported that microlearning makes the transfer of learning 17% more efficient, and over 90% of L&D professionals prefer it over traditional eLearning development, while companies that have adopted microlearning immediately experienced higher engagement rates.

Scope: Active listening techniques, types of listening, benefits of active listening, goals & outcomes of active listening

Coursera, together with the University of Michigan, has developed this course to enhance and take skills in the interpersonal space to the next level. The first lesson talks about self-awareness and how it can foster immensely human interactions. The second lesson then delves into self-management and how harnessing your emotions and facial expressions can help you make better decisions. Finally, the last two lessons talk about social awareness and social acceleration and discuss how to be aware of the people around you and how to make an impact on them. This interpersonal skills training course takes around 19 hours to complete and has flexible deadlines, which is perfect for individuals with hectic schedules.

Scope: Self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, social acceleration

edX has also teamed up with the University of Michigan to create this course that aims to improve your negotiation skills and tone of voice. It teaches learners about what a successful negotiation is and the four steps to achieving it. To formulate a strategy, learners will be introduced to the types of negotiations and key tactics for success. To apply what they’ve learned, the course ends with negotiation exercises and strategic planning activities.

This self-paced course can be completed in 7 weeks and is free to audit. However, if you want to earn a certificate of completion and have unlimited access to the course, you’ll need to upgrade and pay for those additional features.

Scope: Steps to a successful negotiation, types of negotiations, negotiation techniques, strategy planning

While most people favor cognitive intelligence, having the ability to manage and understand your emotions is an important skill to have when dealing with people and can affect how you communicate with others. In this 5-part course by Mitti (by SafetyCulture), learners will see how emotional intelligence can help in handling objections in a professional and courteous way. It uncovers how active listening and paying attention to your body language affects your interactions. Learners will also find a lesson on how to resolve conflicts and receive constructive criticism with the right emotional mindset.

As a mobile-first platform, taking a course in Mitti (by SafetyCulture) can be done on the go on any mobile device. With most people spending time on their smartphones, learning through a mobile platform makes training more accessible and cost-effective. Its responsive design ensures that lessons appear flawlessly regardless of the screen size. With this familiar delivery mechanism, you’ll gain learners who actually want to take courses.

Scope: Active listening, body language, resolving conflict, taking feedback

Alison’s Introduction to Interpersonal Skills course is your gateway to getting ahead in life and in your career. It starts with an introduction to interpersonal skills and the identification of the essential ones you need to prioritize depending on your goals. It also highlights the importance of having good communication skills, which include both verbal and non-verbal, such as posture. As knowing yourself plays a huge role in the way you interact with others, there’s a lesson as well on identifying your personal attributes, like assertiveness, and leveraging them to communicate effectively. It takes 4-5 hours to finish this course.

Scope: Introduction to interpersonal skills, communication skills, personal attributes

Being a team player makes teamwork possible which is a must to meet your goals. With Mitti (by SafetyCulture)’s How to be a Team player course, learners will gain a deeper understanding of the value of teamwork in the workplace and the importance of workplace communication. It shows how important it is for leaders to know each member’s perspective and help them out when necessary. Here, learners will also learn about setting clear goals and expectations, and making sure that everyone is aware of what they’re supposed to do. This course also tackles the importance of openness and honesty, along with being able to voice out concerns for improvement and feedback. As conflicts can arise due to different backgrounds and opinions, learners will also be taught how to manage disagreements constructively.

Mitti (by SafetyCulture) makes the learning experience interactive and fun for learners through gamification. It uses gaming elements like drag-and-drop, sequencing, matching, and many more. It’s an effective way to combat the lack of motivation and boredom associated with learning work-related information.

Scope: Understanding your team’s perspective, voicing out concerns, conflict resolution

In FutureLearn’s interpersonal skills training course, learners will be able to discover the core abilities needed to build and to convey positive interpersonal interactions. The lessons in this course draw from learners’ experiences so they can develop self-confidence from their own perspectives. They’ll also learn strategies to develop strong interpersonal connections using the Savoir-Relier method by renowned author, academic, and linguist, Valérie Gauthier. The topics discussed in this course include creating genuine dialogues, practicing effective communication, and trusting in yourself and others. With 2 hours of weekly study, this self-guided course can be completed in 4 weeks.

Scope: Premises of genuine dialogues, effective communication, interpersonal connections

This 13-lesson course by Study.com is ideal for those who are looking to communicate effectively in different work scenarios. The first chapter discusses the types of communication and why it matters to know them. It also teaches how to manage workplace conflicts and even provides a practice scenario for practical application. The second chapter then talks about the elements of effective communication in the workplace and how self-awareness is a big factor in making this possible.

This course is composed of engaging 5-minute videos to explain different concepts. Learners can then earn a certificate of completion once done as proof that they’ve taken the course. Although to access this and many other courses on their site, you’ll need to sign up for a paid membership.

Scope: Types of communication, conflict resolution, elements of effective communication, self-awareness

Having a culture of empathy in the workplace shows how your organization values each and every individual. With Mitti (by SafetyCulture)’s Operating with Empathy course, leaders will be able to appreciate what empathy does for their teams and their communication process and how to have an empathetic mindset. It provides different techniques to ensure that you lead with empathy, such as using effective conversational strategies and creating opportunities for empathy to encourage empathy-building within the team.

To ensure that your teams don’t forget to take their training, Mitti (by SafetyCulture) allows you to communicate via Heads Up feature to remind learners of upcoming due dates, new training, and internal communications. Since Mitti (by SafetyCulture) works on all devices, they can easily jump in and complete their training anytime and anywhere.

Scope: Culture of empathy, empathy-building techniques, conversation strategies