I agree with the posts thus far that interpersonal skills are crucial to succeeding. As Ken Blanchard states” None of us is as smart as all of us”. When working at a company you are going to interact with other people, offices, and in order to be successful you have work with them in order to have the project/program/portfolio be successful. When you’re working you’ll encounter people, groups, and departments can be extremely difficult to work with and that’s when your interpersonal skills will come into play because you will need them in order to work with others to achieve the project. As Parth mentions, communication is key. You need to be able to listen and communicate with other groups in order to meet your goals/timeline for a project.

Addressing the last question asked: “What do you believe is the most important trait an individual can possess that relates to interpersonal skills?”

I think the most important trait is composure- the ability to know when to speak, when to listen, and not react in an emotional manner when dealing with others. I am constantly in awe with the head of our department, he encounters problems from very vocal/prestigious clinicians, scientists, board members, and business leaders and he is able to keep calm under pressure and make decisions effectively. I personally when dealing with difficult people, want to react emotionally because they are being unreasonable and making things more complicated. However I’ve learned by observing leaders at MSK, that you cannot reason with unreasonable people and there is no point in exerting energy for something unproductive. Rather you should listen, understand where the other person is coming from and propose a solution and make decisions that benefit the institution. Overall, I cannot stress enough the importance of interpersonal skills in being successful.