Achieving your career goals could involve getting a job promotion, building better relationships with colleagues, or earning more than $50,000 a year as an entrepreneur. But no matter what your work goals are, you need people skills.

Here’s an example of a crucial people skill:

“The people with whom you work reflect your own attitude,” said author Beatrice Vincent. “If you are suspicious, unfriendly and condescending, you will find these unlovely traits echoed all about you. But if you are on your best behavior, you will bring out the best in the persons with whom you are going to spend most of your working hours.”

Your attitude has a direct, immediate impact on the people and circumstances around you – so make sure you’re emitting friendly good cheer, optimism, and the expectation of success. To increase this type of positive energy and gain forward momentum, click Mojo: How to Get It, How to Keep It, How to Get It Back if You Lose It (pictured). And, read on for several people skills that will help you achieve your career goals…

7 People Skills That Help You Achieve Your Career Goals

1. Enjoy the different personality types and traits at work. Your coworkers don’t think or act the way you do – nor should they. For example, introverts aren’t always comfortable in large meetings and don’t usually like to chit chat. Extroverts love being the center of attention, and could make small talk for hours! To achieve your career goals, don’t just accept your coworkers’ personality traits…embrace them. Be curious about your colleagues, and interested in their quirks. You’ll create connections that will make you (and them) happier at work.

2. Learn how to build rapport with your colleagues and clients. Building rapport means being willing to understand and experience another person’s point of view as if you were that person. Rapport helps you become “in sync” with the people around you, which will create trust and affinity. Striving to connect with your coworkers will not only move your career forward, it’ll help you enjoy your job more. If you struggle with small talk and people skills, read How to Make Conversation for Introverts.

3. Get curious about your coworkers. “You can make more friends in two months by becoming really interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you,” said Dale Carnegie, author of How To Win Friends and Influence People. “Which is just another way of saying that the way to make a friend is to be one.” What do you know about your colleagues’ lives – their hobbies, interests, weekend activities, or family? Spend time getting to know them.

4. Check your attitude at work – make sure it’s professional and positive. Creating a better work environment starts with you (which is both good and bad news!). Do you have unreasonable expectations of your supervisor, employees, or colleagues? Are you unhappy and negative at work? Most conflicts at work and in life are two-sided, which means you could be contributing to a poor work environment in some way. If you really want to achieve your career goals, ask your coworkers for objective feedback about your job performance and attitude.

5. Keep the intimate details of your personal life separate from your professional life. Talk about your hobbies, general family situation, career and life goals, and overall health. But even if your colleagues seem like they could become close friends, avoid getting too personal at work. If you’re in crisis at home, leave your emotions at home – or at least in your car! To be happy and productive at work – and get that job promotion or raise – keep your boundaries intact.

6. Regularly re-evaluate and communicate your career goals. Every four months, reevaluate your career goals to make sure they’re still appropriate and you’re still heading in the right direction. If you’re bored, depressed or anxious at work, then your goals may be wrong for you. Don’t just visualize and write down your goals; discuss them with your colleagues, boss, and clients. Talk about your hopes and plans for the future – and encourage other people to set and achieve their career goals. Part of honing your people skills and building rapport is helping others move forward in their lives.

What do you think – are your people skills holding you back or helping you achieve your career goals? I welcome your thoughts below…

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