Interpersonal roles

Definition (1):

The interpersonal roles are ones that involve people (subordinates and persons outside the organization) and other duties that are ceremonial and symbolic in nature. The three interpersonal roles are figurehead, leader, and liaison. They are as follows:

• Figurehead- These are symbolic duties. The nature of these duties is social or legal.
• Leader- This involves each aspect of being a quality leader including forming a team, guiding the members, motivating them, and building strong relationships.
• Liaison- involves maintaining and developing a network for assistance and information outside the office.

Definition (2):

A manager’s interpersonal roles include acting as a leader, a manager, and as a team player.

To perform her/his role as a leader s/he requires communication skills, emotional intelligence, listening skills, team-working, influencing, persuasion and negotiation skills, mediation and conflict resolution skills, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.

Her/his role as a manager is to assure everyone understands one’s roles, one’s responsibilities, one’s tasks, and one’s objectives. For this s/he requires planning, organizing, and controlling skills.

Her/his role as a team player is to develop a team ethos, form team goals, act as a support frame, to know team members’ strengths, weaknesses, and skills. For this s/he requires excellent listening and questioning skills, fine meeting skills, creative problem-solving skills, and effective decision-making skills.