Knowing how to deal with people is critical for people in positions of leadership. In fact, it is no less important than technical or administrative knowledge. Mastering communication skills is difficult because, as Dale Carnegie wrote decades ago, “when dealing with people, you are not dealing with creatures of logic but with creatures of emotion, creatures bristling with projective and motivated by pride and vanity.”

Eleven simple tips can improve communication in the workplace:

1. Call people by name. Using a person’s name personalizes the message. Just consider the difference between a perfunctory “Good morning” and a sincere-sounding “Good morning, Steve!”

2. Admit making a mistake. So few people in the workplace recognize their errors that doing so gains respect. Simply saying, “I made a mistake and I realize it” is appropriate. An overdone “I blew it” message sent to everyone in the office is not.

3. Hold people to high standards. Avoid becoming a control freak. Instead, trust in other people’s ability to do the best job possible.

4. Show sincere interest in colleagues. Ask them about themselves and express sincere curiosity about them.

5. Avoid making promises that cannot be fulfilled.

6. Show gratitude. Thank anyone who performs a favor, and offer to do something in return.

7. Help others. Occasionally stepping out of one’s job description and asking, “Need a hand there?” creates a pleasant work environment and encourages other people to give of themselves.

8. Be humble. Avoid obvious efforts to impress colleagues and superiors. Play down successes in order to develop a reputation for humility.

9. Help others save face. A friendly “It happens to the best of us” can go a long way toward making other people feel better after a blunder.

10. Be considerate. Try to understand other people’s points of view. Think before speaking in order to avoid misunderstandings.

11. Offer specific rather than general praise, and be spare with criticism. When criticism is necessary, give it in a diplomatic way.

Etiquette skills cover conversational, money, phone, and restaurant situations, including specific etiquette rules, such as tipping the coat check person and valet when one first meets them, tipping the bartender, and avoiding haggling over the check. Tips are provided on being courteous and thoughtful; choosing safe topics and making sure the other party participates fully in the conversation; and avoiding taboos, gossip, profanity, and unnecessary cell phone conversations.

A 10-step list helps business people become persuasive:

# Build trust.
# Find common ground.
# Structure the information that forms the basis of the argument.
# Show both sides.
# Appeal to self-interest.
# Appeal to authority.
# Create consensus.
# Time requests so that they come at good times for the person or people you are trying to persuade.
# Be original, interesting, reasonable, diplomatic, and humble.
# Use persuasion sparingly.

Assertive listening can be achieved by learning to listen empathetically — that is, listening in a way that allows true understanding of both the interlocutors’ messages and their circumstances and feelings. People who engage in empathetic listening listen so intently and identify so closely with the speaker that they gain a sense of the speaker’s situation, thoughts, and emotions. Assertive listening allows managers to understand their team members by cutting through the superficiality of conversation and understanding what is really on their minds.