1) Communication skills are important for how others perceive you and your ability to effectively convey ideas. 2) It is important to understand different backgrounds and perspectives and not judge others hastily. Compromise and finding common ground are important for productivity. 3) When trying to influence others, the goal should be open discussion of ideas rather than stubbornly insisting on one viewpoint. Convincing others requires patience and understanding different perspectives. 4) Conflict itself is not bad if it leads to improved solutions, so don't be too rigid in your views and be willing to listen to others. The priority should be positive outcomes for all.

1. Speak Clearly Your communication skills determine how people will perceive you, after your appearance of course. You can easily look like a million bucks, but if you're unable to stitch together a few words to make up an adequate sentence, you'll lose major points. An eloquent man is more likely to get far in life because he is capable of making the most of his conversations. He can beautify, amplify and impress his colleagues with his million-dollar words and witty comments.

2. Have something to say Don't assume that just because you're saying something, people will listen to you. If you tend to blurt out anything that comes to mind, then people won't place much weight on whatever you have to say. The best thing to do is roll your tongue twice before asserting yourself.

3. Understand people It is of prime importance to understand that people have different upbringings and backgrounds. That's why Europeans tend to refuse an offering the first time you ask, even if they want to say yes. This is just a prelude to comprehending that we are different and shouldn't judge others based on a simple glance. You have to be able to disagree with someone, and still work together to be productive.

4. Influence your peers Having a difference of opinion with someone can push you to persuade him to see things your way or sell him on your perspective. But if you're still stuck on the same point as you were at the beginning of the conversation, then you haven't convinced him of much. It's hard to get people to radically change their point of view and adopt yours, especially in a group. So the best approach is to alert others of your view on things and open them up to the idea. Then, on a personal level, it will be easier to convince them and bring them to your side of the ballpark.

5. Fix problems Conflict is not a bad thing in itself, as long as it doesn't turn into mayhem. The point of an argument is to settle on an improvement of the current situation. A win-win scenario is preferable, but don't be hardheaded and refuse to comply even if you're sure that you are entirely right. As long as the company profits from the decision, everyone wins. Be cool, everybody be cool...

6. Always keep cool Emotions often get intertwined with logical arguments during heated discussions, which seem to blur our sense of clarity. If you feel your blood pressure rising when you disagree on a topic, take a second to breathe and put your emotions aside, as they may clutter your logical train of thought. If you see that the other person is clearly pushing your buttons in order to make you lose it, then simply walk away and resume the conversation at a later time, but not without telling him what you think. (No need to start with the "mama" jokes.)

7. Don’t be afraid to change A stubborn man will remain so all his life. But nothing says that you can't bend or shift your views a little to smooth things out. If you're going head to head with your project manager about a specific task, make the most of his comments and listen to what he has to say. Remember that what's best for the company might not necessarily be best for you.

8. There’s no ‘I ‘ in the team Learn to be a team player if you aren't already, and you will get a lot more done. Compliment others on their good work, and they will likely do the same to you. This is a good technique for maintaining a positive work environment and maintaining clear communication channels.

9. Be on the ball People will always have different opinions about matters, but this doesn't mean that nothing positive can come of them. You have to learn to adapt to people and play with the dynamics of the conversation. Learn to react quickly.

10. Have a plan Like with anything in life, you have to be prepared. I don't care how good you are at on-the-spot schmoozing, you must have some general thoughts to guide your thinking process during conversations. Approach everyone in a different manner, whether it be someone you're meeting for the first time, an old friend, or your boss. There's no need to actually write your plan down, but you must give it some serious consideration beforehand.