Concepts and applications of Interpersonal communication

Concepts and applications of Interpersonal communicationTeam:EchoCharles Sudhara SeneviratneMingjie SHENIntroductionInterpersonal communication is the communication between 2 or more people.Having a high level of interpersonal communication skill is very important in the social environment.Fundamental form of interpersonal communication SIntroductionInterpersonal communication is the communication between 2 or more people and there are many different types of media that can be used to do so. Well see that Improved interpersonal communication is obtained by encouraging positive thoughts and having an open attitude towards other people.

This is beneficial as positive thoughts help to project more confident body language and communicates our commitment before even saying a word.

Interpersonal communication can be done via written letters, emails, text messages, phone calls, social media as well as the fundamental form of interpersonal communication that is, a face to face conversation.

Jimmy and I will go over how to develop effective interpersonal skills to handle conflicts, complaints and express our feelings appropriately. These abilities will stem from the fundamentals of effective self-disclosure, conversation, listening and assertive expressions of ones views.

2Interpersonal VS Intrapersonal communicationInterpersonal communication needs both sender and receiver to take place.Intrapersonal communication is communication within ourselvesJInterpersonal vs Intrapersonal communicationLets start with a brief explanation on how interpersonal communication differs from intrapersonal communication as well as its similarities.

Interpersonal communication relates to communication with an external perspective. That is we are broadcasting our ideas externally, where a receiver will receive the idea and interpret it. Intrapersonal communication is communication within ourselves and thinking things through. The similarities are in the qualities required to have effective intrapersonal communication bridges with those require for good interpersonal skills such as Self Awareness, Self-Regulation and Motivation.

3Improving interpersonal communication and the benefits of doing soThe improvement of interpersonal communication skills extends the ability to solve problems and accept or implement change.Benefits include meeting personal goals & satisfying the requirements of the organisation.SImproving interpersonal communication and the benefits of doing so

Being competent at communicating your ideas involves continual improvement of our interpersonal communication skills. This extends our ability to solve problems and accept or implement change. A vital requirement in the corporate world where competition is fierce and the environment is often complex and hostile.

Typical environments where interpersonal communication is required, such as a class or workplace, has a wide range of people with different values, attitudes and self-esteem we need to be able identify the needs of our peers in order to express our thoughts in a manner where they are receptive towards our ideas.

It is desirable to enhance our interpersonal communication skills to improve social and career based relationships, as well as meeting our personal goals and satisfying the requirements of our organisation. To be proficient at interpersonal communication, we need to be flexible as communicators and be able to reflect on our own behaviour, which increases collaborative ability, hence improving the quality of inbound interpersonal communication that being communication we receive.

4Fundamental form of interpersonal communication --- The ConversationThe conversation is the most popular channel that interpersonal communication takes place inThe context of conversation and the way you express yourself is one of the key elements that indicates the type of relationship between the sender and receiver. (Example)The importance of timing

JFundamental form of interpersonal communication the conversationConversations are used to connect with people on a more personal level, allowing use to explore the relationship we have between ourselves. Conversation usually have disclosure of personal information, the level of disclosure is dictated by the intimacy. that is the level of closeness of the interpersonal relationship. Our language and tone plays a large part in this type of communication, for example type of language used in a corporate presentation will be much more formal than bumping into a good friend in oggb.Using conversation to self-disclose allows us to quickly learn from others as well as relate to their point of view, that being the quality of empathy. It also increases our self-esteem, allowing growth of work based relationships, as higher self-esteem usually brings more credibility to what we are saying.

5Language and timing in CommunicationMai says; Im really worried about meeting the deadline and I need your cost estimates to finish the assignment. Alex Responds: Ok, Ill give them to you at two oclock. Is that enough time for you?In Conversation2, Mai Says: You make me really worried about meeting the deadline because you havent given me your cost estimates so that I can finish the assignment.Alex Responds: Hang on! Ive got a lot of work to do for other deadlines. This isnt the only assignment Im working on.

SLets now have quick look at an example from our text book which exemplifies how language used can put two different connotations on the same subject.

In conversation 1, Mai says; Im really worried about meeting the deadline and I need your cost estimates to finish the assignment.

Alex Responds: Ok, Ill give them to you at two oclock. Is that enough time for you?In this example, Mai remains factual and assertive, while communicating her worry, without making it personal.

In Conversation2, Mai Says: You make me really worried about meeting the deadline because you havent given me your cost estimates so that I can finsh the assignment.

Alex Responds: Hang on! Ive got a lot of work to do for other deadlines. This isnt the only assignment Im working on.

We can immediately see that this example puts the blame of Alex. It is a personal attack which moves away from the facts, to the person. Alexs defence reflex kicks in, and the final result is less than desirable.

It is important to note that the timing of a conversation is also vital. If Mai had used the same approach as seen in conversation 1, at period of high stress for Alex, it is quite possible that the final outcome would be similar to that of conversation 2.

6Communication competency / CredibilityCommunication competency defines ones ability to convey a message or idea from themselves to another person.Competency and Credibility is often evaluated on the following criteriaOpennessEmpathy and SupportivenessEqualityConfidenceImmediacySCommunication competency / credibility

Communication competency is the overall term given to our ability to convey a message or idea from themselves to another person. A competent communicator is one that can relate to the receiver and able to stimulate interaction. Qualities of a competent interpersonal communicator include:

Openness Which refers to self disclosure, honesty and being spontaneous in reaction.

Empathy and Supportiveness is Understanding what motivates other people and how they feel. We must also resist judgements and biased interpretations.

Equality showing that everyone is valuable and worthwhile. Also considers solving disagreements rather than winning

Confidence - They say confidence is contagious, so if the speaker is confident, it enables them to deal with others who are anxious or shy by conveying confidence to them. This also helps build credibility and trust.

And finally Immediacy this is creating a sense of togetherness, examples include using the other persons name, pronouns refer to the group; for example We rather than I as well as positive feedback such as That Sounds RightA persons perception of the speakers credibility can have a large impact on the outcome of the interaction. High credibility comes about when the message source is competent. For example, the person is good at what they do.

As we are aware, and something probably all of us practice, is that people often look at examples in relation to the message source for credibility. For example, a mechanic talking about the importance of car maintenance may not be seen as credible if his car is falling apart.

7Emotional intelligenceEmotional intelligence is the ability of monitoring peoples feeling and emotions.S

Assertiveness and its place in interpersonal communicationAssertiveness is acting in your own best interest by standing up for yourself, exercising your personal rights without denying the rights of others.ExampleJAssertiveness and its place in interpersonal communication

Assertiveness is acting in your own best interest and standing up for yourself by exercising your personal rights without denying the rights of others.

Assertiveness can be used in interpersonal communication when you are the recipient of unfair comments or forced to do something that is too much of a stretch for you. Assertiveness can also be used when someone is not doing what is expected of them.

It is important to note that assertiveness does not have the intention of hurting the other people, hence it just sticks to the facts.Passive behaviour is essentially the opposite of assertive behaviour. Passive people have an unwillingness to confront problems and easily fall victim to aggressive interpersonal communication, more commonly referred to as bullying.Aggressive people have a blameful approach to interpersonal communication, where they want to place blame. Assertive people, although they value accountability in communication, they confront the issue in a straight forward manner without being rude or thoughtless.

Assertiveness offers a non-threatening way to present our views, assisting interpersonal communication in conflict management and working towards resolving a conflict rather than placing blame. Studies have proven that people that are assertive in their communication have more positive self-esteem, hence perceived as more credible and strive for excellence in their career.

Lastly assertiveness has a strong tie to providing constructive criticism. Assertive criticism is taken more seriously whereas passive criticism is just forgotten, and aggressive criticism is blocked out by defensive reactions.

This brings us to giving negative feedback via interpersonal communication. As mentioned earlier, timing is crucial, we need to ascertain whether the person is capable of receiving the negative feedback at this time, whether the person can do anything by hearing this feedback and how many times he or she has heard this negative feedback. Too many times and it is just perceived as nagging, and the problem may be dealt with more efficiently by a form of appreciation, stimulating motivation to change bad habits.

10How Values, Attitudes and Self Esteem impact on interpersonal communication?People of different Genders, Ethnicities, Nationalities, Geographic locations as well as upbringing and corporate environment have different attitudes and values.Attitudes and values result from a combination of the above.SHow Values, Attitudes and Self Esteem impact on interpersonal communication.

People of different Genders, Ethnicities, Nationalities, Geographic locations as well as upbringing have different attitudes and values. In additional to what we perceive traditionally as culture, the environment we work in has its own culture. It would be wrong to think that everyone within the same working environment would possess the same culture. As a result interpersonal communication needs to be quite delicate in its approach to avoid misunderstandings. A competent interpersonal communicator will be able to convey his or her communication appropriately to the audience taking into account the above mentioned variables. It is also important to monitor your own attitude, values and self-esteem to encourage a positive reaction from your recipients. A good interpersonal communicator will encourage team members with flexibility and those threatened by change to synergise their beliefs and support collaborative communication assisted be effective listening skills, bringing us to our next point The Receiving end of interpersonal Communication.

11The flip side--- Receiving interpersonal communication Listening.Listening is making a conscious effort to understand and pay attention to the message being conveyed.Listening vs hearing Hearing is just the physical reception of sound Listening is making a conscious effort to understand and pay attention to the message being conveyed. JThe flip side receiving interpersonal communication listening.

According to our text, 75% of oral communication is ignored, misunderstood or forgotten quickly. This can be due to most interpersonal communication we learn from education is focused on reading, writing and speaking, and hardly any focus is placed on listening. As communication is a two way street, being a competent interpersonal communicator means you not only need to be a competent ant speaker / writer, but also an effective listener especially seeing that we spend more time listening than speaking, writing or reading. Poor listening skills have a profound impact on interpersonal communication.Lets have a look at what listening is.

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Ineffective listeningAssuming a topic will be boringAllowing the speakers voice or mannerisms to overpower the messagePoor concentrationPoor comprehensionExampleSIneffective listening

Happens when we tune out. This may be to give our minds a rest, as well as digesting what we have just heard. Ineffective listening can come about from:

Assuming a topic will be boringIf we assume a topic will be boring before listening or if it has previously been boring, or if we have difficulty in understanding it, we may immediately decide that we cant extract anything from this conversation and our minds will wander.

Listening can also be ineffective when we Allow the speakers voice or mannerisms to overpower the messageAn example of this is not finding the speakers voice pleasant to listen to. This can be due to his or her accent or pronunciation. It has been shown that a speakers physical appearance may also limit our desire to listen as an unkempt presenter is assumed to have less credibility.

Poor concentrationThis one is pretty straightforward. As children we have shorter attention spans, as we grow, we are able to pay attention of longer periods, however sometimes or some people just cant be bothered.

Poor ComprehensionLack of comprehension skills results in poor listening. If we are not able to grasp the idea of the speaker, we may get frustrated and decide to stop listening. This is particularly true as often the speaker has time to prepare what he or she is going to say, while the person listening has to follow ideas instantaneously.

14Listening for Interpersonal communicationPoor listening for interpersonal communicationImproving listening skills for interpersonal communicationBe prepared to listenListen with an open mindListen with empathyBe aware of Empathy Blockers.JPoor Listening behaviours for interpersonal CommunicationPrejudgingDifferences in statusJumping to conclusionsDaydreamingInterruptingHearing words and no meaningReacting to emotionThinking too hard on what to say nextNot listening to complex or difficult materialTrying to record every single thing being said by writing it down.Ignoring tone and body language.Improving listening skills for interpersonal communication

Be Prepared to listenListening requires a significant amount of physical energy, so we need to be prepared both mentally and physically. This includes sufficient rest and nutrition.Listen Attentively in western cultures this is shown by maintaining eye contact and keeping an alert posture.Preparing to listen also involves minimising distraction, for example diverting your phone calls.Where you place yourself in a room in the event of a public presentation is also a crucial part of preparing to listen.

Listen with an open mind.This does not mean that you have to agree with everything you hear, but it means not have a prejudice before hearing an idea outTo listen effectively one must be in control of their emotions, for example if the speaker is talking about an issue personally sensitive, you should be able to maintain composure and relate it to the fundamental idea the speaker is trying to conveyListening with an open mind also means hearing out the entire message before questioning the speaker.

Listen with empathyPut yourself in the speakers shoesIt refers to your ability to feel their hurt and feel their pride. We can also paraphrase the speakers ideas into our own words and check with him or her that we have comprehended correctly

Empathy BlockersCertain phrases can block or limit empathy, for example a stern warning an imperative, this is what you are going to do Another example is name calling. For example All you accountants are the same. The opposite of this is empathy enhancers. Instead of using an empathy blocker such as this is what you are going to do, you can use an empathy enhancer like Would you like to talk about it. Open ended questions like what where and how encourage expansion on someones ideas brining concerns and feelings to the surface.

15ConclusionThe intrapersonal communication is self-talk,Interpersonal communication is communication that takes place between multiple people and the both ends of communication should have flexible communicators who can adapt to meet peoples communication needsThoughts are usually expressed via language and action. E.g Positive body language communicates enthusiasm and credibility.Effective interpersonal communication can assist successful corporate and personal relationships.SConclusionSo in conclusion we see intrapersonal communication is self-talk, positive thoughts are usually accompanied by positive body language which communicates enthusiasm and credibility.

We also saw that interpersonal communication is communication that takes place between multiple people and the both sides of the communication should have flexible communicators who can adapt to meet peoples communication needs. We were made aware that effective interpersonal communication allows to mitigate conflicts and express feelings appropriately, allowing one to build closer and more trustworthy relationships. This brought us to the amount to disclose, based on the intimacy, or closeness of the relationships/

We discussed communication competence, being able to take into account factors such as culture to correct our behaviours and relate ideas in a preferred manner.Effective interpersonal communication looked at openness, empathy, equality, confidence, self-monitoring and assertiveness. Assertiveness being the ability to confront issues in a straightforward, yet professional manner.

We then looked at the receiving end of interpersonal communication that is listening. Listening is attentive hearing. Ineffective listening happens when the topic is boring, or the speakers mannerisms over power the message and finally we were shown that to listen effectively we must have an open mind and empathise with the speaker, not necessarily just agree with everything he or she tells us.

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