INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

DEFINITION OF INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

Interpersonal communication is an exchange of information between two or more people.

During interpersonal communication there is message sending and message receiving.

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PERSPECTIVE OF INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

The Quality Of Our Interpersonal Communication Will Determine The Quality Of Our Work And Quality Of Our Life

Interpersonal Communication Skills Can Be Learned

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COMPONENTS OF INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

1. Conversation2. Listening3. Body language4. Emotional

Awareness5. Personal

Appearance4

1. CONVERSATION

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Avoiding Unnecessary Detail Don’t show off with technical knowledge, be considerate of the other person. Don’t

bother them with detail they do not understand and don’t care for.

Communication is a 50 – 50 process Try not to dominate a conversation; give the other person a chance to speak.

Smile This helps put the other person at ease; smiling also gives us self-confidence and

helps put us in the right frame of mind.

Avoiding Controversial Topics Look for topics of shared interest.

Criticize by asking questions Merely ask questions, which sow seeds of doubt in the mind of the other person.

Speak Clearly and Slowly There is nothing more frustrating than having to keep repeating yourself.

Do Not Insist on Having the Last Word A good conversation is not about proving that you are always right; if you insist on having the last

word to every argument then it will make the conversation go on far too long.

Pay Attention to Signals If we remain aloof from the body language of other people, we just get wrapped up in

our own agenda and annoy other people.

Keys to Effective Conversation:

During a conversation you should:

Be confident, cool, and relaxed

Be yourself – do not belittle yourself but at the same time do not be arrogant – must show respect to all parties

Be assertive – do not let other people step on your head

Give your opinion if you don’t agree – with full diplomacy and respect

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2. LISTENING SKILLS Make eye contact and give attention

But do not do it too close or too long

Concentrate – do not let your mind wonder to other places.

Do not look at other places or do other things while listening to people talking to you

Show that you are actually listening to them with full interest

by saying ‘yeah’ ‘oh like that’, nodding your head and continue eye contact.

Ensure that you understand what they said by repeating it back to them

Listen to ideas, not just words.

Give encouragement for people to keep on talking or to tell you more

using phrases such as ‘that’s amazing idea, that’s interesting story, please tell me more’

Do not interrupt or try to finish sentences while someone is talking to you.

Wait until he or she finishes his or her sentences.

Do not be too fast to conclude. Give your response when you are truly sure he’s finished his

points.

Do not focus on what you are going to say. Your main focus should be on what the other person is saying

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3. BODY LANGUAGE Proper body language

Smile Stand/sit-up; facing the other person/people Nod your head to show that you understand or agree or that you

are following the conversation attentively.

Give space so that everyone can see each other’s face if you are talking in a group.

Mirroring Mirror the same body posture with those you are talking to – if

they are standing with there arms crossed, you do the same, if they are holding a cup, you do the same. “Mirroring” will create a more friendly and relaxed atmosphere

between you and the other person.

Avoid : Yawning, Scratching your head, Fidgeting, Digging in your ears, nose, and other sorts of inappropriate actions 8

4. EMOTIONAL AWARENESS

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the consciousness of your moment-to-moment emotional experience

and the ability to manage all of your feelings appropriately

Emotional awareness provides you the tools

needed for understanding both yourself and other

people, and the real messages they are

communicating to you.

4. EMOTIONAL AWARENESS

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Emotional awareness helps you: Understand and empathize with what is really

troubling other people Understand yourself, including what’s really

troubling you and what you really want Stay motivated to understand and empathize

with the person you’re interacting with, even if you don’t like them or their message

Communicate clearly and effectively, even when delivering negative messages

Build strong, trusting, and rewarding relationships, think creatively, solve problems, and resolve conflicts

4. EMOTIONAL AWARENESS

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Emotional awareness is a skill you can learn You can develop emotional awareness by

learning how to get in touch with difficult emotions and manage uncomfortable feelings anger, sadness, fear, disgust, surprise, and joy.

When you know how to do this, you can remain in control of your emotions and behavior, even in very challenging situations this will help you communicate more clearly and

effectively.

5. PERSONAL APPEARANCE

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Personal appearance is an often disregarded part of communication and presentation skills. 

When you are speaking you are representing your organization and yourself, but it is still you on the front line.  It is you that the other person,

group, or audience sees and before you have time to open

your mouth and give an account of yourself, certain assumptions, both consciously and subconsciously, have been made.

First impressions are very important they can be about attitude

as well as dress.

Visual impact is at least as important as verbal impact people will very quickly

make assumptions based on your facial expressions, the clothes you wear, and how well groomed you are.

BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

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There are many reasons why interpersonal communications may fail.  

In many communications, the message (what is said) may not be received exactly the way the sender intended.

It is important that the communicator seeks feedback to check that their message is clearly understood.

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Common Barriers to Effective Communication:

The use of jargon. Over-complicated, unfamiliar and/or technical terms.

Emotional barriers and taboos. Some people may find it difficult to express their emotions and some topics may be

completely 'off-limits' or taboo. Lack of attention, interest, distractions, or irrelevance to the receiver. Differences in perception and viewpoint. Physical disabilities such as hearing problems or speech difficulties. Physical barriers to non-verbal communication.

Not being able to see the non-verbal cues, gestures, posture and general body language can make communication less effective.

Language differences and the difficulty in understanding unfamiliar accents. Expectations and prejudices which may lead to false assumptions or

stereotyping.  People often hear what they expect to hear rather than what is actually said and jump

to incorrect conclusions. Cultural differences. 

The norms of social interaction vary greatly in different cultures, as do the way in which emotions are expressed. For example, the concept of personal space varies between cultures and between different

social settings.A skilled communicator must be aware of these

barriers and try to reduce their impact by continually checking understanding and by

offering appropriate feedback

CONCLUSION

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The components of interpersonal communication govern the effectiveness of our communications they may be simple to understand but can

take a lifetime to master.

No form of communication is simple, there are many reasons why communication is taking place, how it is taking place and how messages are being broadcast and received.

Variables in communication, such as language, environment and distraction as well as the individuals involved in communicating all have an effect on how messages are sent, received and interpreted.

At any point in communication any misunderstanding, regardless of how small it may seem, will have an effect on the message that is being received.

Through self-awareness and good intrapersonal communication we can strengthen the effectiveness of our interpersonal communication

CONCLUSION

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1. Mastering the two basic types of communication is the key to successful socialization.

2. The ability to communicate ideas, thoughts and feelings serves as the basis for all successful human interaction.