Interpersonal communication

Interpersonal Communication

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The impact of interpersonal communication at work on employee motivation, collaboration, and success is enormous.

We will discuss interpersonal communication in this blog, including its definition, principle, types, examples, and importance at the workplace.

Interpersonal communication occurs between two or more people verbally or nonverbally in order to exchange information, ideas, and feelings.

There is commonly face-to-face interaction involving words, facial expressions, body language, and gestures. A person’s ability to convey their messages effectively is a measure of their interpersonal communication skills.

Employees usually communicate daily with one another at work, follow up on employee performance reviews and discuss project details at client meetings. Online conversation makes up a significant portion of interpersonal interactions at work today.

Why is Interpersonal Communication Important?

Interpersonal communication is crucial to establishing strong relationships at work, at home, and in other areas of life. It helps resolve disputes between people. A definition of interpersonal communication given by economists is the process by which two or more people exchange information, feelings, ideas, and opinions through verbal communication or non-verbal communication.

It includes face-to-face exchanges of ideas, often expressed through the voice, body movements, gestures, and facial expressions. Efficacy in communicating information to others determines the level of interpersonal skills.

Personal communication has a significant impact on employee satisfaction, motivation, and organizational success. Among the standard interpersonal communications within an organization are daily employee communications, project discussions, and client meetings. Information sharing between employees improves work efficiency and contributes to organizational success.

Types of Interpersonal Communication

Types of Interpersonal Communication


Interpersonal communication can generally be grouped into four basic types: verbal, listening, written, and non-verbal.

Verbal


Using sounds and words to communicate is known as verbal communication. If someone asks you to do something you don’t want to do, you can verbally communicate by saying “No.”


Listening


The ability to hear is a natural response resulting from functioning ears. It is harder to listen than to speak. Concentration is needed to make sense of what the speaker is saying.

Written Communication


The process of conveying a message by using written symbols is called written communication. Most information sharing in business relies heavily on written communication, ranging from emails and texts to more formal writings and reports.

It is usually written communication that is used for communicating complex or lengthy information. Written communication is often viewed as a more valid form of communication than spoken communication.

That’s why it’s frequently used as a means of official communication. It’s also possible to include emoji in written communication, which conveys more emotional information and context that may otherwise be hard to deduce.


Non-Verbal Communication

In nonverbal communication, information is conveyed through eye contact, facial expressions, gestures, and more. When you smile at someone, you are showing them friendliness, acceptance, and openness.

Interpersonal communication Model

In simple terms, interpersonal communication is communication that takes place between two individuals. It is one of the fundamental means of communication. Practice, knowledge, and experience can help improve interpersonal communication skills feedback.

When there is mutual awareness between two people simultaneously, interpersonal communication occurs, regardless of how unintentional or unpremeditated it may be.

There are many ways to communicate, whether it is through speech, gesture, expression, or dress. It is essential that the sender sends and the receiver receives a message.

There are some essential elements involved in Interpersonal communication that we have listed here.

The Communicators

It is the sender as well as the recipient who are communicators. A sender is someone who sends a message, and a recipient is someone who receives it. Communication between individuals occurs when at least two people are involved, one who sends the message and another who receives it.

The Message

A message is conveyed through speech, facial expressions, body language, voice tones, gestures, and other verbal and non-verbal means. In addition to revealing information about a person’s attitude and interests, non-verbal means can bear additional details.

Noise

Interpersonal communication Model


When a message is sent, there will be some distortion that occurs. As a result of noise, the received information differs from the transmitted information. Noise includes the sound of a jet as we talk, and other types of noise include jargon, inappropriate body language, inattention, disinterest, cultural differences, language differences, etc.

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Feedback

Messages sent back by recipients are considered feedback. A person sending a message gets feedback on how accurate the message was received and how it was interpreted. Both intentional and unintentional messages are addressed in the feedback. Even a gesture can provide feedback.

Context

How the recipient interprets the message depends mainly on the context in which he receives it. The context in which communication occurs has an impact on the communication process. Context refers to the emotional climate, expectations, environment, and social, political, cultural, and economic circumstances of an event.

Channel

A channel is a way to communicate. The channel transmits and receives the message. Messages are also sent through it. Face-to-face communication uses speech and vision, whereas telephone communication uses cable or electromagnetic waves.

Example of Interpersonal communication

We hope you now have a basic understanding of what interpersonal communication is. For example, a conversation between a father or son, a conversation between two friends, a conversation between a teacher and student, all these conversations are examples of interpersonal communication.

Suppose a father said to his son,” what are you doing”?. The son answered that I am playing with my toys. This is an example of interpersonal communication in which

Sender – Father
Receiver – Son
Message – What are you doing?
Noise– All the barriers occurred while communicating
Feedback– I am playing with my toys.
Channel– voice
Context– emotional situation of father and son.

Principles of Interpersonal communication

There are four major principles of Interpersonal communication you should know about.

Principles of Interpersonal communication


1.Communication is Irreversible

The words you say cannot be undone once they are spoken. The power of words cannot be underestimated. A person may be depressed by those words or motivated to succeed by those exact words. You have the choice of choosing what kind of words you want to use.

It is possible to spread positivity anywhere you go and even to change a positive environment into a negative one by simply using your words. Before you speak, it’s always a good idea to think.

You can improve your interpersonal communication by understanding this fact. Once you know the meaning of communication, it will be clear to you that it should always be motivational, positive, and helpful.


2.Communication is Inevitable

It is impossible to avoid communication. There is a lot of use of this phrase among scholars to describe this concept. Communication cannot be stopped, which is why we are already doing so constantly. Sending a messenger from one party to another is a simple procedure.

Communication quality is determined by the degree to which the recipient understands the message. Communicate and clearly, so that the receiver can understand what you are saying. Communication is always going to be a part of our lives, so it is better to be proficient.


3.Communication is Contextual

As a way of communicating, we have to consider various contexts, such as emotional connections, psychological contexts, situational contexts, norms and practices, and cultural contexts. For this reason, you need to be flexible enough to adjust to changing circumstances.

4.Communication is Complicated

In this world, there are many different types of people. How they communicate, as well as how they comprehend, differs tremendously. Communication is complicated as a result.

There are many people you need to communicate with, which makes it difficult. Communication is what you can control, not other people’s thoughts or their way of expressing themselves. Hence, make sure it expresses your opinions accurately.

As you have now determined the importance of communication, you can then apply the above four principles for communication to improve your interpersonal communication skills.

Basic interpersonal communication skills

In communicating and interacting with others, interpersonal skills play a vital role. There are a variety of situations in which communication skills and cooperation are crucial.

The ability to communicate with others and to build relationships is a crucial component of these skills. These skills are often called people skills. They can either be innate personality traits, or they can be acquired through experience. In job interviews and your career advancement, good interpersonal skills can be advantageous.

Basic interpersonal communication skills

Active listening

It refers to actively listening to gain information and engage in conversation. When in conversation with others, active listeners refrain from distracting behaviors. While listening, putting laptops and mobile devices away or closing them can be helpful, as can asking and answering questions when necessary.

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Dependability

You can always depend on reliable people no matter what the circumstances. You can be punctual or keep your promises in this regard. Employees with a proven record of reliability earn the trust of their employers.

Empathy

How well a worker understands the feelings and needs of others is a measure of their emotional intelligence. An employer can hire empathetic or compassionate employees to ensure that the workplace is positive and productive.

Leadership

A key component of leadership is the ability to make effective decisions. Leaders utilize a wide range of interpersonal skills, such as empathy and patience to make decisions effectively. It is possible to develop leadership skills both as a manager and as an individual contributor. Employers highly value employees who take responsibility for reaching a common goal.

Teamwork

In every workplace, being able to work as a team is essential. In addition to communication skills and active listening, teamwork also involves flexibility and responsibility. Teams with good players are often given essential duties at work and are good candidates for promotion.

Books about interpersonal communication

Books are an excellent option for those who want to improve their interpersonal communication skills. We have selected a few good books about interpersonal communication for you to make it convenient for you. Let’s have a look at these best-sellers:

Books about interpersonal communication

PeopleSmart: Developing Your Personal Intelligence

The PeopleSmart book is a practical guide to improving your interpersonal effectiveness at work and home. Using examples, tools, and exercises, this book shows how to improve eight key interpersonal skills. This book is written by Mel Silberman (PhD.) with Freda Hansburg (Ph.D.) and published on June 12, 2000.

How to instantly connect with anyone

The book “How to Instantly Connect with Anyone” explains how to use the power of an emotion prediction to gain success in everyday life and business. In every area of your life, you can make an impression and command respect by using research-based techniques.

Leil Lowndes is the author of this book. This book consists of 96 latest and simple tricks to achieve immense success in relationships. This book was published on July 16, 2009.

Conversationally Speaking

The book Conversationally Speaking will help you to improve your conversation skills while reducing social anxiety. There are many different types of questions that you can ask in a conversation and tips on listening well and receiving compliments. This book is written by Alan Garner and published on June 16, 1997.

Dale Carnegie’s Lifetime Plan for Success

It brings together two of Dale Carnegie’s best-selling books: How to Win Friends and Influence People, as well as How to Stop Worrying so You Can Start Living. It is well worth your time to read Carnegie’s works if you intend to purchase titles on this topic.

In How to Win Friends and Influence People, you will discover how to deal with people, become a better speaker, and attract friends.

This book explores how to reduce worry and avoid emotional upheaval in your life when stopping worrying. Both books were written more than 60 years ago. However, they remain relevant today as well.

The Fine Art of Small Talk

Debra Fine offers tips on how to make better small talk in The Fine Art of Small Talk. You will find methods for avoiding awkward silences, improving your listening abilities, and starting conversations.

Although this is an etiquette book, it will still be helpful for those who struggle with social anxiety.

There are five best books about interpersonal communication. Now you must be thinking of which one you should read first. If you’re looking for big-picture strategies or specific suggestions, you might consider Dale Carnegie or Leil Lowndes. Afterward, you can begin discussing body language and small talk, which would be another way to develop interpersonal skills.

Try to put what you read in these books into practice no matter what you do. Going back to old habits may be tempting, but it won’t serve you well. Adding a reward to using a strategy from one of these books will keep you motivated.

Conclusion

We have tried our best to provide you with all the information you need to know about interpersonal communication. There might be a possibility if we missed something to add up in this blog. Therefore you can send your feedback and suggestions in the comment section.

You must work on your interpersonal communication skills to achieve your goals and build strong relationships. So, start reading a book from the above list and share your experiences with us. You can also go through other interesting and knowledgeable posts on your website.

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