The Impacts of Interpersonal Communication on Managerial Effectiveness in Hotels - Essay Example

Interpersonal communication portfolio Name Institution Introduction Interpersonal communication is the process of people exchanging their feelings, meanings and even information through either non verbal or verbal messages. In Interpersonal communication, individuals communicate face-to-face with each other. (Baxter, L., Braithwaite, D, 2008)This type of communication focuses not only on what is said but also the language usage, how it is said also any non-verbal message which might be conveyed through the facial expression, body languages, gestures and even the tone of voice. Even if two or more persons are coincidentally in the same locality and are aware of their presence, definitely communication is in progress, irrespective of how unintentional or subtle. The most influential type of communication is the visual model which holds the attention of the audience. In the visual type, all what the recipient can see comes in. It also incorporates any non verbal gesture which might be used in communication. An observer might not necessarily use speech but facial expressions, dressings or cues of posture in impressing the other’s role. All the visual Interpersonal communication systems have these essentials: communicators, noise, message, feedback, context and channel being used. (Altman, 1973). Communicators: For communication to progress, two or more people must be involved in the communication process. There are two relationships in communication i.e. One-ways processes and the two-way processes. In one- way processes, one person is involved in sending the message while the other is listening/ receiving it (Domenici, 2006). E.g. In many military environments, their commands are usually a one-way communication process. But as a matter of fact, communication process is usually complicated and it is a two- way type. Here people send and receive the messages /information to and from each other in a simultaneous manner. Simply, the parties involved interact with one another and thus allows even consultations. (Festinger, 1957). The message not only refers to the information or speeches being conveyed. It also refers to any non-verbal information passed e.g. Tone of voice, body languages and the facial expressions. Any non-verbal behavior could also convey some other information of the unspoken messages. Simply, it could reveal a lot about the emotional motives underlying the speech content. The noise is any distortion of the message which leads to a situation which the received message differs significantly from what as intended by the sender. E.g. the backs-ground noise of loud music is an example of the physical noise. Also the use of body languages which aren’t appropriate, lack of attention, jargons which are complicated and even cultural differences. The feedback is any message returned by the receiver as a reply to the information received (Floyd, 2009).This makes the sender to establish how accurate was the information passed on to the recipient. It also tells about the emotional reactions of the receiver. The feedback might help the sender in regulating, adapting or repeating the message so that the communicating might be effective. The context in which the communication process takes place also matters. Also the place of the interaction is also a factor. Te expectations of the participants and their emotional climates during the interaction also matter. The channel is any physical means used to transfer the message from the sender to the receiver. In the face-to-face communication channel, both vision and the speech are involved. (Griffin, 2012). Factors which affect the interpersonal communication include: compatibility, noise, technology, cultural difference and power. The individuals involved in the communication have to be compatible with each other (Altman, 1973). This avoids any miscommunication between the parties. Some individuals often feel that their cultures are superior to others and have to be practiced by all. This might hamper the interpersonal communication between individuals from different cultural backgrounds. When communicating, ones’ communicating power affects the feedback gotten from the receiver. E.g. not all people have their instructions taken seriously by their colleagues. It depends on their ranks, age-difference etc. For instance, if the communication is not a face-to-face, the parties tend to imagine of the other parties based on the technology style and patterns. (Littlejohn, 1996). The impacts of interpersonal communication on managerial effectiveness in hotels The managers are supposed to have consistency in their language and behavior. The employees always take note of the consistency of the words uttered by their managers with the deeds of the same employer. The manager is the role model in any working environment and has to walk the talk so that the employees don’t become mislead by any inconsistency. Successful managers also cherish the emotional quotient in their daily tasks. This captures many evaluations before making any decision in the working environment. The EQ advices the managers to be very sensitive to the emotional portions of their employees and treat them with compassion. In case the manager realizes that a certain worker is stressed and possibly reluctant in speaking up, it is advisable to use the EQ. the managers are also advised to use the appropriate language communication so as to put their acquires knowledge to use and be able to achieve their goals. Also the managers have to foresee the use of appropriate language when marketing their products. They should not always assume that the jargons used will be interpreted in a similar manner by a local consumer. This might lead to declined sales and even declined market share. (T. Simons,2002, pp 18-35). The choice of words being used in communication in the work place has to be that which doesn’t have hidden meanings which might result to misinterpretations by the workers. For example in a company a manager might say in a meeting that “all are allowed to go home” meaning that all the employees are free to leave to their respective places of work. A new employee might think that the manager meant that they were allowed to go home. If the managers realized that they have to use the appropriate language when communicating to a public audience. They have to be wise in choosing their words because people have differing personal differences which should also be put into consideration. For the managers to inspire and create visions in their employees, they need to avoid confusion in their communication. They ought to have consistency in their messages and boost their credibility with their employees. The greatest managers have come up with unique methods if motivating their workers. These managers know how to discipline their workers in a humanitarian approach with no biasedness. By doing so, these managers are usually cherished by their employees and thus are able to have a smooth carrying out of their duties. (Brownell, 2003). Any of the workers should be speaking briefly and precisely to the guest. This avoids the likelihood of the guests losing attention on what they are being told by the employee. In case the waiter has been asked by a client where the toilets are, then the waiter has to be very brief in guiding the client. These employees should also have some variety in their vocals. They should use appropriate pitch (inflection) when addressing their clients (Mead, G. H, 1934). They should also use a rate of uttering words which can be comprehended by the guests for an effective communication to take place. A statement uttered by the waiter in the hotel that is too slow or quick, could be deterrent to their interpersonal communication. Use of appropriate volume when speaking is very important. By changing the volume, the waiter draws the attention of the guest who could be very tired and exhausted. The waiters are advised to gradually adjust their dialects so as to communicate effectively with guests coming from any part of the world. The waiters should also try to be much more fluent when communicating with their guests because this is very impressive to the client. (Baxter, L., Montgomery, B, 1996). They should also know how to use silence as a means tool of communicating with the client. When a client says a word that hurts the waiter, waiter can just remain silent and this will eventually make the guest become remorseful. The workers in the hotel industry ought to know how to use and interpret the non verbal communication in their work places (West, R., Turner, L.H. 2007). By using the gestures and facial expressions, they are able to convey or interpret emotional messages from their clients. How close or far waiter stands from the client while talking could be interpreted as how much their feelings are towards the client. In case the employee used a verbal message which is contradicting the non verbal message, the client will always believe the non verbal message. The eye contact which is usually kept off is associated with deception, dishonesty, competition or people who do not like each other. So the workers need to have a good eye contact with their clients because it is also interpreted as attention indicator. The waiters should also have good listening skills so as to serve the clients to their contentment. (Anderson, R, Baxter, L, Cissna, K., 2004). Reference List Brownell. (2003). Applied research in managerial communication: The critical link between knowledge and practice. Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly. pg. 39 Domenici. (2006). Facework: Bridging Theory and Practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Festinger. (1957). A theory of cognitive dissonance. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. Altman. (1973). Social Penetration: The Development of Interpersonal Relationships. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston. Floyd. (2009). Interpersonal Communication: The Whole Story. New York: McGraw-Hill. Griffin. (2012). A First Look at Communication Theory (9th Ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. West, R., Turner, L.H. (2007). Introducing Communication Theory. New York: McGraw-Hill Mead, G. H. (1934). Mind, self and society. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Baxter, L., Braithwaite, D. (2008). Engaging theories in interpersonal communication: Multiple perspectives. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Anderson, R., Baxter, L., Cissna, K., (2004). Dialogue: Theorizing difference in communication studies. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Baxter, L., Montgomery, B. (1996). Relating: Dialogues and dialectics. New York City: Guilford Press. Littlejohn. (1996). Theories of human communication (Ed 5). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing. Altman. (1973). Social Penetration: The Development of Interpersonal Relationships. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston. T. Simons. (2002). “Behavioral integrity: The perceived Alignment between Managers’ words and deeds as a research focus,” organization science, vol 13, no 1, pp 18-35. Watzlawick. (1967). Pragmatics of Human Communication: A Study of Interactional Patterns, Pathologies, and Paradoxes. New York: Norton. Read More