Interpersonal Communication Concept - Essay Example

Interpersonal communication Name Name of the institution 18 September 2015 In the real world, every person employs some habit of interpersonal communication. As such, these habits are employed on the regular basis. For the better form of interpersonal communication, people are required to possess different skills. How well an individual communicates with other people is considered as a measure of an individual, interpersonal abilities. Interpersonal communication is an essential skill that can ensure a person is efficient in life. Moreover, in the workplace, interpersonal skills plays a vital role in the communication sector. It is important for both the mangers and the employees to be in a position to communicate in an effective way that will create an understanding of the message delivered. As such, this paper focuses on examining the concept of interpersonal communication as it is applied in the workplace by identifying answers to the mentioned questions. An overview of interpersonal communication. 1. Define interpersonal communication according to academic sources of literature. To keeping the process of communication to be on the right track, a person should enhance the use of the right tone, good facial appearance, and body movement and as well as the use of the appropriate language (Berger, 2005). Therefore, interpersonal communication can be referred to as the process whereby individuals exchanges information, the meaning of the information and as well as individuals feelings. The process of passing the message is usually verbal and non-verbal. In simple terms, it is more of face to face form of communication. 2. With reference model of interpersonal communication, explain the key elements that are involved in interpersonal communication. Ideally, for interpersonal information to be easily understood, there must be consideration of some key elements. These elements enhance the exchange of the message to be more easily created thus the receiver having a simple understanding. These elements include; a) The channel of communication The channel can be simply be defined as the physical mean that the message is transmitted from one person to the other. In interpersonal communication, the elements that are used are vision and dialogue. This is applied in the context of face to face scenario. b) On the other hand, another key element involved in the interpersonal communication is the communicators. For any information to be transferred there must two parties involved. In interpersonal communication, two people are involved that is, the one who is talking and the one who is listening. Therefore, the two communicators create the act of interaction through talking and the other one listening. c) The message is another element involved in interpersonal communication. This is viewed as one of the vital element. In the case, of face to face communication, the message refer to the information conveyed as well as the non-verbal information being exchanged. In conveying the message, non-verbal message acts as an addition information regarding the message communicated. d) Lastly, an additional key element in interpersonal communication is the feedback Basically, feedback is seen as the reaction that the person is receiving the message accord the sender of the information. It is an essential element when it comes to face to face communication because it allows the sender to realize the correctness of the information received. 3. Draw particular attention to the factors that will enhance/impede interpersonal communication. As it is a process of transferring ideas between two people, interpersonal communication can be developed through various factors. It is through interpersonal communication skills that people will have a healthy connection in the workplace. Therefore, the following factors can be used to improve face to face communication. First, one of the main factors that enhance interpersonal communication in the workplace is the personality of a person. This involves the process of an individual understanding his/her unique characters. Personality can improve individual communication skills in a way that a person become less stressed if one understand himself/herself. Secondly, the emotions of a person usually improve personal communication. With a person able to acknowledge his/her feelings, such as fear, temper among others, it will easy in enhancing interpersonal skills. Furthermore, this will create individuals self-understanding hence improving interpersonal skills. Another factor that can enhance the development of interpersonal communication is the habit of a person. The behaviors of a person play an essential role in shaping interpersonal communication skills of a person. For instance, in the case whereby a manger has a habit of consulting the employees before decision making, his/her ability to communicate effectively is enhanced. However, there are those factors that act an obstacle to improved interpersonal communications in the workplace. Such factors include the organizations culture. In the workplace, culture can be a common barrier to improved communication. In this situation, communication can be between two people of different culture. Therefore, these two individuals will have different altitude and beliefs hence, the hurdle to communication. Additionally, noise can also be identified as a key obstacle to face to face communication. Usually, noise hinders communication hence causing a conflicting case between the communicator and the receiver. 4. Where appropriate refer to key theories or principles that underpin interpersonal communication. The principles that support interpersonal communication motivates people in the workplace and they act as the base of interpersonal communication. Hence, some of these principles are as stated. First, one belief of interpersonal communication is that it is irreversible. Once a person passes a message in interpersonal communication, one cannot take back the message spoken (Adler, & Rodman, & Cropley 2012). In addition, another principle that support interpersonal communication is that it is complicated. In the interpersonal form of transferring information the process involved is always complex. The complexity of the process is because of various variables that are used while communicating. Lastly, face to face communication is seen as an inescapable form of communication. This form of communication requires a person to communicate even in the case whereby he/she does not communicate. An assessment of the impact of interpersonal communication on managerial effectiveness in hotels. With specific reference to the academic literature related to interpersonal communication on managerial effectiveness in hotels, paying particular attention to: a) A manager’s ability to effectively manage and motivate individuals and team. People skills in the workplace play an essential role in enhancing the success of the business. This mainly affects the people in the management or on the people who are at the leadership role in the workplace. For a manager to lead the employees in the right way he/she is required to possess compact skills so as to ensure that employees work in groups and as a team. Therefore, managers are required to take interpersonal communication as the lifeblood in order to enhance effective communication (Eunson, 2007). On the other hand, effective communication will lead to operational effectiveness in managing the staffs and enable teamwork in the workplace. Importantly, interpersonal communication can assist managers in effectively managing the employees and as well as motivating them. In managing the team in the workplace, managers need to have interpersonal skills that do not complicate or irritate the employees. As such, with good interpersonal skills, managers will enhance that the working team operates in a trustworthy ways and the state of cooperation between workers is impressive. Moreover, managers with interpersonal skills will lead individuals in the workplace toward achieving the goals of the organization. In any organization, the operation of the business will go smoothly when employees understand the goal and the trend of the business. Effective interpersonal communication will enhance the managers to will create a strong working connection between them and the working team in the organization (Berger, 2005). As such, managers, with essential abilities to communicate to the employees, managers will enhance that the workers understand the business need hence work toward it and as a result the aim of the business will be achieved. Also, effective interpersonal skills will make the manager receive special information from the employees. More so, managers’ ability to communicate with the team in the workplace will create a permanent individual and team motivation. One of the essential established benefit as a result of effective interpersonal communication is that it enhance relationship between the managers and employees and as well as between the workers themselves. Therefore, enhanced relationship between the management and the employees is always essential to the organization and it is always emphasized in the workplace. Managers with effective interpersonal abilities can make employees feel important and valued in the workplace. Thus, employees become motivated and work attain the goals of the business (Eunson, 2007). Lastly, employees can be motivated trough being involved in the process of making verdicts. As a result of good interpersonal abilities, managers can see the process of implementing decisions with the employees’ involvement in a simple task. In the situation whereby decision needs to be analyses and implemented, communicating with the employees will act a sign of motivating them. b) An employee ability to deliver quality services to guests. Being able to communicate in a confident way with other people is an important skill in life and as well as in the workplace. When employees show good interpersonal abilities, the managers become convincing that they have the right team to offer quality services to the customers (Berger, 2005). Nevertheless, as communication has become a central factor to the world of business, inadequate interpersonal abilities can make an employee offer poor quality services to the customers. Generally, employees with effective interpersonal abilities will be a key component in offering excellence services and commodities to the customers. It is through interpersonal communication, employees gain the ability to negotiate with the customers. Through effective face to face communication employees can gain the ability to listen to the customers hence coming up with a solution of any issue a customer want. As a result, employees can excel hence offer quality services to the customers (Rusu, & Avasilcăi, 2013). In addition, employees skill of non-verb communicating can help the in delivering quality service to the customers. Mostly, effective body movement and the facial expression will present that employees are so profession while communicating, hence providing the customers with satisfied services. Moreover, the ability of listening can play a vital role in improving the employees’ performance. As a component of facial communication, listening is important to both the employees and the customers. As an ability to be attentive to someone, employees with such skills will tend to offer standard services to the customers. Interpersonal communication can make an employee have the ability to solve any problem in relation to serving the customers. This is an essential ability for employees because dealing with customers can at a time result to some continuous problems. The ability to solve problems in the workplace can be considered as a sign of providing quality services to the employees. Transcripts of effective communication Re-write each of the transcripts (using the same formatting as the original) to reflect what a good example of interpersonal communication would look like. Conversation 1 This is a transcript of a dialogue between Simon, the front manager in a hotel and Samantha, a front desk employee. Samantha is at her desk chanting with collogues regarding her current life agonies. Shortly, a guest arrives, and she gets more confused with the papers on her desk. Looking on the other side Simon is standing with a bothered mind. Samantha attends to guest and in a few minutes she is through with serving the customer. As she arranges her paper, her phone ring while Simon is on the front of her desk. She prefers to hear from Simon Simon: Halo Samantha? Samantha: Yes Simon, what can I do for you? Simon: Met me in my office. Samantha: Your office? Is everything okay? Simon looks more bothered with a panic face. Simon: Now. (Simon heads to his office. Leaves the door of his open) Samantha: Right behind you. (Samantha’s tone start to change) Simon: Just close the door and take a seat. (Samantha takes a deep breath) Simon: why is this happening to our hotel? Samantha: I do not understand you. What are you talking about? Simon: Take some papers and start referring to them. (Samantha gets uncomfortable with a scaring mind she breath hand) Samantha: What is really happen here? Simon: Yesterday a customer filed a complaint to the senior manager about the quality of one of the rooms he booked. Furthermore, the customer claimed that you took the complaint personally and you end up being abusive to him. Samantha: (on a shocking look), No. did you get to know his name? Simon: (confirming with his list) Doctor Martin. Samantha: I’m sorry sir, you forgot Friday is my day off. (Looking confused) Simon: (Looking sad and troubled and looking at Samantha straight to your eyes) make sure those rooms are well arranged and fit the standard of the right quality. Samantha: Okay. Am going to work on right away. (Furious but taking the orders) Simon: I hope we will not receive any form of a complaint from the customers. (Changing his concentration, and starts making phone calls, later he gesture Samantha to leave) Samantha: (Leaving with an agony look) I will report the matter when the rooms are rechecked and maintained. (Samantha leaves Simons office with the door wide open) Conversation 2. This is a transcript of a dialogue between Mr. Tomson, a consistent customer of the hotel and an employee Samantha, the front Desk customer reservation attendant. After, that harsh treatment from Simon, Samantha looked okay and ready to work. With clear tone, she is serving customers with the use of her hand for further clarification as well listening keenly to guests’ requests. From her one, can see that she is happy and enjoying her work. Samantha: (Expressing herself with a smile) halo Mr. Tomson: Halo, am here for a room, Samantha: your name, please. Mr. Tomson: (Some hesitation thinking Samantha will remember him) my names are on the check list. (Mr. Tomson) Samantha: (Confirming with the list) She put her specs on and start going page after page. With some disruption, from a usual presence of Mr. Simon who just stand there supervising the flow of work in the hotel? Samantha: Your last name please. Mr. Tomson: Branson. Mr. Tomson is getting impatient and tired of queuing something he is not used for. Simon notices Mr. Tomson is not felling patient and join him for chant. Samantha: Finally, your name reappears. Mr. Tomson: (Smile and breath hard) I just need a good bed rest. Samantha: okay here are your reservation receipts. Have a wonderful evening. Samantha start negotiating with the customer with a smiling face. In conclusion, therefore, interpersonal communication can be valued as one of the most key factor in the workplace. As such, effective communication can be used by both the managers and employees to develop the ability to be stronger workers. Essential, interpersonal skill can be seen as an added advantage to every person. Due to the fact that skills are used on daily bases by the human being. In addition, being an effective communicator, individual will be able to develop other managing skills that will help a person be in a position of minimizes his/her weaknesses in life. Moreover, interpersonal communication assists a person in the process of finding a solution to his/her problem. In summary, effective interpersonal communication skills make a person become stress-free in the workplace. Lastly, through effective communication skills, an individual will enhance the growth of productivity in the work places. References Adler, R., Rodman, G., & Cropley, C. (2012). Understanding human communication. New York: Oxford University Press. Berger, C. (2005). Interpersonal Communication: Theoretical Perspectives, Future Prospects. Journal Of Communication, 55(3), 415-447. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/joc/55.3.415 Nahavandi, A., Denhardt, R., Denhardt, J., & Aristigueta, M. Organizational behavior. Wood, J. (2010). Interpersonal communication. Boston, MA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. Eunson, B. (2007). Communication in the workplace. Milton, Queensland [Australia]: John Wiley & Sons Australia. Baxter, L., & Braithwaite, D. (2008). Engaging theories in interpersonal communication. Los Angeles: Sage Publications. Nykodym, N. (2008). Organizational Communication Theory: Interpersonal and Non-interpersonal Perspectives. Communications, 14(2). http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/comm.1988.14.2.7 Study.com,. (2015). Interpersonal Skills in the Workplace: Examples and Importance - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com. Retrieved 18 September 2015, from http://study.com/academy/lesson/interpersonal-skills-in-the-workplace-examples-and-importance.html Rusu, G., & Avasilcăi, S. (2013). Factors Influencing Employees' Motivation for Knowledge Communication. AMR, 837, 657-662. http://dx.doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.837.657 Business.uni.edu (2015). Buscomm-Interpersonal-Interpersonal-Communication, Retrieved 18September 2015, from http://www.business.uni.edu/buscomm/interpersonal/interpersonalcommunication.html. Read More