Interpersonal Communication - Case Study Example

Interpersonal Communication Name Instructor Course Interpersonal Communication Executive Summary Interpersonal communication is whereby two or more people communicate with each other. Interpersonal communication is essential especially when working in groups with a common goal. I was a member of a four-member group in a company known as Cyton where we were handling issues to do with water management. In this group, various factors affected the interpersonal communication. The report has evaluated culture, age, gender, emotions, and conflicts, as some of the factors that affected our interpersonal communication in the group. Some of the factors that worked for us, as the report has documented, include age differences, gender issues, as well conflict management. The issues that were problematic for this group was cultural diversity and the emotions of the members. Following this, the report has given some recommendations on the ways in which these problematic factors of interpersonal communication could work for the benefit of the group. *Pseudonyms have been used to protect the identity and privacy of individuals and the organization. Introduction Effective interpersonal communication is paramount in the everyday interactions and within the groups of which people are a part of (Baxter and Asbury, 2015). The ways in which people communicate with one another in these groups or teams are influenced by various factors some of which include the age, culture, disability issues, as well as individual factors like conflicts, emotions, relationships, among others (Baxter and Asbury, 2015). I am a member of Cyton, which is an environmental firm, and specifically the water management department. Since the beginning, we were categorized into two groups in the department each with four people. My group consisted of Caroline 28, Winnie 24, Allan 32, and myself 26. The responsibility of this group was to deal with the water issues of the community for two months and then prepare a comprehensive report and take it back to the management for further action. Allan was the group leader, Caroline was the group’s secretary, Winnie and I were facilitators and just the group members. Since we were required to interact often and had a common objective that we needed to achieve, it was important to ensure there is effective interpersonal communication amongst us. Some of the issues that impacted this communication were the age, gender, culture, and on an individual level, different emotions and conflicts. The report will seek to evaluate the effect that these factors had on our interpersonal communication in the group. Gender Gender is the emotional and psychological characteristics which lead to people assume either to be masculine or feminine or even androgynous roles (Hancock and Rubin, 2015). Our group members were made of both ladies and gentlemen, and all of us were required to interact and communicate with one another on a regular basis. However, there are several instances where we misunderstood each other because of the gender differences. As research has documented, the different styles of communication are related closely with the psychological differences and are also intertwined with the societal stereotypes of the society (Hancock and Rubin, 2015). One of the societal stereotypes regarding gender is that men are superior to the women. This stereotype is, therefore, often reflected in the communication styles of the women when in the presence of men. The women in the group were more talkative than the men and were also very polite (Hancock and Rubin, 2015). As studies have documented, for the female gender, communication is usually very valued as compared to the men (Hancock and Rubin, 2015). The women in the group strived to share their emotions, and opinions about the issues that were being handled. Therefore, this necessitated the male members to be careful the way they communicated to the females and at least pay attention to the issues that they brought up so that they could feel their input is well-appreciated just like that of the male’s input. On the other hand, the primary goal of the male in the communication process was to share the information that they had with the other group members in a direct and brief manner being careful not to be misunderstood (Hancock and Rubin, 2015). In our group, the male members had the tendency to speak in a more confident manner and usually interrupt the discussions probably with the aim of establishing their leadership as well as impress the other group members. Following this, the male communication was more authoritative as compared to the female styles of communication (Hancock and Rubin, 2015). Additionally, the reason for communication for both male and females was different as both of the genders communicated for various reasons. According to literature, the men usually communicate with the aim of accomplishing a given goal or task while the women often communicate so that they can develop and maintain relationships (Hancock and Rubin, 2015). In our group, the males were very objective as compared to the females and this is why a man was chosen to lead the group so that he could ensure that the group stays focused during the entire period to achieve the desired goal. The policies at Cyton encourage participation of everybody in the company as everyone’s feedback is valued. Therefore, nobody’s opinion is usually looked down upon which is what guided the communication styles within our group. Following this encouragement of participation within the group, the men communicated to report while the women often communicated with the aim of establishing rapport (Hancock and Rubin, 2015). Age The age differences among the group members were significant, although not so much because according to the company policy, the people who can be hired need to range from the age of 23 to 40 years old. As studies have suggested, the age differences have an impact on the interpersonal communication within the members (Iachini et al., 2016). There is substantial literature evidence that individuals often hold some stereotypical perceptions on other people based on their ages. Additionally, the age of a person usually impacts the way that they communicate with other people (Iachini et al., 2016). In our group, Winnie was the youngest group member who was 24 years old. She was very sharp in interpreting the non-verbal messages of the other group members as well as the community members who we were working within the project as compared to Allan, who was the oldest member of the group. However, several misunderstandings and conflicts arose in the group which was attributed to the age differences of the members of this group. The younger group members, who included Winnie and me, are more self-reliant and individualistic as compared to the other two members, Allan, and Caroline who were more team-oriented. This is why the two were selected to lead the group one being the leader and the other being the secretary since they would enhance teamwork as is required by the Cyton policy requirements. Allan and Caroline wanted all of us to do everything together and called for various meetings in a day as soon as anything comes up about the project so that we could discuss them together and establish a shared understanding of the matter. On the other hand, Winnie and I were of the idea that the group leader assigns specific tasks to everyone and meet twice in a week to discuss the outcome. We believed that this would save time and enhance the comprehensiveness of the report. Following this misunderstanding, sometimes we were not actively participating in the group discussions and activities as we needed some time to balance between our work and personal life (Iachini et al., 2016). Since Allan and Caroline were not able to interpret this non-verbal communication, they could not read in between the lines. Despite this, the group leader, Allan, tried to understand our age differences and to understand how we reacted and communicated the way we did by always maintaining the group’s focus and appreciating every input that the group members made towards achieving the end goal (Iachini et al., 2016). Culture It is evident that culture impacts interpersonal communication. Culture, which is the shared ideologies and expectations of people within a society has a significant effect on various aspects of the lives of individuals (Samovar et al., 2015). This is particularly the case in interpersonal communication where there is a direct information exchange between two individuals or more. Since interpersonal communication is concerned with the direct interaction between individuals, it means that there is the interaction between different cultural rules (Samovar et al., 2015). Communication does not only entail knowing what to say but involves understanding a given culture as well. Our group was no exception. The members of this group were from diverse cultural backgrounds which impacted the intercultural communication. At one point, there were instances of miscommunication between the members because each one of us was from different cultures from various cultural norms and coding rules (Samovar et al., 2015). The members used different nonverbal and verbal codes which at times led to the some levels of stress, anxiety, and confusion. It took us quite some time to adjust and be comfortable around each other because we did not know what was and was not acceptable regarding one’s culture on various issues. This tension, uncertainty, and anxiousness amongst us hindered the openness of the members and the way we addressed the water management issues that were the issues of discussion (Samovar et al., 2015). According to Samovar and Porter’s analysis, on ‘The Six Characteristics of Culture,’ culture is something that can be learned, dynamic, selective, transmissible, interrelated, and ethnocentric (Samovar et al., 2015). This means that although it may affect interpersonal communication either positively or negatively, it is something that can be handled at adapted to work for the benefit of the entire group (Samovar et al., 2015). Additionally, the cultural differences among the group members also impacted our interpersonal communication in that it affected the strategies that were adopted in the communication process (Samovar et al., 2015). The various life experiences that the group members have were founded on their cultural norms which in turn impacted the message interpretation which was delivered by others. Emotions The emotional intelligence of the participants in a group impacts their competence both in the social and personal situations (Van Doorn et al., 2015). An emotionally intelligent person is one is aware of themselves and have the ability to evaluate their strengths and limitations in a confident manner (Van Doorn et al., 2015). Emotional intelligence impacts the social competence of an individual because it entails their ability to develop some healthy relationships with the other group members as well as manage to interpret and perceive the emotions of others in an efficient manner (Van Doorn et al., 2015). Each of the group members had different emotions and reacted to situations and issues in various ways. Emotions affected our interpersonal communication in various ways. As we discussed the various issues on water management, we were subjected to different situations and discussed various issues on the topic. In each of the situation, every group member derived an emotional meaning which led to some misunderstandings on some of the issues and topics at hand. Additionally, every person has the right to feel differently in different situations and regarding various topics which also impacted the way we communicated with one another (Van Doorn et al., 2015). On the other hand, our interpersonal communication was influenced by the members’ emotions in that at times some of the members chose not to express what they felt about particular situations because of the social expressions. Additionally, they were careful not to give the other members the impression that they were emotionally vulnerable so that they could not be perceived as a ‘burden’ to the group (Van Doorn et al., 2015). Since we were in professional settings, the professional roles that every one of us held barred us from being totally honest with ourselves and the other members emotionally because doing so would be seen as professionally inappropriate by the others (Van Doorn et al., 2015). In the end, our communication with each other was not honest and open as it should have been according to Cyton’s policy regarding open and genuine participation. In doing this, some of the important factors that were important to be included in the report may have been overlooked just because of the fear of being regarded as an emotionally vulnerable person (Van Doorn et al., 2015). Conflicts Another aspect that affected our interpersonal communication in the group was the interpersonal conflict. Conflicts are expected in any group setting especially like this one which was made of different people from diverse backgrounds (Joo Kim et al., 2015). These conflicts arose mainly because of the various opposing points of view that each one of us had. These conflicts were expressed both nonverbally and verbally but there was no point of a significant blowout. When some of the members were agitated or not satisfied with something or an issue that was being discussed, they either became passive aggressive towards the person that they feel offended them or confronted them in the most amicable manner possible. These conflicts made us unproductive in that people were sensitive not to provoke or cause any conflict whatsoever which would probably make them be perceived poorly (Joo Kim et al., 2015). On the other hand, these conflicts were not always a bad thing. Sometimes we disagreed to agree which helped us significantly in building satisfactory relationships which were useful and beneficial to the productivity of the group regarding how we communicated and the outcome of our project (Joo Kim et al., 2015). Cyton has included in their policy the importance of practicing proper conflict-management skills in every situation especially when working in groups as these conflicts are inevitable (Joo Kim et al., 2015). This is the reason why we tried as much as we could to address these issues as we faced them before it escalated to other levels which could impact the way we communicated among ourselves and consequently our productivity. Conclusion Effective interpersonal communication is essential especially when working in groups with a common goal. I was a member of a group at the Cyton Company, and we were dealing with issues concerning water management for two months. This group consisted of four members each with different cultural backgrounds, age, gender, among other issues; the group was highly diverse. Various matters impacted our interpersonal communication within the group which included gender, culture, age, emotions, and conflicts, as described in the report. Some of these issues were handled differently with the group members which impacted the way we communicated and in the long run, our productivity. Some of the problems which worked well for the group included proper management of age differences, gender, and conflict management. The ones that were problematic in the group’s communication include the emotions and cultural diversity. Recommendations One of the ways in which our interpersonal communication could be enhanced includes embracing the cultural background of every of the participant so that we could understand their viewpoint on various issues that they present (Samovar et al., 2015). Being rigid and not accepting the cultural backgrounds of others hinder our willingness even to want to listen to them and understand them. Therefore, breaking down the cultural boundaries will oversee openness, transparency, and confidence in sharing ideas and opinions which will be beneficial for the group through enhancing its productivity (Samovar et al., 2015). In dealing with the emotional issues that were problematic for the communication of the group, the group members could seek to identify their emotions and choose the best way of communicating them (Van Doorn et al., 2015). The members could decide to own their emotions and feelings through monitoring themselves on a regular basis. Doing this would have assisted every group member to respond to their colleagues in a sensitive manner when communicating with them. This would enable the group members to have the freedom to express their opinions and ideas openly without worrying that they would hurt others since they are in control of their emotions as well as is cautious with the emotions of others (Van Doorn et al., 2015). Consequently, the interpersonal communication among the group members will be enhanced. References Baxter, L.A. and Asbury, B 2015, Critical approaches to interpersonal communication: Charting a future. Engaging theories in interpersonal communication: Multiple perspectives, pp.189-201. Hancock, A.B. and Rubin, B.A 2015, Influence of communication partner’s gender on language. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 34(1), pp.46-64. Iachini, T., Coello, Y., Frassinetti, F., Senese, V.P., Galante, F. and Ruggiero, G., 2016. Peripersonal and interpersonal space in virtual and real environments: Effects of gender and age. Journal of Environmental Psychology, vol. 45, pp.154-164. Joo Kim, E., Yamaguchi, A., Kim, M.S. and Miyahara, A 2015, Effects of taking conflict personally on conflict management styles across cultures. Personality and Individual Differences, vol. 72, pp.143-149. Samovar, L.A., Porter, R.E., McDaniel, E.R and Roy, C.S 2015, Communication between cultures, Nelson Education, London. Van Doorn, E.A., van Kleef, G.A. and van der Pligt, J 2015, How emotional expressions shape prosocial behavior: Interpersonal effects of anger and disappointment on compliance with requests. Motivation and emotion, 39(1), pp.128-141. Read More