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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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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1. Conversation

2. Listening

3. Body language

4. Emotional Awareness

5. Personal Appearance

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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:

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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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 7

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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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.