Interpersonal Communication

1. Interpersonal Communication GXEX1406 Thinking and Communication Skills

2. Introduction • Interpersonal communications means "showing appropriate ways to exchange your ideas and needs." GXEX1406 Thinking and Communication Skills – Week 2 Interpersonal Communication

3. Introduction - Cont. • A student demonstrates appropriate application of this skill when he / she can do a good job of presenting both sides of an issue, showing how both sides feel and interact, showing respect, using appropriate language, not using "put downs", and using strategies such as "I messages" and refusal techniques. GXEX1406 Thinking and Communication Skills – Week 2 Interpersonal Communication

4. Introduction - Cont. • Some examples of activities that help to build this skills include skills, role plays, dialogue, and puppet shows. GXEX1406 Thinking and Communication Skills – Week 2 Interpersonal Communication

5. Agenda • Interpersonal Communication Primer • Interpersonal Communication Skills • Communication Styles • Communication during a crisis • Functions of interpersonal communication GXEX1406 Thinking and Communication Skills – Week 2 Interpersonal Communication

6. Vocabulary • interpersonal • of relationships between people: concerning or involving relationships between people GXEX1406 Thinking and Communication Skills – Week 2 Interpersonal Communication

7. Vocabulary - Cont. • Communicate (from Latin word “to share”) • exchange information: to give or exchange information, for example, by speech or writing • convey: to transmit or reveal a feeling or thought by speech, writing, or gesture so that it is clearly understood • understand one another: to share a good personal understanding. GXEX1406 Thinking and Communication Skills – Week 2 Interpersonal Communication

8. Vocabulary - Cont. • Communication • exchange of information: the exchange of information between individuals, for example, by means of speaking, writing, or using a common system of signs or behavior. GXEX1406 Thinking and Communication Skills – Week 2 Interpersonal Communication

9. Five methods of communication • Written word • Spoken word • Visual images • Multimedia • Symbolic gesture GXEX1406 Thinking and Communication Skills – Week 2 Interpersonal Communication

10. The 6 written communication methods • memo – less formal than letter, more likely to be read, not confidential • notice boards – may never be read, good for staff-to-staff • letter to staff – private, personal, lends weight to its subject • e-mail – private, less formal than letter, less likely to be kept like letter • faxes – personal, public • internal newsletter – public, not for bad news, useful for minor but necessary news GXEX1406 Thinking and Communication Skills – Week 2 Interpersonal Communication

11. The 5 verbal communication methods • telephone – immediate, informal, private • one-to-one meeting – confidential, more formal than phone call • departmental or inter-departmental meeting – for group interaction, for discussion • presentation – persuasive, one-sided (control interruptions) • company meeting – for very important news, everyone hears at the same time GXEX1406 Thinking and Communication Skills – Week 2 Interpersonal Communication

12. Basic concepts • Sender • Message • Medium • Recipient • Feedback GXEX1406 Thinking and Communication Skills – Week 2 Interpersonal Communication

13. Interpersonal Communication Primer • You listen to and acknowledge other people's thoughts and feelings: Rather than showing that you only care about broadcasting your feelings and insisting that others agree with you, you encourage others to express what they are thinking and feeling. You listen and try to understand. GXEX1406 Thinking and Communication Skills – Week 2 Interpersonal Communication

14. Interpersonal Communication Primer - Cont. • You express your own thoughts and feelings openly and directly: If you only listen to what other people are thinking or feeling and you don't express your own thoughts or feelings, you end up feeling shortchanged or "dumped on." GXEX1406 Thinking and Communication Skills – Week 2 Interpersonal Communication

15. Interpersonal Communication Skills • I-statements help you express the way you feel and what you want with great clarity. Sometimes people use "you" statements, such as "You never call when you are going to be late." This type of statement can make others feel angry and defensive immediately. When you use I-statements, such as, "I really need to know when you're going to be here so I can make plans," you express your the concern in terms of you. GXEX1406 Thinking and Communication Skills – Week 2 Interpersonal Communication

16. Interpersonal Communication Skills - Cont. • A respectful tone of voice conveys that you are taking others seriously and that you also expect to be taken seriously. In addition, people with good communication skills are assertive without being aggressive or manipulative GXEX1406 Thinking and Communication Skills – Week 2 Interpersonal Communication

17. Interpersonal Communication Skills - Cont. • Eye contact is vital for good communication. For example, how would you feel if the person you were talking to kept looking around the hallway or out the window? GXEX1406 Thinking and Communication Skills – Week 2 Interpersonal Communication

18. Interpersonal Communication Skills - Cont. • Appropriate body language encourages conversation. Nodding your head, smiling, laughing, using words such as "uh-huh" and "yeah" and asking questions at appropriate times assure the person that you are really listening. GXEX1406 Thinking and Communication Skills – Week 2 Interpersonal Communication

19. Interpersonal Communication Skills - Cont. • Clear, organized ideas help you accurately and honestly describe your feelings and contribute to conversations and to decisions that need to be made. Good communicators are also specific. For example, a good communicator would say, "I need to use the computer from 7-9," as opposed to "I'll need the computer tonight." GXEX1406 Thinking and Communication Skills – Week 2 Interpersonal Communication

20. Communication Styles • Passive communication involves the inability or unwillingness to express thoughts and feelings. Passive people will do something they don't want to do or make up an excuse rather than say how they feel. GXEX1406 Thinking and Communication Skills – Week 2 Interpersonal Communication

21. Communication Styles - Cont. • Assertive behavior involves standing up for oneself. Assertive people will say what they think and stand up for their beliefs without hurting others GXEX1406 Thinking and Communication Skills – Week 2 Interpersonal Communication

22. Communication Styles - Cont. • The aggressive style of communication involves overreaction, blaming and criticizing. Aggressive people try to get their way through bullying, intimidating or even physical violence. They do not or will not consider the rights of others. GXEX1406 Thinking and Communication Skills – Week 2 Interpersonal Communication

23. Communications during a crisis • Effective Listening • Appropriate Self-disclosure • Audience Understanding • Perceptual Clarity • Channel Awareness (all senses) GXEX1406 Thinking and Communication Skills – Week 2 Interpersonal Communication

24. Communications during a crisis - Cont. • Effective Verbal Messages • Reasoning • Evidence • Credibility • Organization • Style GXEX1406 Thinking and Communication Skills – Week 2 Interpersonal Communication

25. Communications during a crisis - Cont. • Effective Nonverbal Messages • Vocalics • Kinesics • Artifacts • Touch • Proxemics • Environmental factors GXEX1406 Thinking and Communication Skills – Week 2 Interpersonal Communication

26. Communicate Under Pressure • keep everyone inform at the same time • give everyone important instructions collectively • encourage people to ask questions • involve people in key decisions • be available • let them see that you are rooting from them • keep your sense of humor GXEX1406 Thinking and Communication Skills – Week 2 Interpersonal Communication

27. Functions of Interpersonal Communication • Gaining Information • Building a Context of Understanding • Establishing Identity • Interpersonal Needs • Inclusion • Control • Affection GXEX1406 Thinking and Communication Skills – Week 2 Interpersonal Communication

28. Good Communication Benefits • less gossip • better motivation • higher productivity • increased staff loyalty • lower staff turnover GXEX1406 Thinking and Communication Skills – Week 2 Interpersonal Communication

29. Summary • Interpersonal Communication Primer • Interpersonal Communication Skills • Communication Styles • Communication during a crisis • Functions of interpersonal communication GXEX1406 Thinking and Communication Skills – Week 2 Interpersonal Communication

30. Let’s think about it • We hear but we do not listen • We see but we do not observe/read GXEX1406 Thinking and Communication Skills – Week 2 Interpersonal Communication

31. References • Functions of Interpersonal Communication at http://www.abacon.com/commstudies/interpersonal/infunctions.html by Tim Bochers,  Moorhead State University, US • Interpersonal Communication Involves… at http://www.uh.edu/crc/intcomm.html by Crisis Resource Center, Universirty of Houston (2002) • Interpersonal communication at Health Teacher http://www.healthteacher.com/teachersupports/skills4.asp by Anita Davis, Health Teacher.com, Tennesse, US. (2002) • Four Principles of Intersonal Communication http://www2.pstcc.cc.tn.us/~dking/interpr.htm by Donn King, Associate Professor, Pellissippi State Technical Community College, Knoxville. US. GXEX1406 Thinking and Communication Skills – Week 2 Interpersonal Communication

32. Reference Books • Shirley Taylor, Essential Communication Skills: The Ultimate Guide To Successful Business Communication, Longman, 2000 ,ISBN 0 582 43202 2 • Ros Jay, The Seven Deadly Skills Of Communicating, International Business Press, 1999, ISBN 1-86152-373-4, www.itbp.com GXEX1406 Thinking and Communication Skills – Week 2 Interpersonal Communication