Assessing And Improving Interpersonal Communication Skills

The importance of effective interpersonal communication skills in organizations

In this present era, a person with effective interpersonal communication is very much important in every type of organisation. Interpersonal communication refers to the process by which any people can share their feelings, information and the meaning through the verbal as well as non-verbal messages. Therefore, for providing effective services to customers sharing the status of the services and data regarding services among different service providers is important. Therefore, effective interpersonal communication skills are important among employee to share information and maintain an effective relationship. This assignment is intended to provide a reflection that can assess interpersonal communication skills and develops it through a different strategy.

I can assess my communication skills by analysing it through the different diagnostic tool. Johari window is one of the simple tools that can illustrate as well as improve the understanding among different member in a group (Hargie, 2010). There is mainly four-quadrant grid in the Johari windows such as open area, blind area, hidden area and unknown area (Walther, 2011). I am working in an organisation for a long time so that I am a permanent team member there. I am successful in communicating the entire team member in my organisation with effective verbal communication skills. With my certain communication skills, I am emotionally as well as socially expressive. I can make my choices and takes responsibilities for my other team members. I can accept the compliments of others. During communicating, I always show effective and non-verbal communication skills. In the blind area, I am not well aware of my communication expertise, but my team member has knowledge about the communication skills. My team member has described that I have an active listening skill, but sometimes I show passive aggressiveness, especially during the huge workload. My team member describes that I behave sarcastically and always complaining during that time. However, I know that I always possess a positive perception about everything, but I know that I have some problem in the communication, such as sometimes I like to avoid any confrontation, especially when I have done something wrong.

Communication style questionnaire is intended to discover the preferred communication style of any individual (Madianou & Miller, 2013). This communication style questionnaire can help me to identify the approaches and attitudes of me. With the help of this communication style questionnaire, I have observed that I am an active listener, but I am a professional so that I am more interested in the fact than the feeling. I often check on the statement of the other people, but I prefer to talk rather than huge thinking. However, I faced some difficulties in my communication skills that are if I have faced any interruption then I find it difficult to get back into the flow. However, I can express my ideas effectively, and in order to express that, I like to conduct conversations as well as discussion. During the discussion, I am successful in putting the right words to express my feelings, and when I talk to people, then I always pay attention to the body languages of the listener. However, sometimes I face problem to predict and anticipate the possible causes that create the confusions, especially during the workload. However, when I feel any conversation boring then I cannot concentrate on the conversation, and this lack of concentration clearly shows through my posture.

Using the Johari window to assess communication skills

Assertiveness questionnaires mainly allow any person for seeking assistance, looking for the opportunities and resisting peer pressure (Jensen, 2010). There are mainly two different answers to the question such as rather true and rather false. From the result of the assertiveness questionnaires, I have observed that I don’t hide my thoughts as well as feelings to any unknown person. Along with that, I always communicate others without dominating them. The result of the questionnaire described the fact that I am an active listener and I don’t feel any problem to conduct any face-to-face interaction with others. I love to present myself who I am that sometimes may create some aggressiveness. I participated to criticise others, especially when I am in lots of work pressure. The result of the questionnaire also shows that I am friendly and easygoing people, but sometimes, especially during an emergency I get little exploited. In any arguments, I do not like to participate because I fear that it can destroy my image in front of others.

I can judge my interpersonal communication through the big five personality traits. There are mainly five different types of personality traits such as openness, conscientiousness, agreeableness, extroversion and neuroticism (Danziger, 2013). By conducting a big five personality test, I have observed that I have a high level of openness that means I enjoyed new kind of experiences but I faced difficulties to maintain lots of work pressure. During the huge work pressure, I became introverts. The test also proves the fact that I have sufficient mental stability and conscientiousness. The test also stated that I have little agreeableness. It shows that I am friendly, but I am not that much compassionate as well as cooperative.

The Myers-Briggs type indicators the self-report questionnaires that are mainly designed to describe the subjective preferences of the people where people mainly perceive how people around the world perceive them (De Choudhury et al. 2010). From the result of the assessment test, it has been observed that I am extrovert so that I can learn from others very easily. On the other hand, among the two information-gathering function, I only have the intuition function that is less dependent upon the senses and associated with other different information. On the other hand, among different decision-making function such as thinking and feeling, I have the feeling function so that I come to a decision by empathising or associating with the situation. On the other hand, among the lifestyle preference function, I mainly prefer the perception function and shows the preferred perceiving function such as the intuition.

Assessing preferred communication styles using communication style questionnaires

From the above analysis, it has been observed that I face difficulties to judging other and replying them according to their perception. Another problem that is faced by me is related to aggressiveness. I felt aggressiveness especially when I am in little pressures. Moreover, I have some problem in the postures during that time that creates the negative perception among the supervisor and team members about me.

Before a 3-4 month, I was a team member of an ongoing project of my organisation, and I had a huge pressure in that time. This makes me a little bit aggressive on others who are providing wrong input on the project. This situation creates a huge dissatisfaction among team members and creates a conflict in the workplace. This problem mainly creates because of the low presentation skills, verbal and low emergency handling skills. Another incident happened a month ago when my supervisor asked me for going to a meeting. It was my first business meeting so that I have faced a huge problem so understand the postures of the other members and communicate with them accordingly.

From the reflection, it has been observed that the main problem that is faced by me is related to the lack of confidence in facilitative communication. This lack of confidence is the main reason behind the aggressiveness that is created because of the emergency. This lack of confidence creates a bad posture that generates a miscommunication among the team members and me. This, in turn, increases the adverse condition in the organisation. Along with that, I also face some difficulties to guess what other wants to say which in turns creates a gap in the communication between me and another team member.

Effective communication skills are fundamental to achieving success in different aspects of life (Shockley-Zalabak, 2011). Effective and strong communication skills are important because most of the jobs required strong interpersonal skills and the person who has good communication skills enjoys the better relationship with the family and friend. According to Hewes (2013), communication is the two-way process so that in order to improve the communication, it is important to improve both the sending and receiving messages. The main way that can improve the communication is learning to listen and be an active listener (West & Turner, 2010). However, I am a good listener, and before saying any word, I prefer to learn others but still I think I need to develop this skill. Communication skills, especially the non-verbal communication skills can be developed through getting a tremendous knowledge regarding the emotions of the people. My main problem is a lack of understanding regarding the emotions of the other people. Therefore, I must develop these skills. In order to understand the emotions of other people, it is highly important to be sympathetic to the misfortune of other people. Along with that, utilisation of proper greetings in the real landmarks of other people is also necessary. As stated by Hynes (2012), for generating a clear idea regarding the emotions of other people, making and maintaining an effective eye contact is necessary. It is good to ask others for their opinion because it helps them to accept aggressiveness of others to whom they are providing their opinion. In order to improve the communication skills, it is important to show the empathy. As stated by Zohar & Polachek (2014), empathy refers to see things from others. I face the problem regarding my communication skills due to the lack of empathy; therefore, it is highly important for me not to be judgmental of other people based on the preconceived idea. For making a successful communication and improve the communication skills, it is highly important for me to view the responses and the situation based upon the perspective of other people. For the improvement of the communication, I must encourage other people. As stated by Monaghan, Goodman & Robinson (2012), offering action and words of the encouragement, as well as praise provides more value to the other people with whom any people is communicating.

Using assertiveness questionnaires to seek assistance, opportunities, and resist peer pressure

In my organisation, I face problem during the huge work pressure and shows aggressiveness to those people who provide wrong input to an ongoing project. This situation creates huge conflict among the team members. Therefore, in order to resolve the people and make them provide accurate and effective input, I must encourage them. However, during the encouragement process, it is important to involve all of the people with an effective communication through an effective set of body languages. For the improvement of the communication skills, it is always important to utilise the humour and proper posture during the communication, because it decreases the possibility of miscommunication. According to Hynes (2012), communicating people on an equal basis along with avoiding polite people is very much important to improve the communication. Treating all people equally and encouraging people to provide valid input can increase the output of any project. Therefore, I must follow this strategy. It has been observed that maintaining a positive attitude and smile always improves communication. However, I always show a positive attitude to everything, but I need to improve it in order to increase the effectiveness of the communication.

I can improve the interpersonal communication skills of mine through the following model this model describe that the main step for the improvement of the interpersonal communication skill is starting with the self-awareness. In this step, it is important to assess own strength and weaknesses so that effective communication can be conducted based on the strength. After that, it is important to start with another person in mind so that effective mindset for generating good communication can be formed. As stated by Beaulieu et al. (2011), effective interpersonal communication can happen if any individual can understand the point of view of others. In the next step, it is important to determine the desired win-win outcome. For generating a good relationship with other people, the conversation must win-win (Cahn, 2013). For example, if any argument proves any person right and the other person wrong then it may deteriorate the relationship. Therefore, the effective relationship always requires a win-win outcome. After that, gathering different facts regarding the communication are very much important because it increases the possibility to create an effective communication (Piller, 2013). After that, it is important to practice a calm approach, where the investment of huge time is necessary, especially when the communicating people are emotional in nature. For creating an effective communication, it is mandatory to be calm down first and then communicate (Bodie, 2011). This is because; it decreases the possibility for aggressiveness and miscommunication. Then, it is mandatory to listen as much as a person speaks. Effective interpersonal communication is the two-way communication so that for creating good communication listening is more important than speaking. After making effective communication, it is mandatory not to expect anything from other people; this is because the intention of communication of other people does not depend upon the intention of others (Burleson, 2010).

Assessing interpersonal communication using big five personality traits

Conclusion:

From the above discussion, I have observed that the main problem that I am currently facing is related to the ineffective communication skills. Ineffective communication skills create enormous difficulties in maintaining an effective professional relationship that may destroy the professional life. Along with that, ineffective communication also creates a huge problem in the personal life.  Therefore, it is highly important to adopt some strategy to reduce the problem related to communication skills. I am mainly facing difficulties due to the work pressure so that the first thing that I need to do is controlling my temperament, which I can do by facing more challenges in the workplace. I can develop my communication skill by taking a short course of the communication for the development of the communication skills. Along with that, effective and regular communication with the supervisor and team member is important. Moreover, I can develop my communication skills and achieve success in my professional life by maintaining some personal journals that reflect the communication-based interactions. Along with that, a reading plan for acquiring the conceptual knowledge is important. In this reading plan, some self-help books and specific communication texts are mandatory to include. However, accepting this huge number of communication skill development program at the same time is not so easy. For this purposes, effective planning needs to be followed, which are described below:

Tasks	1st month	2nd month	3rd month	4th month	5th month	6th month
Facilitates more communication with the team member
Communicate the supervisor regularly to understand the drawbacks in the communication skills
Right after the misbehaving (aggressiveness) apologizes is important
Undertaking a short course on the communication skills for the development of communication skills that must include a program to develop the non-verbal skills also
Maintaining different personal journals that reflect the communication interaction is needed to include in the development program
Facing more emergency situations to increase efficiencies to deal with it
Regular reading of some self-help textbooks along with specific communication texts
Undertaking postgraduate communication courses

Table 1: Gantt chart

(Source: self-developed)

Reference list:

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