Paper Example on Effective Interpersonal Communication

Introduction

Effective interpersonal communication is a core approach to developing meaningful and lasting working relationships. The essay is a letter of advice to co-workers James and Jimmy to inform them about various aspects of interpersonal communication. In that case, the message of advice will explain the principles of and barriers to effective interpersonal communication, analyze the role of communication in developing and maintaining a person's self-concept, self-image, and self-esteem. An analysis of the impact of gender and culture on interpersonal communication will also be provided. First, understanding the principles or and barriers to effective interpersonal communication is critical.

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The Principles of and Barriers to Competent Interpersonal Communications

Complexity and contextual are two principles that govern the effectiveness of interpersonal communication. Complexity explains the use of both verbal and non-verbal cues during interpersonal communication that requires interpretation (King, 2000). In that case, it is necessary for the parties to the conversation to understand the variables in the discussion. The principle of contextual explains that interpersonal communication occurs in different contexts. Parties to the conversation must understand the context of the interpersonal interaction. Overlooking the setting will cause ineffective interpersonal communication due to misunderstandings. These two principles matter because at any point of discussion the parties may misunderstand the aim and reason for holding the conversation.

Misconception and destructive communication are two barriers to interpersonal communication. Misperception occurs when the wrong meaning is given to a message and is caused by emotional conflicts, personal distress as well as noise during a conversation (Bevan & Sole, 2014). Destructive communication is a barrier to interpersonal communication as it entails the negative as well as harmful messages to another person. It is communicated through insults, shouting and hostility and common when people conflict (Bevan & Sole, 2014).

In the workplace, co-workers should understand that the principle of contextual can occur when communicating with colleagues. For instance, when a manager is giving instructions to lower level employees, it is critical first to explain the purpose of the new guidelines and why the employees need to follow them. In this case, the manager and the employees will be in the same context during the interpersonal communication. However, when the manager fails to provide this necessary explanation, there is a high possibility of the employees having a misperception of the message they have received.

To overcome these barriers, the co-workers should at all times explain the context of the conversation. Obtain the view of the other person and see how it makes sense helps in avoiding misconceptions (Bevan & Sole, 2014). It is also critical to use the appropriate language when communicating with the other party to prevent destructive communication that hinders effective interpersonal communication. Having a shared meaning is essential to ensure all parties to a conversation are on the same page. In that case, understanding the ideas of the self is critical in achieving effective interpersonal communication as described in the following section.

The Role of Communication in Developing and Maintaining one's Self-Concept, Self-Image, and Self-Esteem

Communication has a role in developing and maintaining one's self-concept, self-image, and self-esteem. Self-concept entails the way a person sees oneself depending on the information received from the surrounding world and how the individual processes the message. Communication shapes how the person processes the received messages and ways in which the social changes over time (Bevan & Sole, 2014). Self-image is the general view of oneself including how one sees the self and how others view you as a person. Communication provides an ample environment for conversation among the involved parties (Bevan & Sole, 2014). Self-esteem entails how an individual sees the overall oneself and the extent to which the person is happy about him or herself. In developing and maintaining self-esteem, communication plays the roles of exposing the individuals' capabilities (Bevan & Sole, 2014).

Self-concept, self-image, and self-esteem are affected by a person's psychology. Bevan and Sole (2014) state that communication relates to the psychology of a person since a person communicates based on how their self-image, self-concept, and self-esteem are shaped by their psychology of life. For instance, the way a person will send or receive a message depends on the feelings and thoughts of the sender and the receiver (Mager, 2017). I think that the authors mean that people should communicate in a way that avoids conflict.

Generally, this is important as people should always be aware of who they are and try to control any aspect of self-image, self-concept, and self-esteem that may hinder effective interpersonal communication. For instance, when in a conflict, it is advisable for co-workers to avoid communicating in anger as will increase the possibility of the other party receiving the message with hostility. A discussion or negotiation would be a better approach to interpersonal communication for solving the conflict. Also, this matters because being aware of the self is an important aspect that promotes interpersonal communication for co-workers. The individuals will be in a position to have self-control and respect each other hence creating a good environment for a valuable conversation. Self-disclosure is an element that may help in achieving effective interpersonal communication when used at the appropriate levels as described in the following section.

Appropriate Levels of Self-Disclosure in Various Relationships

Self-disclosure is an essential aspect of mastering to achieve effective interpersonal communication in any relationship (Hargie, 2011). Self-disclosure in a relationship promotes honesty that demonstrates the willingness of the parties in working out things (Schoenberg, 2011). To differentiate the levels of self-disclosure in various associations means the ability of a person to discern the extent of what to disclose in breadth and depth to the other person during interpersonal communication.

According to Bevan and Sole (2014), appropriate communication is one backed by self-disclosure. Self-disclosure is an act of intentionally sharing private information about oneself to others. In the workplace, co-workers can use self-disclosure to share their inner feelings and views about an element of the discussion. That way, the other party will understand the individual better after self-disclosure.

The levels of self-disclosure necessary for my co-workers in level one and two which denote the need for disclosing facts and discussing the thoughts of others. These two levels focus on the goals and context of interpersonal communication by balancing the tension between openness and privacy (Greene, Derlega, & Mathews, 2006). Co-workers who use facts and discussing the thoughts of others maintain healthy relationships by trusting each other as healthy relationships begin with sharing. In this case, the co-workers should be careful to consider gender and culture in their relationship.

The Impact of Gender and Culture on Interpersonal Communications

Gender and culture influence interpersonal communication based on the way men and women communicate. Sex and gender are different as sex is the biological element that differentiates a male and a female. Gender is the social and cultural differentiation of the separate sexes (Bevan & Sole, 2014). The way a man communicates is different from the approach of a female. For instance, men are highly associated with a masculine form of expression through commands while women are softer in their communication. Turner (2017) calls these differences in the approach of talking depending on the gender of a person as the masculine-feminine continuum. Men speak in confidence while women embrace humility while communicating.

Culture entails the traditions, values, norms, and beliefs held by a community and passed from one generation to another (Bevan & Sole, 2007). Culture is intertwined with communication as influences the way people communicate depending on their gender. For instance, in a society's culture, people think that a man is associated with communicating using actions and words while a woman speaks using words and emotions. In a myth presented by Cameron (2007), the language of men is to get things done. They use facts to explain things while women talk more about other people, their feelings, and relationship.

The idea of gender orientation is useful for co-workers to understand how to communicate with each other depending on the gender of a person. Gender orientation is the subjective experience of a person's body including the attributes of its sex (Williams, 2013). Co-workers with the knowledge of gender orientation will be more careful and sensitive when responding to a colleague of a different gender. Cultural training in gender orientation influences the way we communicate by enabling us to choose carefully the words and actions to use when responding to a person of the other gender. Communication and cultural training about gender influence our gender orientation by being aware of our gender in the presence of others. Generally, this matters as an individual needs to define the cultural cues to use when expressing oneself to the opposite gender. It matters to co-workers as the workplace consists of staff from different genders and the way co-workers will communicate with each other will define their gender identity.

Conclusion

In conclusion, effective interpersonal communication is the key to achieving meaningful relationships. The way people communicate with others demonstrates their self-image, self-concept, and self-esteem. It is critical for co-workers to understand the principles and barriers to interpersonal communication to avoid any fallacies that may hinder the development and maintaining of good relationships. Self-disclosure will support individuals in gaining trust from colleagues in the workplace. Considering gender and culture during interpersonal communication helps people understand how to approach and talk to others of a different gender.

References

Bevan, J., & Sole, K. (2014). Making connections: Understanding interpersonal communication 2nd ed. Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Cameron, D. (2007). What language barrier? Gender books. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/oct/01/gender.books

Greene, K., Derlega, V., & Mathews, A. (2006). Self-Disclosure in Personal Relationships, in The Cambridge Handbook of Personal Relationships, eds. Anita L. Vangelisti and Daniel Perlman (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Hargie, O. (2011). Skilled Interpersonal Interaction: Research, Theory, and Practice. London: Routledge.

King, D. (2000). Four principles of interpersonal communication. Retrieved from http://www.pstcc.edu/facstaff/dking/interpr.htm

Mager, D. (2017). The 4 primary principles of communication. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.psychologytoday.com/blog/some-assembly-required/201702/the-4-primary-principles-communication

Schoenberg, N. (2011). Can we talk? Researcher talks about the role of communication in happy marriages. McClatchy-Tribune News Service.

Turner, C. (2017). Masculine-feminine difference: How we talk. Retrieved from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/caroline-turner/masculinefeminine-differe_b_5559127.html

Williams, C. (2013)....