Running head: INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION IN THE WORKPLACE

Interpersonal Communication in the Workplace

Christopher Sesma
Communication 111
10/07/2016

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INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION IN THE WORKPLACE

Interpersonal Communication in the Workplace

Through communication, we build our identities through social interactions; how we see
ourselves and how the world sees us. Our identity, from a young age through present age,
constantly alters and changes through various interactions with different people and
surroundings. Interpersonal Communication is the process of transmitting information and
common understanding from one person to another, which is essential in any type of
organization in order to embed the idea of success. Every organization, regardless of industry or
country, seeks to be more effective and achieve superior results. In order to achieve optimal
results, the interactions in the workplace must: share information, resolve differences, commit to
an action, and solve various problems that may rise.
It looks reasonable to determine that one of the most impeding forces to organizational
effectiveness is a privation of effective communication. Moreover, good communication skills
are very valuable and crucial to coworkers for making an organization successful and friendly.
The connections between workplaces are very different and can help provide a way to reach out
with others with facts, ideas, and thoughts. These connections of meaning can one share what
they know and feel. Interpersonal Communication can also be an effective tool for motivating
employees of the workplace involved in various activities. Appropriate communications provide
employees with feedback and reinforcement during the effective organizational change. As
humans, it is in our nature to want to define our individual identities and discover how we fit into
the world around us. Identity is defined as the person we think we are and communicate to
others (Petroselli 2008). The more people interact with others, the more they discover about

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their own identities and who they really are. The challenges that lie in every workplace seems
simple: to engage each employer with one and another in an utmost dignified and respectful
manner. The key point to solving this problem is to engage with proper communication. This
means having an open hearted reflection of another individual as being of the same worth to
ourselves, whoever they are, whatsoever they have carried out. It is important that employees
each other with respect when communicating even if the feelings between themselves are not
mutual. This is not about denying our feelings. If for instance somebody has wronged another
person, they can tell them they have wronged them without being offensive nor harsh. Solving a
conflict does not mean being harsh to the person who has wronged us. Treating another person
with esteem for intentions of communication over a significant issue does not imply that one has
to be fond of them. If at all possible, avoid battles that dont specifically involve you or your
responsibilities. But, it does imply that the conditions that caused the misunderstanding are
unlikely to get worse. Trying to limit your complaints and conflicts one at a time could
drastically improve the atmosphere of workplace and the spirits of your coworkers.
Another conflict resolution that is consistently seen within the workforce regarding
communication is the continuous interruption within someones conversation. Whenever people
are communicating at the same time as someone else, they are disrupting each other and it is
nearly impossible for successful communication to occur between them. Interruptions does not
mean verbally only it could include individuals receiving a call without excuse or even start
singing or listening to music when someone is talking. When individuals are used to being
isolated, there is a much bigger chances that they will not be paying attention when people talk to
them, because they will have come up with the tactic of thinking of their subsequent answer or
remark to squeeze in at any time they can. This is because it has become a contest to be heard -

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relatively than focus on what is being told. A key principle to keep in mind is that we cannot
avoid communicating when we are with others because they interpret what we do and say as well
as what we dont do and dont say (Wood, J. T. 2015). As said before, people should be
comfortable to let other people talk. The more people take turns talking the better chance there
will be of more important ideas and suggestions.
One of the best ways to improve communication in the workplace is to become more
proactive instead of being reactively. Make the decision to be a communicator and become part
of a team instead of being distant and introvert. In order to achieve this goal, many employees
can reach out to other departments in the company and build a network or trust and reliability.
This will allow everyone to become more comfortable about expressing their opinions and they
will likely to do so in a constructive way. Respecting what others say about what they feel and
think is a cornerstone of effective interpersonal communication (Wood, J. T. 2015). Good use of
nonverbal and verbal communication is an effective way to show respect to one coworker to the
next. A good example of nonverbal communication is proper face to face contact. Face to face
contact is almost always better for workplace communication and especially for conflict
resolution. It is better because it will be easier to read someones genuine reaction and expression
rather than misinterpreting their tone or accent. According to Paul Eckman, people from a range
of Western and Eastern cultures agree on the meaning of facial expressions of anger, disgust,
fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise (Eckman & Friesen; 1971); meaning that those facial
expressions are considered near universal. When you are willing to provide positive nonverbal
signs your coworkers are willing to work together on real compromises and increase the level of
productivity throughout the entire company.

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As the world progresses to a more technological setting forums and emails are an
efficient mechanism for short, chatty updates. It is also a good method of quickly communicating
messages to several people at one time and allowing further feedback and discussion. Another
communication barrier that could lead to low company production and the staff not being clear
about the task. The communication barrier affects the communication process because the
understanding of the while process is at first destroyed. Language for example is a
communication barrier that could be used effectively. Language may involve poor pronunciation
of words and mother tongue interference which would initially create a distortion in meaning.
Words used in a denotative meaning are usually used in communication in the workplace rather
than the connotative meaning. With proper use of verbal skills in the workplace it can lead to
better negotiations and efficiency.
Interpersonal skills at work directly impact the whole organization itself. A strong and
positive approach can improve the communication barrier between the coworkers and increase
productivity as a whole. Cooperation with others and supporting them is very important in the
workplace because it leads to a better understanding of the situation and the emotional
disposition of the people. Every organization, regardless of industry or country, seeks to be more
effective and achieve superior results and having good communication skills is the first major
step to reaching those results.

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References:
1. Workplaces that Work. Retrieved October 6, 2016, from http://hrcouncil.ca/hrtoolkit/workplaces-interpersonal.cfm
2. Wood, J. T. (2014). Interpersonal communication: Everyday encounters. Belmont, CA:
Wadsworth Pub.
3. 2011-2016, (. C. (n.d.). Interpersonal Communication Skills. Retrieved October 8, 2016,
from http://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/interpersonal-communication.html