Main Aspects of Interpersonal Communication - Essay Example

Interpersonal Communication Some people find it difficult to convey the exact message they want to deliver. Most of the times, the objective of the message is critical and cause misunderstanding due to the receiver not understanding the message correctly. This is the last thing a person wants which eventually leads to conflicts. The increasing demand for interpersonal communication course by students and extra focus of the teachers depicts its importance in the professional world. Proper interpersonal communication skills is important for the individual to practice both in the personal as well as the professional life (Roloff, 113). I realized the importance of interpersonal communication skills when I was confronted with a situation where we had to decide about a term paper topic. The term paper required was to be completed by two members, the term paper could be on a diagnostic study or a feasibility report. I wanted to pursue the option of feasibility report but the other member wanted to pursue the first option. The scenario created a heated debate between both of us. The conversation was getting fierce and we both were giving our own reasons. Many previous situations were being discussed and neither of us were ready to accept the others point of view. The view seemed as if there was going to be an emotional outburst. He wanted to select the diagnostic option because he is of the view that diagnostic studies will be easily completed. The reasons he provided was the availability of data through secondary sources and it wouldn’t be time consuming. On the other hand, I was of the opinion that we did diagnostic studies earlier in previous courses, therefore we should select the option which offers a new path of learning. The conflict which was based on an issue which created a content conflict between both of us. We both had different motives for selecting our choices. The argument that we had during our communication was making our positions awkward as we never faced such a heated conversation earlier. The reasons which made the debate heated was because we were asking too many “why” questions to each other, we were debating on each other’s answers , were asking irrelevant details and most importantly were not listening to each other. It was difficult for both of us to listen to each other as we both were criticizing each other’s approach. The situation for both of us got out of control. When a conflict occurs it can have both positive and negative effects. In our case we had been friends for a very long period of time, hence deep down inside we both were vary of the negative impacts on our relationship. After a while when we realized that we are going nowhere with this debate, he asked me to stop it here. I got into a corner of the room and started looking outside the window. My friend became quiet and looked in the other direction. At this stage we realized that our conflict may continue for eternity if we don’t work upon finding a solution. The reason that the conflict between us got far was due to the cultural factor which was not allowing us to back down from our point. The cultural diversity is a decisive factor in creating conflicts. I come from an Asian American background and my friend was an American native. Hence our cultural and prior educational backgrounds were highly different. The things perceived by my friend was mostly different from the way I used to perceive things. Although we both were hard workers in studies, both of us had different approaches towards getting good results. My friend usually preferred the easy mode while I wanted to learn new and challenging things and hence chose the challenging path. Everyone in this world wants his / her opinion to be respected but most of the time we forget to respect others opinion. If we scrutinize our situation, we both were the main reasons of the conflict increasing so far. We both were trying to assert ourselves over each other which resulted in increase in the intensity of the debate. The communication pattern in our conflict was symmetrical escalation. We both were trying to make comments after comments in a more pronounced manner than the previous one. Both of us were trying to impose on the other that I am more learned and I know better than you. Too much argument was leading towards irrelevant discussion which was wasting time. For successful interpersonal communication, it is important that our tone and body language is positive rather than reflecting upon being a commanding or aggressive personality. What was good about our conflict was that we both were trying to make our opinions clear to each other openly. We were not using indirect means, such as involving others to resolve the conflict, discussing differences and hurting each other’s ego. Upon reflecting upon the conversation, we remain optimistic about the fact that we both could deal with the situation ourselves rather than involving any third party. The nature of the conflict thus was covert where both were discussing their opinions using direct methods rather than using indirect methods. Our body gestures were becoming offensive and our talks were becoming open. The conversation was turning into an undesirable scene of conduct. When we looked for ways to solve the issue we sat down and listened to each other’s opinion in a more calm and professional manner. Firstly he gave five points on why he wanted to select the diagnostic option and I did exactly the same. In the solution we found out that the problem was to select a company and then prepare a plan in which we can examine the feasibility of the new project. When initially we started the conversation, we were assuming that the other one is ignoring my point and was just talking about ones own point. This paper was thus divided into two sections including both feasibility and diagnostic option. This conflict hence ended in a WIN-WIN situation. We both apologized with each other towards the end of the conversation. Conclusion The importance of interpersonal communication in the current era cannot be denied. The inability to convey the right message can have disastrous effects both at the personal and organizational level. Our situation provides a good picture of the significance of interpersonal communication. What would have happened if we had not understood the seriousness of the situation? It would have directly impacted our relationship, our image and our results of the course. Conflicts are by no means a negative scenario if they are handled and managed properly. During conflicts one should not become impatient and adamant on the stated point. We should let the other party speak out the points and then try reach a consensus solution. It is commonly observed that whenever any conflict emerges, the involved parties perceive that they both share incompatible goals. This should not be the case as incompatible goals can also lead towards healthy communication rather than having arguments. This particular conversation allowed me to understand the importance of positive interpersonal communication skills. Whenever I reflect upon this conversation, I try to analyze the areas of improvement that could take place while communicating on critical topics. Firstly patience in listening to the other persons point of views and then stating difference of opinion with logic and in a positive tone. These two things may lead to a successful and meaningful communication rather than arguments. Works Cited Roloff, M E. “What an interpersonal communication scholar should know.”Communication Monographs 75 (2008) : 112-119. Print. Read More