Interpersonal communication: concepts and applications

Interpersonal Communication

The art of communication is the certainly that- an art. One must be educated in the art in order to learn the beauty, the essence and the wisdom of what it is trying to portray. Art contributes to one's life in a dynamic and multi-faceted way. The art of interpersonal communication is certainly one that has contributed to my life in a multi-faceted way and there a myriad of different topics that I have encountered that have helped me grow as a person. Interpersonal communication "can be defined as: communication that occurs between two or more people in an organization" (Trauernicht). Using this definition as a foundation and further reflecting upon where I started before taking the class and where I am now, it does seem that I have experienced some personal growth over the course of the interpersonal communication class. It seems that I have learned that it is important to improve verbal communication by striving for accuracy and clarity, to be a mindful listener, and finally, I learned to effectively communicate in a conflict situation.

Foremost, the importance of trying to be completely accurate and clear when communicating is something that I learned and helped me grow as a person. Whenever I get frustrated when somebody does not understand what I am trying to explain, I seem to think that it is the person's fault for not understanding. What I learned over this lesson is that it communication is a two-way process that involves myself as well- I have to ask myself the question: could I explain this differently? Use different words or phrases to more effectively communicate my idea? To step back from a situation and realize that it is both people that must be active in communicating has certainly helped me grow as a person. Clear and accurate communication is the best way to communicate as it leads to less frustrations and a more meaningful interpersonal relationship with the other person. By utilizing these skills, it has helped me grow as a person and I hope to apply these skills on a daily basis.

Furthermore, another important lesson is how to be a mindful listener- this lesson has helped impart wisdom on me and has certainly helped me grow as a person. To be a good listener it requires a lot of things; but, upon further reflection, it really shows how much one cares about another person and what they have to say about a subject or a certain matter. When listening it is important to pay attention and provide feedback to ensure the person who is talking that you are listening. Before learning the importance of mindful listening, I was sometimes quick to cut someone off when I disagreed with what they were saying. But after learning the importance and the positive impact that it can have, I started being a mindful listener and have realized that is helps in communicating. When everyone gets a turn to say what is on their mind, healthy communication is established and similar to being a clear and accurate communicator, being a mindful listener also helps in building a strong interpersonal relationship with others.

Finally, another aspect of the interpersonal communication class that helped me grow as a person includes learning how to communicate effectively in a conflict situation. Often times, arguments can get heated and when conflict arises, both parties are on the defence; but, this does not help communication or the conflict to diffuse. I learned from this class how to effectively communicate in a conflict situation- calmly, using words and language that will not further add fuel to the fire so to speak and speak constructively not harshly or critically. All of these different components will help diffuse situations before it escalates to a point that it can no longer be diffused. Learning this type of communication is extremely important because of the different people and thing that people, including myself, come in conflict with. Conflict is inevitable but how one deal with it is absolutely up to us.