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Reader. Theme 7

Interpersonal communication at work

1. Interpersonal Communication

Interpersonal communication is defined by communication scholars in numerous ways, though most definitions involve participants who are interdependent on one another, have a shared history.

To function effectively in today’s society people must communicate with one another. Communication must be directed towards another person or entity.

Interpersonal communication is the process of sending and receiving information or communication with another person. This communication can be verbal or nonverbal. The term interpersonal communication is usually applied to spoken communication that takes place between two or more individuals on a personal, face-to-face level. In interpersonal communication, there are few participants involved, the interactants are in close physical proximity to each other, there are many sensory channels used, and feedback is immediate.

Some of the types of interpersonal communication that are commonly used within a business organization include staff meetings, formal project discussions, employee performance reviews, and informal chats.

Interpersonal conversation can occur in dyads and groups of various sizes. Groups are an excellent way to make friends and establish relationships. Small-group communication takes place in settings of between three and 12 individuals, and differs from large group interaction in companies.

2. Interpersonal skills

In almost any job it will help to have ‘excellent interpersonal skills’ as they say in the job adverts. Being able to communicate well with people is important for communicating with colleagues and business partners, for dealing with customers, for managing people. That’s why your interpersonal skills are so critical to your own effectiveness as a translator and manager.

What are ‘excellent interpersonal skills’? Here are some common ones:

  • Able to work in a team.

  • Able to communicate at the highest level (or all levels).

  • Pleasant manner.

  • Lively and outgoing personality.

  • Able to manage a large and diverse team.

Having good interpersonal communication skills support such processes as:

  • Parenting

  • Intimate relationship

  • Management

  • Selling

  • Counselling

  • Coaching

  • Mentoring

  • Conflict management

Develop Interpersonal Skills. Through learning and training students develop great ‘people skills’ that can be applied in all walks of life.

3. Communication climate

Good communication is vital in an organization. Communication climate is the internal environment of information exchange among people through an organisation’s formal and informal networks. Communication climate is open when information flows freely; closed when information is blocked.

In an open climate, employees feel free to express opinions, complaints, and suggestions to their superiors. Employees talk freely among themselves about important policy decisions and their production, personnel, or translation problems. Information passes without distortion upward, downward, and horizontally throughout the organization. An open communication climate is desirable because it enhances human relationships. Good interpersonal communication in the organization provides an environment where people thrive and enterprise flourishes.

This open communication climate has at least three distinct characteristics: it is supportive, participative, and trusting. Open communication climates encourage employees through supporting them, through allowing them to participate in decision making, and, through trusting them, which assures the integrity of information channels.

A closed communication climate causes lost business, damaged reputations, and general unhappiness.

Staff morale is the level of confidence and positive feelings that people have, especially people who work together; who belong to the same team. (LDOCE)