3. CONTENTS OF INTERPERSONAL
COMMUNICATION
view as succinctly as possible.
The communicators: It refers to both the sender of the communication and the receiver. There are at least
two communicators involved in all interpersonal communication.
The message: Message can be conveyed in many ways: speech, body language, tone of voice, gestures
and other indicators.
Noise: This refers to any distortion that causes differences between what is received and what it sent.
Examples of noise include jargon, language barriers, inattention and more.
Feedback: Feedback is the response of the receiver. In other words, it’s the message sent back to the
sender. This allows the sender to know whether the message has been received and interpreted
correctly.
Context: Whether a message is received and interpreted correctly depends largely on context. The
emotional climate,expectations, the place, and social, political,cultural and environmental conditions
comprise context.
Channel: Finally, this component refers to how the communication occurs. A message is sent and
received through a specific channel, or medium
4. ELEMENTS OF INTERPERSONAL
COMMUNICATION
view as succinctly as possible. Problem solving and decision making: One of the best ways to maintain professional relationships is
through effective problem solving and decision making. Both of these skills align team members toward
a common goal. If leaders are unable to take the steps necessary to solve problems and make the right
decision for the team, a business can’t function successfully.
Listening: Strong listening skills are invaluable for business professionals. They help individuals
understand sent messages and act accordingly. If a manager provides instructions but team members
are unable to listen and synthesize the information, roadblocks will arise that can derail projects and
cause negative consequences.
Assertiveness: A commonly undervalued element of interpersonal communication is assertiveness. The
ability to influence others helps leaders drive the team toward a common goal. Being willing to take
charge and effect change is one of the hallmarks of a business leader.
Negotiation: This skill is a key element in conflict resolution. Finding common ground and identifying
shared goals can help business professionals work effectively with others.
5. STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE INTERPERSONAL
COMMUNICATION IN THE WORK PLACE
view as succinctly as possible. Research and plan: Gather facts and relevant data to plan for important conversations. This helps ensure
clarity and accuracy.
Determine your audience: Consider coworkers’ personality and mindset before approaching a
conversation. Find the right communication style for your specific situation. Some conversations lend
themselves to face-to-face meetings, while others can be best accomplished through email.
Self-evaluation: Understand your own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to communication. Ask
for honest feedback from coworkers and managers as a learning opportunity to better inform future
interactions.
Monitor expectations: Keep assumptions and expectations to a minimum before engaging with a
coworker. You never know for sure how someone will react, so be ready to adapt as the situation
demands
6. INTERVIEWING
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Interviewing is the process whereby individuals (usually two)
exchange information.
The individuals may be concerned with a job opening, a
promotion, a special assignment, a product sale, information for
intelligence purposes, a proposed merger, or other questions.
The information exchanged need not be limited to facts.
In business, particularly, such products of an interview as meaning
and understanding are oftentimes more significant than objective
factual statements.
7. TYPES OF INTERVIEWING
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Structured interviewing generally provides the interviewer with the
information needed to make the hiring decision. It also can be crucial in
defending against allegations of discrimination in hiring and selection,
because all applicants are asked the same questions.
In an unstructured interview, the interviewer does not have a strict agenda
but rather allows the applicant to set the pace of the interview. Questions
tend to be open-ended, which can enable the candidate to disclose more
than he or she might if asked closed-ended questions requiring only a
brief answer.
8. TYPES OF INTERVIEWING (Continued)
view as succinctly as possible.
The most widely used types of interviewing are:
The telephone prescreen interview.
The direct one-on-one interview.
The panel interview.
9. PREPARING FOR THE INTERVIEW
view as succinctly as possible.
Determine the critical success factors of the job.
Rank the most important qualities, experiences, education and characteristics that a successful
candidate would possess.
Make a list of qualities, skills and types of experience to use to screen resumes and job interview
candidates.
Select specific questions to determine whether an applicant possesses the critical success factors.
Decide the type of interview process that will be used.
Review beforehand the job description and the resume of each candidate to be interviewed.
Schedule a planning meeting with the appropriate attendees, such as co-workers, an indirect but
interested manager or internal customers of the position.
Determine who will interview the candidates.
Plan the interview and the follow-up process.
Decide on the applicant screening questions for the telephone screens.
Identify the appropriate questions for the post-interview assessment of candidates by each interviewer.
10. FRAMING QUESTIONS FOR INTERVIEW
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Open-ended questions can provide a sense of an applicant's potential and whether the person would be a
cultural fit. Following are some examples of open-ended questions:
Tell me about your past work experience.
What are you looking to gain from your next position?
Why do you want to work for our company?
Why did you leave your last job?
Closed-ended job interview questions can enable the employer to receive direct responses and specific
information from the candidate, and they can help the interviewer control the direction of the
interview.Following are some examples of closed-ended questions:
How many years of experience do you have as a team leader?
When did you leave your last job?
Did you have a productive relationship with your previous manager?
What was your best subject in school?
11. CONDUCTING THE INTERVIEW
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Controlling the interview: the interviewer must maintain complete control over the interview at all
times. Establishing and maintaining control requires, in addition to good questioning techniques,
effective listening skills.
Encouraging communication:To gain as much information as possible from an applicant, the
interviewer should create an atmosphere that promotes communication.
Asking follow-up questions—also called probing— inviting more detail often begin with "what" or
"how." Questions inviting personal reflection often begin with "do you" or "are you."
Reflection questions : These are designed to help the interviewer achieve a deeper understanding of
the applicant's responses. Such questions rarely evoke defensiveness; applicants want the interviewer
to understand their responses.
Taking notes: Notes about an applicant's skills or experience can be recorded on a separate interview
evaluation sheet to accomplish the goal of accurately recording information from an interview.
However, notes should never be made about the physical characteristics of an applicant or any other
area of potential legal liability.
12. CONDUCTING THE INTERVIEW (Continued)
view as succinctly as possible.
Closing the interview: A popular method of closing the interview is to say the interview is ending and to
offer the candidate the opportunity to ask questions. This will enable the candidate to gain clarification
on aspects of the position and on employment conditions such as hours, salary and benefits.
Follow-up interviews:Organizations often bring certain applicants back for second or even third
interviews for a number of reasons. Sometimes the employer may want to confirm that an applicant is
the ideal candidate for the position, or the employer may be trying to decide between two or more
qualified applicants.
Communicating with candidates not selected:Following up with candidates who were not selected for a
position, particularly those who were interviewed, is a professional courtesy that should not be
overlooked.
13. TELEPHONING
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An efficient business telephone system streamlines good
communication between organisation and customers. The
telephone offers a faster interaction than email, is more
personal, and easy and quick to use
14. BENEFITS OF TELEPHONING
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Personal and Immediate:Short of talking with someone face-to-face, a phone
call is the best way to get a personal response.
Communication is More than Words:On the telephone, the tone you use
gives dimension and emotion to words, increasing the effectiveness of the
communication.
The Value of Interactive Communication:Teleconferencing calls bring people
together from all over the organization at a fraction of the cost of travel and
meeting facilities.
15. STAGES OF TELEPHONING
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Openings and Greetings:In a one-on-one call, you can simply exchange greetings as you would
with a friend.
Establishing Expectations: If expectations are different among the people on the call, it can lead
to frustration.
Content, Conversation, Business:This part can go much more smoothly if you remember to
include what comes before and what comes after.
Wrap-up, Next Steps, and Feedback:Once the business has been conducted, the final task is to
recap the conversation and set next steps.
Closing:This is where you say good-bye & thank you just as a personal conversation.
