Explain how you interpret the statement, "Interpersonal communication exists along a continuum."
Interpersonal communication is central to communication as it helps individuals to cooperate and make valuable connections. However, it should be understood that as much as interpersonal communication is so crucial it is not as automatic. In essence, before individuals can connect at an amicable level, they must go through some processes. As it is, interpersonal relationships first start as impersonal communication which is a type of communication based on social roles. The impersonal relationship begins with the ‘I-It’ level where individuals treat each other as objects and at this level individuals do not even recognize the existence of others (Verderber, Sellnow and Verderber, 2017). In the ‘I-It’ relationship, individuals engage in simple conversations which are guided by the role they are playing. Example of ‘I-it’ relationship is between a server and a customer. In this case, the server will treat the customer not as a unique individual but rather as one of the many customers.
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From here, the individuals get into ‘I-You’ communication level which is characterized role bound and superficial rule interactions. In this communication level, individuals recognize the presence of other individuals but are yet to treat them as unique individuals (Lane, 2016). Rather individuals are viewed as a whole unit instead of parts of a whole. In this level which is more of impersonal, individuals are not able to predict each other’s behaviors with much accuracy (Okoro, Washington, & Thomas, 2017). Moreover, at this level individuals are not to relate on a personal level, as they are yet to embrace emotional content and self-disclosure. In essence, an individual at this level is highly suspicious which means that there is no use of non-verbal cues.
The highest level of interpersonal relationships is referred to as the ‘I-Thou’ relationships where individuals view others as unique and fully human individuals. In this level, individuals become more free, open, and interested in what other individuals do or say (David-Barrett et al., 2016). In this case, the kind of relationship that exists between individuals is considered mutual, personal, dialogical, and direct. In this level, barriers are broken which in turn makes the interpersonal communication more effective. Individuals who have reached this level are at a better position to benefit from interacting with other people, as there is nothing to hold them back. Examples of interpersonal communication include father and a son, lovers or best friends.
Have you ever engaged in communication with someone who wanted to be more personal than you wanted to be? How about less? How did you handle the situation?
I have engaged in many conversations with people from different sectors, cultures, and backgrounds. I must accept that at times I have encountered individuals who want to be too personal or impersonal something that has bothered me. There is this time I met a lady in the grocery store who seemed worried. She approached me and asked me if I could help her locate the aisle where they stocked asparagus. I agreed to see that she seemed eager to get the supplies. Immediately we began walking towards the aisle, she started sobbing, and on asking her what her issue was, she said that her grandson was in the hospital and the family had no money to pay the hospital bill. She went on ahead to say how she had a hard time getting health insurance as they were undocumented arguments. I became confused, as I was not in a position to handle this emotional content and self-disclosure which only happens between people who are close (Robinson, 2017). The woman even went ahead to request for my phone number claiming that she needed someone to talk to. I did not know how to respond considering that she was a stranger. I gave her an excuse that I had no cell phone since I did not trust her. After this episode, I realized that this woman was intruding into my emotional space, as I could not relate to her in as much as I wanted. However, I felt sorry for her, but I was not in a position to help.
What are your own guidelines for interpersonal communication in the workplace?
The workplace is a dynamic environment, which brings together individuals from diverse backgrounds. In essence, every individual comes with his or her perspectives, beliefs, attitudes, ambitions, and preferences. This diversity then creates a challenge especially when it comes to communication (Evans & Sukrun, 2017). This challenge is made worse considering that individuals must collaborate to achieve organizational goals. As it is, these individuals will present varied personality traits, which may not be incompatible, which may breed resentment and conflicts. However, this should not be the case, as individuals can learn to relate on the same level with the necessary guidelines.
Interpersonal communication in the workplace should be aligned with organizational goals. In this case, individuals must relate based on what they want to achieve for a particular organization. Individuals working for the same organizations should understand that it is important to form meaningful relationships, which allows for the exchange of ideas (Vertino, 2014). In this case, individuals should treat one another as assets which help in the realization of organizational goals. The interpersonal relationships should be aimed at enhancing efficient decision making which calls for the participation of all employees in what is viewed as ‘group think’ (Katopol, 2015).
Employees and management should adopt various interpersonal skills to enhance the quality of communication. For one employee and management should listen to one another as doing this enhances trust and loyalty (DeVito, 2014). Moreover, employees and management should maintain professional barriers to enhance the quality of interpersonal relations. In essence, if these professional barriers are not maintained conflicts may ensue which comes in the way of these relationships. Furthermore, there is a need to show empathy to one another considering that individuals have various challenges. Showing empathy improves interpersonal relationships, which boosts productivity (Singh, 2014). Lastly, it is important for individuals to exercise transparency in their dealings as it creates trust.
References
David-Barrett, T., et al. (2016). Communication with family and friends across the life course. PLOS One, 11 (11), e0165687.
DeVito, J. A. (2014 ). The interpersonal communication book. London: Pearson.
Evans, A., & Sukrun, H. (2017). Workplace diversity and intercultural communication: A phenomenological study. Cogent Business & Management, 4(2017), 1-9.
Katopol, P. F. (2015). Groupthink: Group dynamics and the decision-making process. Library Leadership and Management, 30 (1), 1-6.
Lane, S.D. (2016). Interpersonal communication: Competence and contexts. New York: Taylor & Francis.
Okoro, E., Washington, M. C., & Thomas, O. (2017). The impact of interpersonal communication skills on organizational effectiveness and social self-efficacy: A synthesis. International Journal of Language and Linguistics, 4(3), 28-32.
Robinson, S. C. (2017). Self-disclosure and managing privacy: Implications for interpersonal and online communication for consumers and marketers. Journal of Internet Commerce, 16 (4), 160-171.
Singh, A.K. (2014). Role of interpersonal communication in organizational effectiveness. International Journal of Research in Management &Business Studies, 1 (4), 36-39.
Verderber, K. S., Sellnow, D. D., & Verderber, R. F. (2017). Communicate! New York: Cengage Learning.
Vertino, K. A. (2014). Effective interpersonal communication: A practical guide to improve your life. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 19(3).
