The Basics of Effective
Interpersonal Communication
BY SUSHILA BAHL
Have you ever met
someone with whom you
just could not
communicate?
A person who, for some
reason, seems to bristle upon
our approach, leaving
communication as we know it
completely out of the
question?
Have you ever been
misunderstood by
someone?
Have you ever said or did
something, with pure motives
and good intentions, which
was misinterpreted?
Which is more important
in social interactions and
interpersonal
relationships?
The actual behavior or the
motivation behind the
behavior?
No matter how important
our motives are, people
read us by what they see
and hear
not by what we want
them to see and hear
Our ability to understand
how people see and hear
us is critical to effective
communications
English is a crazy language
There is no egg in eggplant; neither apple nor pine in
pineapple.
English muffins weren't invented in England or
French fries in France.
If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of
booth beeth?
One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese?
Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but
not one amend
Communication
Efficient communication is ESSENTIAL
to being successful in life.
The biggest source of interpersonal
problems is poor communications.
The key to the communication process
is to be UNDERSTOOD.
Communication
‘Among personal qualities
possessed by college graduates the
ability to communicate effectively
was ranked first by employers.’
Before you begin…
What do I already know about
interpersonal communication?
What are my learning goals for this
program?
How do I think I will be able to apply my
learning on the job?
Course Content
This program will cover:
What communication is
Why and how we communicate
Barriers to communication
Sharing ideas
Getting information from others
Giving constructive feedback
Body language
Course Objectives
The objectives of this program are to:
provide a basic overview of verbal and
non-verbal interpersonal communication
processes
identify personal obstacles to effective
interpersonal communication
define some strategies for improving
individual and group communications
What is communication?
What do you think communication is?
How would you define it?
Take a few moments to
write down some of
your thoughts…
Communication
Communication is defined as the interchange
of thoughts or opinions through shared
symbols; e.g. language, words, phrases
Communication is a process of coding &
decoding messages.
Derived from the Latin word “communis”
which means to share i.e sharing of ideas ,
concepts, feelings & emotions.
Four facets of communication
Three are four facets in all types of
communication:
Sender
Receiver
Information
Behavior
Basic Elements Of
Communication
Sender / Encoder / Speaker
Receiver/ Decoder / Listener
Message
Medium / Channel
Feedback
Four facets of communication
In any communication:
The Senderis the person trying to
communicate a message
The Receiveris the person at whom the
message is directed
A message is sent to convey information
Information is meant to change behavior
The Communication Process –The Transmission
Model
Noise
Feedback
Noise
Sender
Encoding
Channel
Decoding
Receiver
Noise
Noise
Feedback
Types of NOISE
Channel Noise-External interference in
the communication process.
Semantic Noise-Message gets through
as sent but is not understandable to the
receiver.
Psychological Noise-Internal factors
that lead to misunderstandings in the
communication process.
SENDER
Self-concept
Family
Culture
Skills
Feelings
Attitudes
Values
RECEIVER
Self-concept
Family
Culture
Skills
Feelings
Attitudes
Values
CHANNEL
Television,
telephone,
speaking, writing,
computer
MESSAGE
FEEDBACK
INTERFERENCE
CONTEXT
Environment,
status, time
Shared symbols
Sometimes when we communicate we
assume we are using shared symbols
when we might not be
Think about the term “asap”, “as soon as
possible”. What does it reallymean?
Think about how the meaning might change
in the situations on the next slide…
Shared symbols
How might your meaning of “asap” change in
these situations?…
Someone from another department calls. He
needs some detailed information asap; but you
are already rather busy.
A coworker comes to you for help with an
assignment. She needs you asap; but you have
another job to finish before lunch.
Your immediate supervisor, whom you like to
please, asks you to type a memo for her asap; but
you already have a stack of other jobs to finish.
Shared symbols
Someone from another department calls.
He needs some detailed information asap;
but you are already rather busy.
In this situation, you might interpret “asap”
as “when I have finished all of my own
work and have a chance to get to it. It
might be tomorrow or the next day.”
Shared symbols
A coworker comes to you for help with an
assignment. She needs you asap; but you
have another job to finish before lunch.
In this situation, you might interpret “asap”
as “after I have finished my own work, I
will help out after lunch”.
Shared symbols
Your immediate supervisor, whom you like
to please, asks you to type a memo for her
asap; but you already have a stack of
other jobs to finish.
In this situation, you might interpret “asap”
as “I’ll do this now and finish my other
work afterwards”.
Shared symbols
In the previous examples, we’ve seen the
meaning of “asap” change from “in a few
days” to “immediately”.
Many other words and phrases are also
vague and have different meanings for
different people.
Shared symbols are not always completely
shared. The message intended is not always
the message received.
Missed communication
As Purchasing
ordered it.
As the Art Dept.
designed it.
As the Supervisor
implemented it.
As the Manager
Requested it.
As Marketing
wrote it up.
What the Employee
really wanted!
Why does
Communication fail?
Why does
Communication fail?
We need to hire 10
more salespersons
We need 10
more in sales
Increase sales
by 10
We’ll have to
increase profit
by 10
If we are
going to
increase
profits, we’ll
have to cut
costs.
We’ll have to
cut 10 sales
people
%$&*
@#
Why do we communicate?
What do you think?
Take a few moments to
write down some of
your thoughts…
Why we communicate
•We communicate to:
•Share our ideas and opinions
•Provide feedback to others
•Get information from others
•Gain power and influence
•Develop social relationships
•Maintain self-expression and our culture
•and other ideas you may have thought of
How do we communicate?
Think of the many ways in which you
communicate…
Take a few moments to
write down some of
your thoughts…
How we communicate
We communicate and build
interpersonal relationships through:
Speech
Writing
Listening
Non-verbal language
Music, art, and crafts
Choosing your medium
Depending upon the situation, one method
of communication may be better than
another.
In person: one-to-one
In person: meetings, small groups
In person: presentations, large groups
Letter
Memo
Note
Email
Voice mail
Choosing your medium
To determine the best medium for your
message determine:
What you as the senderneed to achieve
What the receiverneeds to know. What
the receiverwants to know
How detailed, important, and or personal
the informationin the message is
Which behavioryou want to influence and
how
Choosing your medium
How would you communicate…
an organizational change in your unit
the introduction of a new employee
a change in someone’s job duties
a reprimand
notice of a meeting
Take a few moments to write down some of
your thoughts…
Choosing your medium
The best way to communicate…
an organizational change in your unit by
memo and small group meetings
the introduction of a new employee by
group and one-on-one meetings
a change in someone’s job duties by
memo and one-on-one meeting
a reprimand in a one-on-one private meeting
notice of a meeting by memo and email
Difference between oral and
written communication
Oral communication–interactive, fluid,
brief, non-restrictive in place, immediate
feedback.
Written Communication-non
Interactive, restrictive in place, feedback not
immediate, longer with respect to time.
Communication network in an
Organization (Internal)
Internal –Formal & Informal
Vertical
Horizontal
Diagonal
External Communication
External customers( can be written or oral)
Advertising
Media
Public Relations
Presentations
Negotiations
Mails
Telegrams
Letters
Communication
Communication occurs in three
directions in organizations
Upward communications
Downward communications
Lateral communications
I Heard It on the Grapevine
The grapevine is an
informal communication
network within an
organization.
Research reflects that
about 75 % of the
communication in the
grapevineis accurate.
Communications –Did you know?
People remember:
10 percent of what they read
20 percent of what they hear
30 percent of what they see
50 percent of what they see and hear
80 percent of what they say
90 percent of what they say and do
Communications –Did you know?
If you tell 100 people something without
repetition:
After 24 hours, 25 percent have forgotten it
After 48 hours, 50 percent have forgotten it
After 72 hours, 75 percent have forgotten it
After one week, 96 percent have forgotten it
Barriers to communication
What are barriers to communication
that exist in any work setting?
Take a few moments to
write down some of
your thoughts…
Barriers to communication
Some common barriers to interpersonal
communication include:
Unclear process:The receiver and sender may not share
the same language, slang, jargon, vocabulary, symbols
Chain of command: There may be too many layers that a
message passes through between sender and receiver
Large size of an organization, geographic
distance:Large numbers of receivers require good message
sending methods
Personal limitations:Physical and mental disabilities,
and differences in intelligence and education may interfere with
mutual understanding
Barriers to communication
Additional common barriers to interpersonal communication include:
Human nature: Peoples’ egos, prejudices, and traditions can get in
the way
Conflicting feelings, goals, opinions:If people feel on opposite
sides of an issue they may not share
Power:The idea that knowledge is power can lead to information
hoarding
Improper timing–Is the boss distracted today?
Selective Perception–receiver hears message based on his/her
interests, needs, motivations, experience, background and other
personal characteristics.
Defensiveness–response when receiver interprets message as
threatening
and other ideas you may have thought of
Sharing your ideas
Why and when is it necessary to share
your ideas?
Take a few moments to
write down some of
your thoughts…
Share your ideas to…
State an opinion or position
Give instructions or directions
Announce a change
Make presentations
Participate in meetings
Give information in emergencies
Communicate the organizational mission,
vision, and values
Obstacles to sharing ideas
What can make sharing ideas difficult?
Take a few moments to
write down some of
your thoughts…
Obstacles to sharing ideas…
Your own shyness
Fear of rejection
Peer pressure
Unorganized thinking
Others possibly becoming defensive
Physical disabilities (impaired sight, hearing, speech)
Having to deal with aggressive people
Speak for yourself…
To ensure your messages are clear,
speak for yourself, not for others:
Speaking for yourself sounds like:
I, me, my…
I think, I feel, I want to know that…
Speaking for no one sounds like:
It, some people, everyone, they decided…
Speaking for others sounds like:
We, you, John, Mary said…
SHARE your ideas –a model
State the main point of your message
Highlight other important points
Assure the receiver’s understanding
React to how the receiver responds
Emphasize/summarize your main ideas
SHARE –an example
State the main point of your message
“I’d like to talk to you about the new employee welcome program”.
Highlight other important points
“We need to discuss the new schedule, locations, and presenters”.
Assure the receiver’s understanding
“Do you need me to further clarify how we are making invitations”?
React to how the receiver responds
“I understand your concern about parking”.
Emphasize/summarize your main ideas
“To wrap-up, I’ll develop the schedule and make the room
reservations, if you can line up the guest speakers”.
Getting good information
Why is it necessary to get good
information from others?
Take a few moments to
write down some of
your thoughts…
Get good information to…
Find out facts and details
Get directions or instructions
Try to understand another’s point of view
Help someone solve a problem
Resolve a team conflict
Solve work problems
Obstacles to getting good
information
What can make getting good
information difficult?
Take a few moments to
write down some of
your thoughts…
Obstacles to getting good
information
Lack of trust
Assuming you already know it all
Jumping to conclusions
Not valuing diverse opinions
Weak reading skills
Weak listening skills
Weak questioning skills
and other ideas you may have thought of
The power of listening
The philosopher Epictetus stressed the
power of listening in this quote:
“Nature gave us one tongue and two
ears so we could hear twice as much
as we speak.”
Listen actively
Prepare to listenby focusing on the speaker
Control and eliminate distractionsso that you
can focus on the message. Don’t do anything else
(writing, reading, email) but listen
Establish appropriate eye contactto show
interest
See listening as an opportunityto get
information, share another’s views, and broaden
your own knowledge
Listen actively
Create a need to listenby thinking about what
you can learn from the speaker
Set aside the time to listenso that you won’t feel
rushed or become distracted by other responsibilities
Don’t prejudge the messagebased on who is
delivering it. Focus instead on the content of the
message.
Monitor the way you listenby asking yourself
questions such as “Did I really pay attention or was I
thinking about what I was going to say next”? “Was
there information I missed because I allowed myself
to become distracted”?
That’s a good question!
Close end questionslimit the answer to yes or no
Open end questionsallow the responder total
freedom in answering
Direct questionsask for specific information; limit
answers to brief fact statements
Probing questionsfollow up other questions to
solicit additional information
Hypothetical questionspresent a theoretical
situation to which receiver responds
See examples of each on the next slide…
Good question -examples
Close end question
“Did you attend the staff meeting this morning”?
Open end question
“What was discussed at the staff meeting this morning”?
Direct question
“Which topics were listed on the meeting agenda”?
Probing question
“Can you tell me more about the first agenda topic”?.
Hypothetical question
“What would you have done, if you had not had the
chance to present your idea at the meeting”?
Exercise -Listening
Who are the people it’s easiest to listen to
What is it about these people that makes it easier to listen to
them?
Who are the people you listen to least?What is it about them that
makes it difficult to listen to them?
Giving feedback
Why is it necessary to give constructive
feedback to others?
Take a few moments to
write down some of
your thoughts…
Give feedback when…
Someone asks for your opinion
Work errors occur frequently
A coworker’s habits disturb you
A coworker’s behavior has negative
consequences
There are unresolved problems
and other ideas you may have thought of
Constructivefeedback focuses on facts not people,
solving problems instead of placing blame, and
strengthening relationships instead of “being right”
Obstacles to giving
constructive feedback
What makes it hard to give
constructive feedback?
Take a few moments to
write down some of
your thoughts…
Feedback skills
Developing
effective feedback skills
Objective
Specific
Goal oriented
Relevant
Well-timed Control
Obstacles to giving
constructive feedback
Separating the person from the problem
Others becoming defensive or angry
Fear of negative consequences (especially if the
other person is a supervisor)
Dealing with potential conflict (especially if the other
person is aggressive)
Avoiding hurt feelings
Preserving relationships
Not having all the facts and jumping to conclusions
Choosing the right time so that the other person is
most receptive
and other ideas you may have thought of
STATE feedback –a model
State the constructivepurpose of
your feedback
Tell specifically what you have observed
Address and describe your reactions
Tender specific suggestions for
improvement
Express your support and respect for
the person
STATE feedback –an example
State the constructive purpose of your feedback
“I’d like to give you some feedback about your training style so that your
evaluations will be more positive and you will enjoy it more”.
Tell specifically what you have observed
“I notice that you rely heavily on your notes”.
Address and describe your reactions
“I feel as though you are unsure of yourself when you read”.
Tender specific suggestions for improvement
“I can help you develop a PowerPoint presentation so that you can use
the screens as a cue instead of being tied to your notes”.
Express your support for the person
“You know a lot about the subject. With practice you can become a good
trainer”.
Match Behavior & Perception
1. Insecurity 2. Defensiveness 3. Cooperation
4. Confidence 5. Nervousness 6. Frustration
Short breaths, “tsk” sound, clenched hands
Steepled hands, hands behind back, broad gestures
Arms crossed, sideways stance, touching and rubbing
nose, rubbing eyes, drawing away
Open hands, upper body in sprinter’s position, sitting on
edge of chair, hand-to-face gestures
Clearing throat, “whew” sound, whistling, fidgeting, tugging ears
Pinching flesh, chewing pen, biting fingernails
Match Behavior & Perception
1. Insecurity 2. Defensiveness 3. Cooperation
4. Confidence 5. Nervousness 6. Frustration
6 Short breaths, “tsk” sound, clenched hands
4 Steepled hands, hands behind back, broad gestures
2 Arms crossed, sideways stance, touching and rubbing
nose, rubbing eyes, drawing away
3 Open hands, upper body in sprinter’s position, sitting on
edge of chair, hand-to-face gestures
5 Clearing throat, “whew” sound, whistling, fidgeting, tugging ears
1 Pinching flesh, chewing pen, biting fingernails
BODY LANGUAGE
Body language
Nonverbal communication, known as “body
language” sends strong positive and negative
signals. This is how much it influences any
message:
Words 7%
Tone of voice 38%
Non-verbal cues 55%
Message 100%
Body language includes…
Face
Figure
Focus
Territory
Tone
Time
Each of these is described in the following slides…
Body language -face
Faceincludes:
Your expressions
Your smile or lack thereof
Tilt of the head; e.g., if your head is tilted
to one side, it usually indicates you are
interested in what someone is saying
What message are you sending if someone is
presenting a new idea and you are frowning?
Body language -figure
Figureincludes:
Your posture
Your demeanor and gestures
Your clothes and accessories such as
jewelry
What message are you sending if you are dressed
casually at an important meeting?
Body language -focus
Focusis your eye contact with others
The perception of eye contact differs by
culture. For most Americans…
Staring makes other people uncomfortable
Lack of eye contact can make you appear weak or
not trustworthy
Glasses may interfere or enhance eye contact
What message are you sending if you are looking at
other things and people in a room when someone
is speaking to you?
Body language -territory
Territoryfocuses on how you use
space. It is also called proxemics.
The perception of territory differs by culture.
Most Americans are comfortable with an
individual space that is about an arm’s length
in diameter
What message are you sending if you keep moving
closer to a person who is backing away from you?
Body language -tone
Toneis a factor of your voice
Pitch is the highness or lowness of voice
Volume is how loud your voice is
Emphasis is your inflection
What message are you sending if during a
disagreement you start speaking very loudly?
Body language -time
Timefocuses on how you use time.
It is also called chronemics.
Pace is how quickly you speak
Response is how quickly you move
Punctuality is your timeliness
What message are you sending if you are
consistently late for meetings?
Ideas to walk away with…
People are always communicating
The meaning intended by the sender is
never exactly the message gotten by
the receiver
We can help to overcome barriers to
communication by being aware of them
Verbal and non-verbal communication is
important in sending our messages
Test yourself…
1. Communication is defined as the interchange of thoughts or
opinions through shared symbols.
True___ False___
2. The four facets of interpersonal communication are sender,
receiver, information, and behavior.
True___ False___
3. Unclear process; chain of command; large size of an
organization or geographic distance; personal limitations;
human nature; conflicting feelings, goals, opinions; and
power are examples of barriers to communication.
True___ False___
Test yourself
4. Describe the steps of the SHAREmodel for giving good
information –share, highlight, assure, react, emphasize:
5. Describe the steps of the FOCUSmodel for getting good
information –focus, open end, close end, use, summarize:
6. Describe the steps of the STATEmodel for giving constructive
feedback –state, tell, address, tender, express:
7. Describe the the six aspects of non-verbal communication (body
language):
Test yourself… -answers
1. Communication is defined as the interchange of thoughts or
opinions through shared symbols.
True
2. The four facets of interpersonal communication are sender,
receiver, information, and behavior.
True
3. Unclear process; chain of command; large size of an
organization or geographic distance; personal limitations;
human nature; conflicting feelings, goals, opinions; power are
examples of barriers to communication.
True
Test yourself… -answers
4.The steps of the SHAREmodel for giving good information are:
Statethe main point of your message
Highlightother important points
Assurethe receiver’s understanding
Reactto how the receiver responds
Emphasize/summarize your main ideas
5. The steps of theFOCUSmodel for getting good information are:
Focusthe discussion on the specific information you need
Open-endquestion to expand the discussion
Close-endquestion to get specifics
Use active listening skills to understand what you are hearing
Summarizeand close the discussion
Test yourself… -answers
6. The steps of the STATEmodel for constructive feedback are:
Statethe constructive purpose of your feedback
Tell specifically what you have observed
Addressand describe your reactions
Tenderspecific suggestions for improvement
Expressyour support for the person
7. The the six aspects of non-verbal communication (body language):
Face–expressions, smile, tilt of head
Figure–posture, demeanor, gestures, dress
Focus–eye contact
Territory–use of space
Tone–voice pitch, volume, emphasis
Time–the use time
Apply what you’ve learned
When you started this program we asked you
to consider some questions. Let’s wrap up:
What new things did you learn about interpersonal
communication?
Did you meet your learning goals for this
program?
Did you meet your supervisor’s expectations, if
any, for participation in this training?
How will you be able to apply your learning on the
job?
What’s next?
We hope you have enjoyed this program as an
overview of the basic verbal and non-verbal
communication skills needed in the workplace.
The Professional Development Program offers
classroom sessions on this and other topics which
include numerous individual and group exercises to
enhance your learning.
Please visit our web site http://uhr.rutgers.edu/profdev
to enroll or obtain more information.