Interpersonal communication is a significant path that makes human interactions possible and what makes connections between people, their perceptions, and their understanding of the reality they deal with daily. Reflecting on perception in depth, being conscious of communication skills, and striving for cultural awareness, personalities can develop into social experts who know how to manage and prevent negative emotions and mental health issues.
Perception and Communication
The phenomenon is a striking feature of interpersonal communication as it plays a primary and a secondary role in shaping how we interact and build relationships. It covers the whole range of activities, starting from selecting and organizing the sensed information and the interpretation of this information to make sense of what we are surrounded with. Chapter 3 of the Interpersonal Communication text details the relationship between perception and communication, illustrating how they reshape first impressions and subsequent relationship developments.
Recalling a recent encounter where I formed a negative impression of someone upon first meeting them, I vividly remember a networking event where I encountered an individual who appeared standoffish and disinterested. Socializing with them, I find nothing in common. However, I tried to break the ice with the conversation; their cold answers and denunciation made me feel insecure and estranged, as explained by Stewart (2012). Looking back, it has become evident that what I saw about this particular individual was biased by the psychological attribution theory, which is all about the factors under which an individual’s behaviour is attributed to their internal dispositions or external circumstances. In this case, I am guilty of misjudgment, where I connected the individual’s appearance, which gave me an impression of a specific personality, to their mood. Thus, I could not avoid labeling them as either aloof or unfriendly. In the end, though, when one takes a closer look at fiction and imagines a made-up situation, it becomes apparent how wrong it is to attribute flaws and mistakes to looks and superficial opportunities, as explained by Solomon and Theiss (2022). Through visualizing that the individual was no less than carrying life Scopes and was overcome by negative emotions, a new kind of empathy was born, and the earlier present behavior that was key at this point of time was now being seen in a completely different light, i.e., humanely and sympathetically. By chance, maybe they might have been caught up in family issues or unable to bear the stress from their job, which raised the barrier for them to join in the social life.
By getting acquainted with the roots of such behavior and their possible background reasons, we become aware of a mode of perception different from how we previously understood the situation. This knowledge would have significantly affected my actions because I would have approached this interaction with patience, which is essential for effective communication (Stewart, 2012). Instead of misjudging their behavior by defining their traits, I would have had mercy and looked for authentic connection grounds. It becomes evident that cognitive changes here help develop empathy and provide the educational part of the problems in your interactions with people. Christianity teaches us to be sensitive and caring in relationships with others, like books from the Bible based on love and understanding. Hence, Christ’s commands are based on an awareness of the wide range of human emotions and allow for forgiveness, notwithstanding the complex nature of interactions.
By practicing empathy outlined by humility, we create genuine personal relationships that show Jesus’ love for one another. Through this approach, the usual communication dynamics are seen to outgrow themselves, and favorite friendships are built on every person’s unique understanding of others (Solomon & Theiss, 2022). By engaging empathy and holding off rash decisions, we expose the actuality of compassion we need, not only in our communication with others but also in perceiving the inherent dignity of every human being.
Finally, perception is a foundation stone of interaction in interpersonal relationships, embracing how we feel and interact with each other in a deep sense. By realizing that we, too, make the mistakes of quick conclusions and, therefore, through demonstration of empathy, we can grow into nurturing relationships built on understanding and mercy (Stewart, 2012). As Christians, integrating Christ’s precepts of love and compassion in our daily lives motivates us with gentle and humble hearts, encouraging us to establish relationships as a bridge that brings us closer to God’s love and grace.
Self-Reflection and Communication Skills
Self-reflection is the foundation that supports personal growth, especially when implementing one’s communication skills among people. The section of the Interpersonal Communication textbook evokes a self-reflective process that allows one to assess one’s strong and weak communication areas. This process is a source of revelation because people come out fully aware of how they deal with each other, making room for improved interactions.
What do you identify as your two most significant strengths in the area of communication? First, explain what the communication strength is and illustrate each of these strengths by a specific personal example.
Reflecting on my communication skills, I discern two significant strengths: listening skills and mental health. Devoting attentive attention, which distinguishes interactive listening, to the speaker guarantees the richness of communication. Not only in social life but at work, I find it essential to be a good listener. Thus, I always try to understand others’ points of view and support them by validating their experiences.
One of the recent situations in which my active listening skills were at work occurred during a team meeting when I heard my colleague worried about a new project. I did not rush to give them my solutions or make them feel silly for their doubts; I just paused and listened. Answering at the beginning and reiterating their proposal at the end showed that I understood the speaker and sympathized with their claims. My sentence demonstrated opening up to their concerns and validating their viewpoint, which helped create a conducive, peaceful platform that favored dialogue and collaboration. This situation highlights the role of active listening to support positive interpersonal relations and serve the purpose of expressive communication. Further, I find myself very well-equipped for successfully managing my emotions, which is appropriate even during arguments and conflicts, as it is among others’ strengths from a communication perspective. Feelings are an integral component of interpersonal conversations, conveying true thoughts and the means of staying connected. In dealing with conflicts, I aim to articulate my opinions peacefully and fairly while ensuring that I do not drain the other person verbally. This should lead to constructive resolutions without deteriorating the relationship.
What do you identify as the two most significant areas you need to work on? Again, specifically, explain why you feel these are problematic and illustrate each weakness with an example.
Two of the most significant areas I need to work on is my assertiveness and boundary correctness. Even though I know the criticality of telling and understanding my needs and the fact that I also know that setting boundaries correctly is very necessary, it is hard sometimes for me to push my agenda. This unwillingness arises from both responding against clash or disapproval and switching the first step to the feeling of harmony to personal well-being. Through an illustrative example from my job, I know better how to cope with stress. Facing abundant duties, I feel overwhelmed because I have a hard time holding back from pleasing or giving in to requests made by my co-workers. Although sometimes these boundaries seem like I am straining, I do not say anything to express my limitations, afraid of judgment or criticism. Tracing back this step-by-step style limits my clout, resulting in a vicious cycle of inadequacy and overstressing. Hence, I need to manage my refusal to take advantage better.
Discuss a possible cultural bias or prejudice you have. Explain what it is and how it might affect your ability to communicate effectively with those of that cultural orientation
Cultural biases and prejudice also affect interpersonal relationships as they are the factors affecting our perceptions and how we respond to people from various cultures. Identifying and debunking one’s prejudice is crucial for developing an impartial speaking ambiance. I reflected on how I unintentionally pre-formed a prejudice against certain cultural groups. In my homogeneous neighborhood, the diversity of cultures and different opinions were the scarcest goods, but they were the central problems in my mind. There is no way that this inequality could be buttoned up in a simple word because it only plants seeds of bias and discrimination, which I may be instinctively influenced by interacting with people from underprivileged or marginalized groups. To prevent cultural bias in communication, I am devoted to pursuing cultural humility practice and getting in touch with the concept of cultural competency. The objective of this is to address the preconceptions and thereby try to see things from different perspectives, which will directly lead to respecting diversity as one aspect that makes us human. This nature of a powerful message emphasizes the necessity of the mud process and reflection to achieve equitable and respectful interpersonal communications.
In summary, self-reflection supports personal growth by stimulating the development of interpersonal communication as a catalyst. Through this process, people discover both their practical communication approaches and the techniques that might be improved; this personal understanding allows for self-awareness and empathy development. By working on sharing messages and exposure, people can gain more communication skills for inclusiveness as well as fight unfairness, leading to a culture of empathy and understanding.
Develop three interpersonal communication goals you would like to set for yourself during this course. Identify each goal and then explain in specific, concrete, and measurable ways how you intend to begin working on each of those goals.
Creating measurable objectives is essential in cultivating relationships and improving communication skills. It makes perfect sense to define specific goals in terms of a project’s various phases or stages and how to approach them. Setting interpersonal communication goals and encouraging interpersonal communication skills are crucial aspects of individuals’ personal and professional development, which assist them in navigating interactions more successfully. When I started this course, I mentioned three objectives that I wanted to focus on to help me grow and enrich my bond with others.
The first aim I intend to follow is to increase my ability to express my needs and set borders. While being so, my communication style consists of the tip of the iceberg: I try to avoid conflict situations and feel uncomfortable pushing my own needs. To counter this obstacle, I plan to employ the concept of assertiveness, which involves an “I” statement and drawing clear boundaries. Assertiveness is crucial for efficient communication since it is an intermediary through which individuals present their thoughts, emotions, and needs fearlessly and with regard. Via refining my assertiveness skills, I plan to develop self-advocacy and, thus, pursue self-care in social relationships. Accepting oneself and others is essentially achieved by emphasizing recognizing and respecting one’s boundaries as well as the limits of others (Govindaraju, 2021). One plan I prepare is to increase the usage of “I” statements, which entails expressing thoughts and emotions precisely and without confrontation. For instance, instead of stating, “You always interrupt me during the meetings,” I could say, “I get upset about being interrupted during meetings because it disturbs me mentally.” Communicating my feelings clarifies my view of the matter without tying others to a bad mood.
Secondly, it is essential to establish clear boundaries since, in case of failure, interpersonal relationships might be harmed, and burnout may occur. I set myself a goal to be able to do so in both a personal and professional context; I will start communicating the boundaries assertively and effectively. It could take the form of refusing the extra burden whenever I am too preoccupied and asking for concrete personal space and time (Braithwaite et al., 2021). The next second goal is to emphasize the competency of culture. As we live in a time of embracing diversity, comprehending and acknowledging different cultures and life experiences is essential for building a new world based on cultural differences (Xie & Derakhshan, 2021). Besides that, I view my personal cultural competency development as a never-ending process. Thus, I would like to explore various resources and engage in cross-cultural discussions to be more open-minded.
This mission directs the process of cultural humility, which demonstrates admitting that there are limitations in one’s artistic point of view and being receptive to learning from others. I will delve into books, films, or online content that give me a signal about people’s lives and cultures. Furthermore, I will aim to find the time and place to talk with people of different cultures, learn from their stories, and listen to their points of view. Promoting and valuing cultural diversity is intended to create cultural communication contexts that may lead to mutual respect and understanding among nations. This means going against the stereotypes and breaking the chains of bias, appreciating the varieties of prevailing cultural ideas, and upholding individuals for the distinctive input they have.
Thirdly, I decided to have a trusted audience member enact the role of an acquaintance while I debated with him to present people with public speaking scenarios in the subsequent sessions. We might have tension in interpersonal relations, which is normal. That is why one should know how to manage conflicts to ensure that the relationship remains healthy. To smooth over discord with disputes more efficiently, I plan to form and use tools to address conflicts and facilitate their resolution.
Active is one of the most essential features of conflict resolution because it requires listening to the other person carefully, including their opinions and feelings. I will polish my active listening skills by mastering reflective listening strategies, including paraphrasing and chronicling others’ points of view. Knowing the reasons behind the dissenting parties will help me to understand the interests and concerns of the parties. It will pave the way for effective dialogue where better alternatives and solutions can be generated. Again, I also intend to use pragmatic problem-solving methods, which involve all the stakeholders joining hands to find a moral solution to the problems. That may be an exemplification to brainstorm solutions, take other perspectives, and consider compromise options. I want to produce a cooperative way of dealing with conflicts to secure excellent, long-lasting results and improve individual relationships.
In conclusion, interpersonal communication is a complex amalgam of the lens of perception, self-reflection, and cultural awareness. By exploring the impact of viewpoint on the communication process, identifying personal communicative competencies, and drawing performance plans for the future, people improve their interpersonal relations by showing empathy, sincerity, and respect. By studying more continuously and improving ourselves, we can create communication environments that may be all-embracing and appreciate every single person’s value and worth, thus consciously indicating the transformative role of good interpersonal relationships.
References
Braithwaite, D. O., Schrodt, P., & Phillips, K. E. (2021). Introduction: Meta-theory and theory in interpersonal communication research. In Engaging theories in interpersonal communication (pp. 1-23). Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003195511-1/introduction-dawn-braithwaite-paul-schrodt-kaitlin-phillips
Govindaraju, V. (2021). A review of social cognitive theory from the perspective of interpersonal communication. Multicultural Education, 7(12), 1-5. http://ijdri.com/me/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/54.pdf
Stewart J. (2012). Bridges not walls : a book about interpersonal communication. New York, N.Y.: Mcgraw-Hill.
Solomon, D., & Theiss, J. (2022). Interpersonal communication: Putting theory into practice. Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781351174381/interpersonal-communication-denise-solomon-jennifer-theiss
Xie, F., & Derakhshan, A. (2021). A conceptual review of positive teacher interpersonal communication behaviors in the instructional context. Frontiers in psychology, 12, 708490. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.708490/full
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