Interpersonal communication involves the sending and receiving of messages between two or more people through various channels. It includes verbal and nonverbal forms of communication. Effective interpersonal communication requires listening skills, assertiveness, and the ability to ask effective questions. Developing strong interpersonal communication skills is important for working well with others, resolving conflicts, building relationships, and achieving goals in both professional and personal contexts.

1. INTERPERSONAL
COMMUNICATION

2. INTER PER SONAL COMMUNICA TION
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 Process of sending and receiving information between two or more people
 Types of Interpersonal Communication
• Dyadic communication (two people)
• Public speaking
• Small-group communication
 Basic elements
 Communication channels
• Direct channels: obvious, under control of sender
• Verbal (spoken or written) or Non-verbal (colour, sound, controlled
body movements)
• Indirect channels: recognized subliminally, subconsciously, not under
direct control of the sender
• Body Language

3. INTER PER SONAL COMMUNICA TION :
W HA T FOR ?
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• Gaining Information about other individual
• For interacting more effectively
• Better prediction about how they think, feel, and act
• How? Passively (by observing them), Actively (having others
engage them) or Interactively (engaging them ourselves)
• Better Understanding others
• Words can mean very different things depending on how they are
said or in what context
• What and how are sent simultaneously, and both affect the
meaning
• Establishing Identity
• Roles we play and public self-image we present
• Interpersonal Needs
• Inclusion, Control and Affection

4. INTERPERSONAL CONFLICT
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 Expressed struggle between at least two interdependent parties
who perceive incompatible goals, scarce resources, and interference
from the other party in achieving their goals
 Important concepts in definition:
• The two sides must communicate about the problem
• Often involves perceptions
 Common Problems:
• Avoiding conflict: damaging, greater problems in the future
• Individuals blaming other individuals
• Adopting a win-lose strategy

5. INTERPERSONAL
COMMUNICATION
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We are going to explicitly work
on
• Effective Listening
• “You have two ears and one mouth.
I suggest that you use them in that
proportion”
• Assertiveness
• “Too many of us fail to fulfill our
needs because we say no rather
than yes, or perhaps later in life, yes
when we should say no”
• Effective Questioning
• “Only the crystal-clear question
yields a transparent answer”

6. EFFECTIVE LISTENING: ACTIVE
LISTENING
 Communication = Speaking & Listening = good speaking and effective listening
skills
 Difference between Hearing & Listening?
 Effective Listening Tips
• Make an effort to block out outer distractions.
• Resist the urge to day dream.
• Try to understand and correctly interprete body language.
• Pay attention to tone also, as it is vital to the correct interpretation of the
message.
• Have an open mind. Try not to make judgments about the speaker or the
message.
• Don't hesitate to ask and clarify (do not interrupt, jot questions down)
• Big mistake: being preoccupied on what you want to say.
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7. ASSERTIVE COMMUNICATION
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 Appropriately direct communication, open and honest, and clarifies one’s needs to the
other person
 Natural to some, but skill that can be learned
 Greatly reduces the level of interpersonal conflict, reducing a major source of stress
 Features of assertive people:
• assume the best about others and respect themselves,
• think “win-win” and try to compromise
 In contrast, individuals behaving aggressively
• tend to employ disrespectful, manipulative or abusive tactics
• make negative assumptions about motives of others
• don’t think of the other person’s point of view at all
• win at the expense of others, and
• create unnecessary conflict

8. E FFE CTIVE QUE STIONING TE CHNIQUES
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 Open Questions (what, why, how):
long answers
• Developing an open
conversation
• Finding our more detail
• Finding out the other person's
opinion or issues
 Close Questions: short answers, yes
or no.
• For Gathering facts, testing your
understanding or the other
person's
• Concluding a discussion or
making a decision
• Frame setting
• Misplaced closed question: kill
the conversation, awkward
silences
 Funnel Questions
• Start with general questions, then
focus on a point in each answer, and
ask more and more detail at each
level
• Tip: start with closed questions and
progress to open ones
 Good for:
• Finding out more detail about a
specific point
• Gaining the interest or increasing the
confidence of the person you are
with
 Rhetorical Questions
• An answer is not expected, they are
statements phrased in question form
• For engaging the listener

9. EFFECTIVE QUESTIONING TECHNIQUES
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 Probing Questions
• Strategy for finding out
more detail
• Tip: ask ‘Why?’ And use
‘exactly’.
 Good for:
• Gaining clarification to
ensure you have the
whole story and that you
understand it thoroughly
• Drawing information
out of people who are
trying to avoid telling
you something
 Leading Questions
• That will lead the respondent in
your way of thinking
• To be used with care
• Can be seen as manipulative
and dishonest
 How:
• Phrasing the question so that
the "easiest" response is yes
• Adding personal appeal to
agree
• Choice between fixed options

10. E FFE CTIVE QUE STIONING TIPS FOR …
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Learning: Ask
open and closed
questions, and use
probing
questioning
Relationship
building: Ask about
what they do or
enquire about their
opinions. In
affirmative way, ask
for opinions
Managing and coaching:
Rhetorical and leading
questions. Help reflect and
commit to suggested courses
of action
Avoiding misunderstandings: Use
probing questions to seek clarification,
particularly when the consequences are
significant
De-fusing a heated
situation: Calm a colleague
by using funnel questions to
get them to go into more
detail about their grievance
Persuading people: Open
questions will help others to
embrace the reasons behind
your point of view

11. INTERPERSONAL
COMMUNICATION
According to Petersen (2007), good communication is just as
important in business, family, and social life. Listening well matters
for coworkers, when intimacy is not the goal, but being able to
work together effectively is. It helps keep friendships vital and even
makes a difference in casual relationships where you merely want
ease (p. 4).
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12. Stewart (2009) defines interpersonal communication as the type
or kind of communication that happens when the people involved
talk and listen in ways that maximize the presence of the personal
(p. 33).
In the information age, we have to send, receive, and
process huge numbers of messages every day. But effective
communication is about more than just exchanging information.
Effective communication requires you to also understand the
emotion behind the information.
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13. Elements of Interpersonal Communication
The Communicators
• one-way process
• two-way processes
The Message
facial expressions, tone of
voice, gestures and body language
Noise
complicated jargon, inappropriate body
language, inattention, disinterest, and
cultural differences

14. Feedback
Feedback consists of messages the receiver returns, which allows the sender to
know how accurately the message has been received, as well as the receiver's
reaction.
Context
All communication is influenced by the context in which it takes place.
Channel
The channel refers to the physical means by which the message is transferred
from one person to another
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15. Four Principles of Interpersonal
Communication
Remember a basic principle of
communication in general: people are not
mind readers. Another way to put this is:
people judge you by your behavior, not your
intent.
Interpersonal communication is inescapable

16. Interpersonal communication is
irreversible
A Russian proverb says,
"Once a word goes out of
your mouth, you can never
swallow it again."

17. Interpersonal communication is
complicated
No form of communication is
simple. Because of the number
of variables involved, even
simple requests are extremely
complex.

18. Interpersonal communication is contextual
Communication does not happen in isolation
Psychological context, which is who
you are and what you bring to the
interaction. Your needs, desires,
values, personality, etc., all form the
psychological context. ("You" here
refers to both participants in the
interaction.)

19. Relational context, which concerns
your reactions to the other person--
the "mix."
Situational context deals with the
psycho-social "where" you are
communicating. An interaction that
takes place in a classroom will be very
different from one that takes place in a
bar.

20. Environmental context deals with the physical
"where" you are communicating. Furniture, location,
noise level, temperature, season, time of day, all are
examples of factors in the environmental context.
Cultural context includes all the learned
behaviors and rules that affect the interaction. If
you come from a culture (foreign or within your
own country) where it is considered rude to make
long, direct eye contact, you will out of politeness
avoid eye contact

21. Importance of Interpersonal Communication
Skills
Listening is a vital interpersonal
communication skill
Good interpersonal communication
skills enable us to work more effectively
in groups and teams
Interpersonal communication skills are
essential to developing other key life
skills

23. All about working with other people
An ability to get along with others while performing
the job
Characteristic traits like Manners, attitude, courtesy, habits,
behavior and appearance which helps us to communicate and
maintain relationship with others

24. The organizational
context of how
interpersonal skills are
used can be shown by the
vast number of
interpersonal interactions

25. Take the relationship viewpoint:
• Effective relationships within the
organization
• Effective relationships with
suppliers
• Effective relationships with
competitors

26. Internally
• In Teams
• Across Teams
• Within and between
departments and
business units

27. Externally
• With Suppliers
• With
Customers

28.  To gain real competitive advantage through such relationships in
the long term is dependent upon your level of interpersonal skills

29. • To Improve:
 Relationship  Productivity
 Working
Environment
 All Round Success
 Leadership Skills  Liking by Others

31. Interpersonal
Skills
Personality
Development
Leadership
Skills

32. While working in groups to
form effective teams
Socializing at work place
Presenting your self at work
Listening & Questioning
Giving or receiving feedback
Building & maintaining
relationships

33. Smile

34. Be Appreciative

35. Pay Attention

36. Practice Active Listening

37. Bring People Together

38. Resolve Conflicts

39. Communicate Clearly

40. Humor Them

41. Empathy/See It On Their Side