Category: Communication

Personal Context

Communication is a fundamental aspect of peoples lives as it guarantees successful cooperation and the ability to achieve particular goals. For this reason, it is vital to be able to select an appropriate strategy that depends on the context and use it to guarantee that people will understand you. For instance, persuasive personal communication differs from professional or academic ones because of the peculiarities of the context. Speaking with your friends or close people, a person is not obliged to follow a code of politeness or official style as this sort of relations presupposes the adherence to models accepted between two close people and familiar to them. For this reason, the persuasive communication in the personal context might mean avoidance of extra explanations or the background needed to justify a request or issue that should be discussed.

An example of this sort of communication is a social media post. For instance, I needed specific equipment to make my presentation related to a project. I just posted a message asking who has this very device and can give it to me for several days. It means that all my followers, or friends, comprised the intended audience. Because of the informal or personal context, I was able to avoid long explanations or use of a specific tone (Stiff & Mongeau, 2016). The purpose of the given communicative act was to attract attention to my particular request and check if my friends can help to fulfill it. The adherence to this model helped to save time and achieve the goal in short terms, which can be considered one of the central advantages of the personal context.

Professional Context

For the professional contexts, the model described above cannot be applied as it presupposes different communication patterns and ways to convey the main message. First of all, the use of informal language is not appropriate because of the existence of hierarchical relations between employees and managers, and the need to observe a certain code of cooperation to avoid conflicts or misunderstandings. Second, persuasive communication in the professional environment presupposes different target audiences, which means they need to select new strategies to achieve desired goals (Stiff & Mongeau, 2016). It might include the need for a detailed explanation of a request or proposal to guarantee that people will understand the background and the central purpose and be ready to accept the offered idea, policy, or course of action. Subordination or specific relations with an interlocutor also impact the choice of words and styles that can be employed.

An appropriate example of persuasive communication in the professional context is a letter to a person who has a superior position. For instance, there is a letter of an employee to a top manager to reveal the existing problem with the software. The target audience includes the management of the company as this message can also be demonstrated to other specialists to guarantee the appropriate resolution of the problem. Considering the peculiarities of this group and the context in general, formal means of communication are preferred as they ensure the absence of biases or misunderstandings (Stiff & Mongeau, 2016). For this reason, the email to a boss should be composed using the existing rules and basics of professional communication. Only by observing these rules, it is possible to achieve a particular goal and guarantee that the message will be conveyed to employees.

Academic Context

Speaking about the academic context, effective persuasive communication has its own peculiarities that differentiate it from personal and professional ones. First of all, it is vital to use clear, precise, and concise language when reflecting on the selected issue or investigating it (Stiff & Mongeau, 2016). As against personal contexts, informal phrases or emotional speech is prohibited for this sort of communication. Additionally, there is a need to state a clear claim and prove it by using credible evidence that is collected from relevant resources. It means that for the academic environment, the appropriate choice of persuasive strategy becomes more important than for other cases as it preconditions outcomes and the ability of a speaker to convey the main message to the audience (Stiff & Mongeau, 2016). Finally, persuasive academic communication presupposes the readiness to debate and justify some disputable issues by providing different perspectives on them and trying to understand all aspects related to the question.

Thus, a persuasive essay that revolves around current problems peculiar to families can be considered a perfect example of communication in an academic context. Its target audience includes readers that are interested in the problem or authorities that should be informed about the current state of the issue. For this reason, to achieve the central purpose of the paper, it is important to provide credible data to support leading assumptions and avoid biased judgments. At the same time, the use of formal, neutral, and concise language is also essential for the given type of communication as it ensures that all ideas provided in the paper will be understood by the audience. Finally, it is vital to consider all existing perspectives on the problem to create a complete image of the discussed aspect and attain success in promoting the outlined change.

Teamwork

Finally, the importance of communication can be evidenced by its significant role in promoting effective collaboration and teamwork. One of the central difficulties associated with working in teams is the lack of understanding between their members and the inability to discuss ideas effectively. For this reason, the choice of appropriate communicative patterns should be impacted by the current needs of groups and their problems. For instance, it is vital to encourage creativity as one of the ways to generate new ideas and, at the same time, avoid using biased judgments or inappropriate language to discuss different offerings or ideas (Johnson, 2010). The adherence to this paradigm can help to improve the outcomes and guarantee that a team will function as an aligned mechanism and avoid conflicts. This example also proves the critical importance of communication for different contexts as the employment of effective strategies helps to achieve enhanced results.

Conclusion

Altogether, the choice of communication strategies critically depends on the context. Personal, professional, and academic environments have their own unique features that differentiate them. For instance, it is allowed to use informal language when talking to friends. At the same time, in emails to top managers, it is vital to use a formal tone and clearly indicate the purpose and goal of the message. As for the academic context, concise language, along with the provision of facts about a certain issue, can guarantee the achievement of success and the improved discussion of a particular problem. These differences demonstrate the need for the correct choice of communicative style regarding the context and the purpose of cooperation.

References

Johnson, S. (2010). Where good ideas come from [Video file].

Stiff, J., & Mongeau, P. (2016). Persuasive communication (3rd ed.). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

Introduction

Creating a safe and welcoming environment for all participants is one of the core requirements for positive and productive communication. However, in some settings, achieving the goal of peaceful opinion and knowledge sharing becomes especially challenging due to the collision of perspectives, beliefs, and other cultural characteristics of individuals involved. Therefore, understanding the core of the conflict and introducing a strategy targeted specifically at assisting in managing the observed issue is necessary. Though the U-Curve Model might seem a simplistic framework for handling the instances of culture clashes, it represents a useful conflict management tool in the target setting due to the opportunity for participants to readjust promptly and continue collaborating.

Intercultural Communication Situation: Description

The situation under analysis can be described as manageable due to the comparatively strong intent to collaborate with participants, who are bound by a common goal of learning. Specifically, the target setting represents an online environment where students must collaborate, participate in discussions, and take an active part in group projects in order to advance their skills. Since the teacher supervises the target setting remotely, the extent of control that the teacher can exert over the learners and their interactions is curbed significantly (Viol & Klasen, 2021). On the one hand, the specified change suggests that learners are provided with an opportunity to become more independent in their academic development. Specifically, they are provided with an opportunity to make choices and their own judgments while relying on the framework provided by the educator, which enables them to gain agency in learning and become confident in their academic exploration.

However, the described situation also implies that students are not guided by an educator fully and, therefore, are forced to manage specific issues, including interpersonal ones, independently. Given the extent of cultural diversity that the digital environment provides, predicting every possible path in which the interactions between students may evolve, is practically impossible, which means that conflicts will occur and consume the time needed for students to build the required literacy skills (Harris et al., 2021). Specifically, in the scenario in question, ethnic and racial minority students, particularly, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, as well as those of Middle Eastern descent, have reported to be subjected to racism, specifically, online harassment and bullying. The specified behavior has been taking place during the tasks requiring one-on-one interactions, specifically, dialogues and small projects. The observed issue occurred in multiple forms, including mocking the minority students traditions, manner of speech, ideas, and their overall worldview. The described behavior is entirely inadmissible in the academic context, which is why bullies must be provided with an important lesson in tolerance and acceptance of other cultures.

Intercultural Communication Strategy Discussion

In order to address the problem described above, the U-Curve Model has been selected. The model in question, which represents a framework for cultural adjustment, suggests that people undergoing the process of adjusting to a different culture typically pass through four essential stages. These include Honeymoon, Hostility, Humor, and At Home phases (Martin & Nakayama, 2018). The stages above imply that, when encountering a different culture, one is likely to start with feeling the excitement of exploration (Honeymoon) (Martin & Nakayama, 2018). In the scenario described above, the enthusiasm with which the participants were about to share their ideas can be described as the Honeymoon phase.

However, as soon as differences and discrepancies in personal beliefs and perceptions are discovered, the period of Hostility, namely, the development of animosity, disdain, and alienation, is launched. In the target setting, members of the Pacific Islanders and Middle Eastern communities faced bullying from their American peers due to the differences in perceptions and attitudes toward specific issues, as well as the lack of familiarity with the essential elements of American mainstream culture and media. Currently, the relationships between the learners have been looped at the Hostility stage, causing the participants to be divided into bullies and victims (Fakir, 2018). Since the conversation between them is looped into a perpetual restatement of the same discriminatory ideas, the situation exacerbates as the lack of mutual understanding and the unwillingness to compromise increase.

For the relationships between the target audiences to improve, allowing them to transfer to the third stage of the U-Curve Model, specifically, the Humor phase, a conflict management technique for promoting the values associated with tolerance and acceptance will be required. In the specified context, the concept of humor might seem as derisive and invalidating to the experiences of the bullied students; however, it is vital in changing the dynamics of relationships within the group (Sun et al., 2020). Specifically, in the described case, humor should be used as a tool for uniting the participants instead of alienating those belonging to minority groups. In other words, the elements of humor and lightheartedness must be injected into the conversation so that learners from the culturally dominant group do not approach misunderstandings as the source for ridiculing their peers and bullying them. Instead, the students will be taught to view misconceptions and differences in opinions, preferences, and tastes as the source of opportunities for learning about other cultures and developing strong connections with members of said cultures.

It is believed that the humor phase will allow creating a basis for changes in the learners concept of cross-0cultural interactions, in general. Namely, they are expected to develop an understanding of other cultures as unique and legitimate, their difference from the U.S. one being the source of inspiration and a premise for active knowledge and experience sharing. Thus, students will learn to produce new and fascinating ideas at the intersection of their cultures. Furthermore, the incorporation of the third phase of the U-Model will support the learners experiencing bullying by helping them overcome their victim status and build strength and resilience.

Finally, the At Home stage is expected to be achieved once the participants reconcile, and the bullies make the necessary amends. The At Home stage will help the learners that have experienced harassment and discomfort to recover from the negative experiences and build relationships anew, overcoming the prejudice. By offering the minority students a strategy for managing conflicts effectively and retaining their confidence, one will be able to support them in confronting bullying and discrimination, while also gaining critical insight about the target culture.

Conclusion

Though the U-Curve Model as a framework for managing intercultural communication and minimizing the threat and impact of cross-cultural conflicts might seem simplistic, it provides a fast and effective way of channeling the communication process toward reconciliation and collaboration. Moreover, it serves to establish a pattern according to which participants will model their future interactions with members of other cultures. Therefore, the framework should be viewed as a potent solution for the specified conflict, as well as a crucial learning opportunity for the students.

References

Fakir, M. S. I. (2018). Intercultural adaptation strategies to culture shock of international students in China: A case study. International Journal of Business and Management, 13(2), 28-33.

Harris, R., Noël Alton, D., Ferro, D., Herrmann, S., & Peckenpaugh, K. (2021). Combatting culture shock. Weber State University Press.

Martin, J. N., & Nakayama, T. K. (2018). Intercultural communication in contexts (7th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.

Sun, K., Yossuck, P., Panyadee, C., & Ek-lem, B. (2020). The process of Chinese students cross-cultural adaptation and their main difficulties encountered while studying in the Upper Northern Thai Universities. Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences Studies, 343-372.

Viol, C. U., & Klasen, S. (2021). U-Curve, squiggly lines or nothing at all? Culture shock and the Erasmus experience. Frontiers: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, 33(3), 1-28.

Introduction

The discussion centered around how times are switching for the 21st-century workforce, with Millennials and Gen X now being the largest group of workers and women taking the lead in business more than ever before. Millennials and Generation X have become the majority of workers. The involvement of diverse generations and genders able to work beside each other in associations and offices can frequently result in cultural miscommunications between the parties involved. The discussion focused on developing different approaches to bridging socio-cultural discrepancies and acknowledging the social stigma associated with different generations in the workplace.

Discussion

Every generation possesses characteristics that are distinct from the previous generation. Each group has its values and beliefs, often shaped by life experiences, notwithstanding how generations communicate. The world has evolved from phone calls to emails, texts, and the use of simple emoticons. At work, Millennials and Generation Xers communicate in very different ways. However, Individuals may presume this concept as a minor difference. Communication is the exchange of concepts, thoughts, or knowledge between individuals. Communication has progressed; however, communicating at work can be complicated by insinuations, showdowns, and vindictiveness on the part of others. Learning to navigate generational divisions in society can help reduce workplace communication confrontations (Pelta). Communication is critical in all aspects of life. Although every generation has preferred communication methods, intergenerational communication is not always inefficient. A little extended communication might go a fair way toward preventing more significant communication problems.

Men and women communicate differently, using their specific patterns for conveying information. Female communication is often perceived as being more subtly ambiguous and emotionally charged than male communication. A direct, concise, and instrumental communication style is seen in men. Females are better at building rapport that stimulates response due to their capacity for empathy and connecting with others. Unlike men, womens communication style reflects their desire to belong. Age is a factor, thereby contributing to Gen Xers being open to new technology (Buleen). Generation Y is perhaps best prepared to embrace new communication methods. Younger generations have grown up with constant technological advancements, making new connectivity techniques more logical.

Effective workplace communication is critical to business success, but we accept it as usual. One can quickly lose sight of the economic benefits of face-to-face communication when bombarded with emails in todays digital age. But effective interaction has been shown to increase workplace efficiency and foster positive working relationships, so it is worth paying attention to how you interact with others. The key technique I have learned is to own my mistakes. Top employees should be accountable for their actions and admit when they could have done better. By admitting your mistakes, you show other employees you are human. Using this tip to make the workplace more enjoyable and less stressful can help a team bond. Quality, budget control, and client satisfaction is also improved. Finally, Workplace cohesion occurs when coworkers become a second family.

Conclusion

In conclusion, effective communication is a critical strategic assessment in any organizations management structure. The sole purpose of the communication is to inform employees of current proposals, prepare them for a particular change in policies, ensure employee safety all throughout the institution, or hear their opinions. Effective communication is an essential component of the successful functioning of an organization. Entities that want to be productive must have inclusive strategies and tactics for communicating with their constituents, employees, stakeholders, and the general public.

Works Cited

Buleen, Chad. How Do Age Differences Affect Business Communication? smallbusiness.chron.com, Web.

Pelta, Rachel. Breaking Barriers: Communication Gaps Between Generations in the Workplace. Web.

Introduction

Effective interpersonal communication is a critical component evidenced in a failure to communicate. The two individuals present in the video face a myriad of communication problems. While many people do not have good skills in this sector, developing them can boost ones communication capacity. Interpersonal communication is an integral part of the development and a necessary component of peaceful existence.

Miscommunication Instances in A Failure to Communicate

Communication is a critical component evidenced in a failure to communicate. The young Muslim girl has a problem communicating by rushing without discerning if the woman she speaks to understands her. It is crucial to note that people may have different languages (Bevan, 2020). The woman in the video requires a communication device to understand people that have covered their mouths (Legrand, 2011). The Muslim girl is bound by religion to maintain her face covering. Additionally, the video illustrates the effect of ones environment in mitigating proper communication. The train passing by limits the young girls potential to talk with the deaf woman until her communication device dies.

Basic Principles of Effective Interpersonal Communication

Effectiveness dictates that a person can gain what they need from any interaction. Achieving a collective meaning with others so that each party understands the encoded message includes various intentions or goals within the interaction (Bevan, 2020). Appropriateness is another crucial principle of interpersonal communication. It involves considering the norms, expectations, and rules in any interaction.

It is crucial to note the characters in the video take responsibility for their behavior. For instance, the young Muslim girl does not defend her actions after realizing the woman she spoke to was deaf. The woman has excellent communication skills as she can either read lips or use a device to communicate with others. In this instance, she shows empathy for others preferences, where the Muslim girl cannot remove her hijab to talk (Legrand, 2011). Therefore, the situation would have worked well if the communications device did not shut down. After the device died, the young girl showed proper communication skills using gestures and shared meanings to communicate with the woman. Nonetheless, it is prudent to discern the woman may not communicate using the same language and gestures as the young girl. She may have trouble recognizing the young girls depiction of a valley, indicating a major barrier to effective communication. Additionally, the characters listen and evaluate the message before responding. While the communication begins roughly, the two characters do not interrupt one another and communicate well despite the barrier involved.

Shannon-Weavers model of communication illustrates that noise may come from the background. The deaf woman in the video uses a communication device affected by any sound, including it in the translation (Legrand, 2011). It is crucial to determine that noise in this instance is unavoidable. For instance, the Muslim girl cannot remove her face covering, limiting the deaf womans ability to interpret her words without the communications device. In this way, the best way to overcome noise would be for the woman to ensure the devices charge can last for as long as she needs it outside the home.

Conclusion

Conclusively, effective interpersonal communication is a major component of any good system and requires honing to eliminate issues. The deaf woman and Muslim girl face various challenges but overcome them and effectively transmit information to one another despite major issues. Developing an effective system necessitates one to understand the environment and deal with noise while ensuring all parties remain grounded in the narrative to prevent communication from breaking down.

References

Bevan. (2020). Introduction to Interpersonal Communication. Zovio.

Legrand, T. (2011). A Failure to Communicate. 

The Impact of Culture on Communication

Communication is an integral component of interaction, and without proper communication, people cannot express their feelings, intentions, ideas, and thoughts effectively. There are different factors that affect communication between groups or individuals. As such, cultural difference is one of the key factors that affect communication (DeVito, 2019). Different people across the globe have different cultural backgrounds and practices that influence how they relate and relay information to one another.

Culture can be described as the traits, strong beliefs, norms, traditions, and values that a certain group of people holds to be true and acceptable. Therefore, culture can be passed from one generation to another. Inside particular cultures, there may be further subdivisions or subcultures depending on various factors like religion, ethnic composition, and social status. According to DeVito (2019), people who belong to a similar culture often have a common way of thinking, communicating their feelings, thoughts, and ideas verbally and non-verbally. Since culture is diverse, the dissimilarities can affect the level of an individuals confidence in communication when interacting with other cultures. Therefore, people should understand their cultural differences to be able to communicate effectively.

Cultural sensitivity is the ability to recognize other cultures and respect them while interacting with people from diverse cultural practices. There are various cultural sensitivity strategies that can be adopted while interacting with other cultures. Thus, some of the strategies that I would use to portray cultural sensitivity when working in the human service include seeking consent before touching or hugging the client to show respect for personal privacy regardless of the gender or age of the person. I would also adopt the strategy of using inclusive language rather than being personal in order to show respect. Additionally, before referring to a person in a specific, I would ask an individual to tell me their preferred pronoun so as to embrace the aspect of gender sensitivity. Besides, since different cultures may have different pronunciations, I would ask for the correct pronunciation whenever I am not sure. I will also take corrections positively and avoid being defensive as I endeavor to learn more about diverse cultures.

Orientation Assessment

While assessing my other orientation as a measure of self-awareness, I would say that I portray a high level of people-centered behavior. I always think about my environment and the people who surround me by being more considerate of their feelings, views, and opinions before I think of myself. For instance, at school, I help my colleagues out in comprehending assignments rather than just focusing on myself.

My greatest strength is my high listening skills. When communicating with others, I give them the chance to talk as I listen. I have overtime worked on my listening skills in order to help others whenever I can find solutions to their problems. I keenly take into consideration non-verbal cues that other people use in order to understand their feelings better. I also do my own research to understand the various cultures and the does and donts of the culture to ensure that I dont become offensive when communicating with other people from diverse cultures.

From the personal communication strengths, I can describe my strengths from various perspectives. For instance, my strength in listening puts me in a position of understanding others, be it in school or outside school. This enables me to view life from other perspectives. While listening, I do not listen to respond, but rather, I try to understand and then act upon comprehending. I believe that my strengths have helped me in providing solutions that are tailored toward peoples needs instead of acting without a clear understanding.

The areas that I would like to improve on include judging others after listening to them. Additionally, I would also like to get better when it comes to maintaining eye contact and paying attention to non-verbal expressions that people show while communicating. I will tirelessly work on my public speaking skills to improve my confidence.

Subsequently, an other-orientation attitude also enhances human service and interpersonal communication. For this reason, other-orientation can enable professionals in human service to make their clients more candid and happier during communication. Putting emphasis on other peoples perceptions improves communication and inspires confidence among clients, colleagues, or customers. Anderson (2017) asserts that having a strong other orientation can help professionals in human services to influence proficiency and strong personality. Therefore, possessing other-orientation approaches like recognizing the opinions and ideas of customers and allowing individuals to communicate their ideas liberally helps in enhancing interpersonal communication.

Relevant Resources

Serving clients entail several factors, such as culture and self-awareness, which are key to interactive communication. Cultural intelligence is critical in the day-to-day interaction with clients. This calls for acknowledging that people come from diverse cultures, respecting the cultures, and having good interpersonal communication that respects the cultural differences. Also, it means having self-awareness, knowing ones strengths and weaknesses, and then understanding how to use the strengths while communicating with others. Culture and self-awareness are not only critical when relating with others but also in decision-making.

Overall, through culture and self-awareness, professionals can acquire verbal and non-verbal communication skills to be applied during interaction with clients. Professionals also need to adopt verbal skills like simplicity strategy to make clients understand the complex words in their area of profession. Moreover, they should be aware of cultural differences and understand that words may have different meanings in various cultures. Finally, professionals need to use non-verbal cues, including facial expressions like smiling to convey joy and interest as well as nodding to affirm an action.

References

Anderson-Lain, K. (2017). Cultural Identity Forum: Enacting the Self-awareness Imperative in Intercultural Communication. Communication Teacher, 31(3), 131-136. Web.

DeVito, J. A. (2019). The Interpersonal Communication Book. Instructor, 1, 18. Web.

The importance of effective communication cannot be overstated, whether one is a worker or a manager. Like any other skill in life, good communication does not come naturally to many people, making them develop the skill through constant practice. People who have gained a reputation for being outstanding communicators share several characteristics. These characteristics, in turn, aim to achieve a single primary goal: to ensure that all people involved in a discussion feel equally heard, respected, and understood. In this essay, I will highlight three characteristics such as openness, friendliness, and expressiveness, and argue that they are critical for people to achieve effective communication and interpersonal success.

First and foremost, open-mindedness constitutes an essential component of effective communication. Since it demonstrates to the people around that the person is open to receiving dialogue from them and is willing to discuss whatever they wish. People are often drawn to talk with the person when they are more open and accepting in the communication process, subconsciously recognizing that the person does not judge themwhich makes them feel good about the interaction (Lewis, 2020). It all comes from recognizing that the person one is talking to has suggestions and ideas to share and discuss  and that every person in the world has value. Consequently, people must be open-minded enough to participate and be prevalent in the conversation. Therefore, people with characteristics like openness and open-mindedness are more successful in building effective communication and dealing with others for the best outcome.

Next, friendliness is a crucial communication skill because it allows others to receive the persons message more quickly. Along with customized messages, like wishing somebody a lovely afternoon, when communicating is an instance of implementing friendliness in the workplace (Eppler-Hattab et al., 2020). Having friendliness in ones behavior is critical for making ones personality more acceptable, trustworthy, and approachable. People make optimistic assumptions about those with a friendly nature/appearance/tone most of the time. Friendship is not limited to a single person. One can even form a friendly relationship with a stranger they encountered two days ago. A friendly person will not be hostile or make offensive remarks. Therefore, being compassionate and trying to maintain control in difficult situations is critical. Whether introverted or extroverted, if people are friendly, or at least try to be, they can still become successful in interpersonal relationships.

Finally, an effective relationship is built on honesty, and trust is required for an interaction to function and succeed. When one is always truthful with people, they know they can believe that person and what he or she says. It convinces them that they can rely on her commitments and assurances (Chaudhry & Wald, 2022). Honesty in communication means straightforwardly expressing the truth in writing, speech, and other nonverbal communication. Obtaining accurate and correct facts from a person is essential in the course of communication when deciding whether to continue interacting with that person. If what the person is saying is not credible or accurate, it will discourage other participants in the conversation from communicating.

To sum up, while a number of characteristics can encourage effective communication and achieve interpersonal success in dealing with people, the three qualities discussed above might be particularly critical. Even though some people are naturally born with such characteristics, they can be learned and developed. Hence, if one wants to sharpen their communication skills and gain more confidence in interactions with others, they have to focus on these skills in the first place.

References

Chaudhry, S. J., & Wald, K. (2022). Overcoming listener skepticism: Costly signaling in communication increases perceived honesty. Current Opinion in Psychology, 101442.

Eppler-Hattab, R., Meshoulam, I., & Doron, I. (2020). Conceptualizing age-friendliness in workplaces: Proposing a new multidimensional model. The Gerontologist, 60(1), 12-21.

Lewis Jr, N. A. (2020). Open communication science: A primer on why and some recommendations for how. Communication Methods and Measures, 14(2), 71-82.

Thesis statement

There is an opportunity to call or text friends in order to communicate with them, asking about something important or just inviting for a cup of tea while the choice depends on appropriateness, emotional aspect, and financial state.

We live in an era of information technology, the era of computers, mobile phones, and the Internet. For the most part, mobile phones are the most widely used gadgets. As a result, there is an opportunity to call or text friends in order to communicate with them, asking about something important or just inviting for a cup of tea while the choice depends on appropriateness, emotional aspect, and financial state.

Texting is universal and suitable compared to calling as it goes without saying that one cannot call the person at any time. The job, private life, rest  all this takes some of the time for each of us. Therefore, to make a call, one needs to take into account some peculiarities of the person he or she is calling.

For example, if you know that your friend is busy with work at the moment, you would probably, change your mind. Correspondingly, it makes sense to consider that sending a message is the better way of contacting him. It seems appropriate to consider some situations.

For example, you want to report some information like I will be in 6, Meet me at the entrance to the theater, then texting is the most suitable way of the issue resolution without distracting your friends from important matters.

Similarly, you have decided to call your friend early in the morning or late in the evening, but you suspect that he or she might be sleeping. How to check it for sure? Write a message. SMS melody can hardly wake your friend. Nevertheless, it is possible that you would have an answer.

The conversation is more emotional than texting. Written speech is devoid of emotional content that is extremely important for successful communication. The same text read with different emotional coloring is perceived quite differently.

Therefore, when it comes to some thin and controversial moments  it is better to call as the phrase that you believe neutral might be sometimes perceived by the interlocutor almost as swearing at him. After all, you cannot know the mood of your friend, and events preceded your message.

In addition, during the conversation by phone, you can have instant feedback and hear the reaction of your friend to your words having the opportunity to improve the situation immediately if needed. Consequently, it is better to call than to text at times.

Although you should be careful and not let emotions overwhelm yourself as in contrast to the Outlook or Gmail that allows canceling the letter that was already sent, there is no take it back button in the voice conversation.

Sending a message you save your money. Likewise, the Internet is the cheapest and the most common way of sharing information through the e-mail; texting performs the same function in a mobile network. According to Lenhart, text messaging is a key component of day-to-day friend interactions (7).

Indeed, Short Message Service is a very powerful tool with a variety of service functions. Moreover, you can save up to 90 percent compared to calling. In its turn, the saved money is the earned money  states the saying as well as the statement of a millionaire from the animated series of Duck Tales Scrooge Mc Duck: time is money.

Similarly, saving time is also rather a profitable thing. By contrast, calling is more expensive. In addition, one cannot answer the call for good reason, but would probably read the message due to the elementary curiosity.

In conclusion, both texting and calling friends and talking to them are significant, inevitable, and convenient nowadays. People should be careful with it in order to be polite and chose the proper way of communication according to the personal features of the interlocutor. However, talking to friends is more human as it involves voice conversation, emotions, and immediate feedback.

Works Cited

Lenhart, Amanda. Teens, Technology and Friendships. Pew Research Center. 06 Aug. 2015. Web. 09 Feb. 2016.

Introduction

In the past three decades, the development of technologies has allowed most the people in developed countries to constantly accessible for communications in one form or another. These digital channels include offline or online voice calls, video calls, and textual or voice messages. As such, the benefits of the latter tools are difficult to estimate as they revolutionized many spheres of peoples interaction, making it faster and more convenient. However, similarly to face-to-face conversations, digital communications necessitate a certain set of rules to achieve better information exchange effectiveness. Most of the norms of the former way of interaction are internalized during the socialization process. In contrast, due to their relative infancy, digital communications are still not governed by commonly shared norms. For this reason, businesses that seek success should apply the best digital communication practices to organize the work effectively.

The Best Digital Communication Practices to Organize the Work

Firstly, the research suggests that delivering non-urgent and non-essential information personally or through phone calls during the working day may be a better idea in terms of employee productivity. For example, previous studies indicate that most employees seek to keep their email boxes free of congestion and spend time sorting and deleting incoming messages (Stich et al., 2018). On the one hand, this leads to increased perceived information and work overload, negatively affecting employees psychological well-being (Jalagat, 2017). On the other hand, this activity interrupts workers from their current tasks. In this regard, it was found that the employees need approximately fifteen minutes to return to their duties after receiving a message (Stich et al., 2018). Conversely, personal communications or phone calls lack these shortcomings and thus should be preferred over emails or instant messages.

Moreover, the company managers should ensure that all of their employees possess sufficient skills to use digital technologies, especially if special non-popular communication platforms such as enterprise social media are used. It is explained by the fact that the interaction success via digital means is significantly associated with a persons technological fluency (Wei et al., 2020). In other words, if a person has difficulties using a certain device or application, he or she will not be able to fully enjoy all the benefits of digital communications. Therefore, in order to avoid this kind of issue, a firm can offer employee training.

Last but not least, managers should address the work-life balance problem when embracing digital communications. Although constant worker accessibility can improve overall company performance in most cases, contacting an employee or a colleague during off-work time can have negative consequences. In particular, scholars emphasize that vague boundaries between work and personal time lead to increased stress, emotional exhaustion, work-life conflict, and, consequently, decreased job satisfaction (Piszczek, 2017). Thus, managers should intend to minimize digital communication after working hours, allowing the discussion of solely essential questions. Additionally, the firm can help its subordinates to integrate work and life as previous studies indicate that it reduces the negative effects of the necessity to conduct work-related duties during free time (Piszczek, 2017). For instance, the company can allow its employees to arrive at work later or leave earlier and conduct certain tasks such as answering emails at home.

Conclusion

Overall, it was shown the necessity to regulate digital communications in the workplace as they can only bring benefits when used properly. Although there are several practices that firms can implement, the best three among them are communication of non-urgent information via phone calls or personal communications, employee digital communication training, and off-work interaction limitation. These measures can ensure that workers possess sufficient skills to use new technologies, are not overwhelmed by the information, and can establish a better work-life balance.

References

Jalagat, R. (2017). Determinants of job stress and its relationship on employee job performance. American Journal of Management Science and Engineering, 2(1), 1-10.

Piszczek, M. M. (2017). Boundary control and controlled boundaries: Organizational expectations for technology use at the workfamily interface. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 38(4), 592-611.

Stich, J. F., Tarafdar, M., & Cooper, C. L. (2018). Electronic communication in the workplace: boon or bane? Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, 5(1), 98-106. Web.

Wei, C., Pitafi, A. H., Kanwal, S., Ali, A., & Ren, M. (2020). Improving employee agility using enterprise social media and digital fluency: Moderated mediation model. IEEE Access, 8, 68799-68810.

Introduction

Interpersonal communication is a word that is used to describe the styles and tactics that are used by different people to convey a message. There are various stages that a message has to through for it to be declared communicated, to a larger extent depending on how the people communicating with each other are related. Messages have unique ways through which they may be conveyed, this depends on the kind of information being displayed and the audience that it is to reach. Effective communication hence depends on several factors which may be physical, psychological, and social. In this paper, we are going to consider some of the principles that have to be adapted to enhance communication and also some of the barriers that may hinder a message from effectively reaching the targeted audience and conveying the needed information.

The principles and misconceptions in effective interpersonal communications

There are generally four underlying principles that surround interpersonal communication. They include; Interpersonal communication is inescapable, Interpersonal communication is irreversible, Interpersonal communication is complicated, interpersonal communication is contextual.

Interpersonal communication is inescapable

Interpersonal communication can not be avoided at any point in time. Even when a person chooses to remain silent, there may be a message that he or she is conveying to the people around. Communication is not mainly about gestures and sounds but rather what may be running in the mind of an individual concerning a certain person or situation. The only thing that may distinguish the lack of gestures and silence in communication is the message that will be conveyed (Canary, et al, 2008). When a person remains silent and immobile, there is something that they are trying to suggest which may be quite different from what may be perceived by the audience around.

Interpersonal communication is irreversible

Once a message has been conveyed, there is no way it can be reversed. As much as an individual may apologize for saying something, it does not change what they just said. It is usually believed that a person does not just speak out; words are usually conceived in the heart and synthesized in the mind. That is why a person must think first before they speak out. As simple as a word or a signal may be, it may hold a lot of weight especially to the audience being addressed.

Interpersonal communication is considered complicated

Interpersonal communication can not be referred to as a simple exercise. This is mainly because of the different perceptions that people may have towards a certain message. Whenever a word or a signal is displayed to different categories of people, it will be realized that it is interpreted in different forms. Various cultures have different signals and words they use to display a certain kind of message. It will hence be inevitable to have a group or groups of people who will perceive a certain piece of information contrary to what the communicator meant.

Interpersonal communication is contextual

Communication depends on several factors that will determine how effective it is conceived. For instance, when addressing people of different age groups, the communicator of the message needs to use certain signals and words that are familiar to the groups. This is also applied when addressing certain cultures and also the environment of communication. One needs to understand the age groups being addressed, the surrounding environment, and the cultures represented in the audience. This will enable them to make necessary clarifications and adjustments.

Barriers to effective interpersonal interactions

Certain barriers may hinder the information from effectively reaching the targeted audience. Examples of the barriers include; Physical, Perceptual, Cultural, and Emotional barriers. Physical barriers are hindrances that can be perceived. They directly hinder the passage of information by creating a physical barrier. This could be due to using a different language, talking over closed doors, or using media that is not accessible. Perceptual barriers are brought about by differences in perception. The way a message is displayed is different from the way it will be perceived by the audience. This could be because of the attitudes that the people may be holding towards the person that is conveying the message. Such attitudes will make the audience understand the message in contradiction to what the person meant. Cultural barriers may also hinder the kind of message being conveyed. This is due to certain cultural values that surround that means of communication. Some of the symbols and signs used in communication may have different meanings when used by different cultures. For instance, eye contact has different meanings when used by people of different cultures. Emotional barriers are the feelings that may be displayed by individuals when a certain kind of message is being conveyed. For instance, when a person is excited, they may not correctly perceive what is being brought forth due to their emotional imbalance. This may also apply to a person that is sad or going through a certain situation.

Strategies for active, critical, and empathic listening

Listening is a fundamental part of interpersonal communication as it determines the level at which people will understand what is being conveyed. When people are attentively listening to the message, they will be able to seek clarifications where they did not understand. As they ask questions, the person communicating will be able to understand where the problem may be and hence be able to adapt an appropriate means of communication. However, to actively engage an audience in a conversation, it first needs the conveyer of the message to capture their mind and get them to listen to what they are saying. Once they get them to listen, they can be observed keenly to know if they are getting what is being conveyed or not. This can easily be determined by looking at their facial expressions or understanding their level of concentration. It will require that the conveyer of the message adopts a different style of communication that will once more capture the attention of the audience.

The strategy to be adopted will however depend on the kind of audience just to ensure that they are not completely turned off. Some of the common strategies used to capture peoples attention and make them get to not only listen but also understand what is being conveyed is using body language as well as facial expressions. The person conveying the message should also ensure that they maintain eye contact with the audience as well as move around especially if they are addressing a larger audience. They may also ask questions whenever necessary just to ensure that what was being conveyed has been well understood (Wood, 2009). Another strategy that may be employed in making the message exciting by using examples that are familiar to the audience. They may also divert the attention of the people a bit by using jokes. The strategy that is used to attract the attention of the listeners should however be chosen with care and in consideration of the seriousness of the message being conveyed.

How words have the power to create and affect attitudes, behavior, and perception

Words that are used in communication have a lot to tell about the person conveying the message. They usually reveal the level of education, the intention of the person, and their cultural background. Even though some of such instances may happen naturally and hence not easy to avoid, they can be minimized by adequate preparation. When an individual wants to address a certain congregation, they first need to have a clear understanding of the message that they want to display and the kind of audience being communicated to (Hartley, 1999). Despite their level of education, a person can be able to adjust their speech to ensure that they are perceived and understood appropriately. The message being conveyed and the audience being addressed should be regarded higher than the culture and level of education of the person conveying it. For instance, if the conveyer has minimal education and wants to address an audience of highly educated people, then he or she will have to practice and know the words to use.

People tend to develop an attitude towards the message being displayed by considering the kind of words that are being used by the conveyer. Despite the content that may be in the message, the level at which people perceive and understand it depends on the words that are used to display it. For instance, when addressing people with minimum knowledge or educational level, it will be pointless to use heavy words as they may make no sense to them. Despite the different levels that the audience and conveyer of the message may have, it is up to the person conveying the message to come to their level so that they understand. The words that are chosen for communication will also tell the audience how the person conveying the message perceives them to be.

How perceptions, emotions, and nonverbal expression affect interpersonal relationships

Interpersonal relationships are important for effective communication. The kind of emotions that will be displayed either by the audience or the conveyer of the message tells a lot about the relationship that they share. Nonverbal communication plays an important role when words can not be expressed. However, due to the different perceptions that people may have, it may not be easy to know what they get from certain communication symbols that are used. Silence in itself is a form of nonverbal communication that may be perceived differently by people (Hargie, et al, 1994). This form of communication makes it more complicated to ensure that the audience gets the correct information. Certain forms of verbal communication may be applicable in certain communities. They should hence not be used for any audience before the conveyer understands their cultural perceptions concerning the same.

Strategies for managing interpersonal conflicts

Conflicts in communication may be unavoidable due to the barriers that have been mentioned above. It hence requires that correct strategies be used to solve interpersonal conflicts. Before solving interpersonal conflicts, it will be appropriate to understand the exact thing that may be causing such conflicts. Most of such conflicts may arise due to inappropriate measures of communication that may be used. Interpersonal conflicts can be managed by ensuring that the right words are used for the appropriate audience. The person communicating the message should also ensure that they have a clear knowledge about the cultural background of their audience. If they have minimal time to understand that, they should use a generally acceptable form of communication that is not likely to suggest something different from what is being conveyed.

How self-concept and defensive and supportive messages and behaviors create positive and negative communication climates

When communicating to a larger audience, the conveyer should, by all means, avoid using, personal and defensive statements. They should instead concentrate on the information that they wish to display. However, using such a defensive statement may also help in eliminating some prejudice that the people could be having towards the information. Negatively, it may dilute the content of the message being displayed and hence making it lose the intended meaning. When addressing an official audience, personal statements should be avoided as much as possible. Positively, defensive and supportive statements may make the communicator be understood more by the audience especially if they are from different backgrounds. Supportive statements may be additional information that the conveyer adds to a rather complicated statement so that they are understood appropriately.

The impact of gender and culture on interpersonal communications

Gender and culture may have certain influences on interpersonal communication. This is so due to the different perceptions that culture has towards gender. For instance, certain cultures have no regard for a female communicator. They believe that a woman cannot effectively address them and hence have a negative attitude towards it (Monaghan, 2007. If one has to make such kinds of people receive the intended message, it will only be appropriate for them to make use of a male conveyer. Certain kinds of messages can only be displayed by a certain gender. For instance, if a person wants to address a message that targets the male gender, they will use more of the feminine gender in it to attract their attention. There are also certain kinds of emotions in communication that can only be effectively displayed by the female gender. Such kind of interpersonal communication is mostly considered necessary in advertisements. The marketers will use all means possible to ensure that the audience is lured into the product being advertised.

Conclusion

Interpersonal communication is a day-to-day activity that can not be avoided. There are some hitches in communication that can be avoided if appropriate research is done and preparations are made before addressing a certain kind of audience. Words have the power of creating and destroying. It is therefore important that appropriate words should be used when communicating to ensure that the message is displayed. Interactive sessions are necessary for interpersonal communications they will help the conveyer to know if the message has been well perceived or not. The ultimate of any communication is usually the response that is received from the audience. However, it also requires appropriate measures to be taken when decoding the message to ensure the right response. The paper has looked at the various principles applicable for communication as well as some of the barriers to effective interpersonal communication.

Reference list

1. Canary, D, et al. (2008). Interpersonal Communication: A Goals-Based Approach.York: New Bedford/St. Martins.
2. Hargie O. et al, (1994). Social skills in interpersonal communication. London: Routledge.
3. Hartley, P. (1999). Interpersonal communication. London: Routledge.
4. Monaghan, L. (2007) A cultural approach to interpersonal communication: essential readings. California: Wiley-Blackwell.
5. Wood, J. (2009). Interpersonal Communication: Everyday Encounters. London: Cengage Learning.

The face-to-face communication medium is a reliable interaction method that can facilitate the sharing of ideas. As a form of oral communication, this mode of interaction facilitates the transfer of data from the sender to the receiver through verbal and visual aid. The face-to-face medium is the most natural medium that arises from the natural selection of the most efficient way of data exchange between different stakeholders. The medium allows users to share essential data, offer a clear explanation, and enable the audience to connect with it. Face-to-face is the medium of choice since it remains one of the wealthiest communication mediums allowing simultaneous interpersonal exchange ranging from the tone of voice, linguistic content, gaze direction, facial expressions, and postures (Prabavathi & Nagasubramani, 2018). Since the communication issues within this company require a human touch, there is a need for instant communication, detailed explanation of concepts, development of a direct relationship, and immediate response on how companies can address the issue, which is only attainable through one-on-one communication channels. Hence, face-to-face contact will be one of the most effective oral communication channels to improve internal communication within any firm.

Internal Communication: Audience

The primary audience of this internal message is the employees who manage daily business operations. Precisely, the directive intends to inform the employees on the importance of communicating with one another and sharing ideas as a strategy to enhance corporate productivity while still maintaining healthy working relationships. However, in culturally diverse workplaces, it is evident that the employees might have different beliefs and opinions that influence their communication strategies and effectiveness. According to Hendrith (2018), culture greatly influences communication through various aspects like language and non-verbal cues, which may have different meanings across cultures. The diversity of languages, communication forms, and signs affects employee communication, decision-making, and conflict resolution strategies. Altogether, regardless of the cultural differences, this message will take the employees as the primary audience, who can help the company create a favorable environment to strengthen communication processes.

Internal Communication: Message

As an organization, we have experienced numerous communication challenges, which adversely affected corporate productivity and performance. The lack of practical communication skills within the organization has reduced productivity and profitability within the firm. Indeed, poor communication channels and processes have adversely affected interactions during one-on-one meetings and training of the marketing employees. The companys product development and innovation levels have considerably declined due to a lack of open platforms to dialogue and share ideas. With the ongoing business internalization, we must use product development and corporate performance as the only source of our competitiveness. It is, therefore, essential to enhance our cooperation skills and create a favorable working environment.

As a strategy to solve the communication challenges that adversely affect the company, all the stakeholders have a role to play in solving the challenges. First, this company should set up open communication in-person meetings to help introduce a favorable environment to all the new workers. Specifically, the company should create a fair working environment that appreciates the workers openness and stresses freedom of expression. We expect all the senior employees within the firm to approach the junior workers with a friendlier other than an official tone to make them more comfortable and contented to work for the company. Secondly, given that people are different and hold diverse beliefs and opinions, the company stakeholders should understand the employees at the individual levels and create a conducive environment for them to engage in business development processes. In other words, the company can solve the current communication and product development issues by creating a favorable and accommodative environment for every employee.

Additionally, applying the principle of change management, the workers need to understand their role in enhancing the company communication process. Understanding diverse communication styles to accommodate different personalities to ensure effective conversations. Developing good body language and being familiar with different audiences improves communication. Since we all work jointly within the company, the employees should understand each others roles to prevent conflicts and limited productivity. With this information, it is expected that the employees should alter their communication approaches and boost their understanding of the corporate vision and mission.

Internal Communications: Needs and Development

This internal message puts into consideration the employees needs and development. First, the news appreciated the role of the employees in improving the communication process and overall organizational productivity. Their recognition addressed employees belonging needs, whereby the workers seek to belong to a cohesive and supportive team. Their praise and illustration of their role made them feel valued and addressed their social needs. Besides, by advocating for a healthy working environment, I supported the employees development needs since communication would allow them to share ideas, information, and thoughts to make them more productive. Indeed, according to Radovic Markovic & Salamzadeh (2018), clear and effective communication of the corporate goals to workers is a reliable strategy to enhance the employees trust in the corporate leadership and their productivity. Hence, the messaging met both the employees social and development needs.

Internal Communications: Support

The company is putting a wide range of considerations to make the change in the corporate communication strategies more compelling to the employees. The company intends to effectively manage the difference at every level, from the senior to the middle managers and the frontline employees, to create a favorable environment that accommodates employees of all levels. The company will make the responsibilities of every employee clear and make them understand the reasons for changing the companys communication change processes. Besides, to help the workforce manage change, the management intends to approach the transition with apathy through an enhanced understanding of the employees emotions and needs. According to a survey by Culver et al. (2020), communication, the creation of a supportive environment, and healthy feedback are some of the approaches that an organization can use to enhance employee work experiences. Regardless of the employee reactions, the available evidence shows that setting a positive, honest, and compelling narrative can help encounter the emergence of any form of confusion, anxiety, and rumors.

Internal Communications: Conflict

One of the most potential conflicts to emerge in this case is the resistance to change by some of the business employees. Employees hold on to the habits they think are easy to follow and familiar. Since change can be stressful, the difference can cause conflict between the management and the team members. Many employees face anger, denial, and confusion before embracing change (Chavan & Bhattacharya, 2022). Thus, it is common for humans to resist the unknown, and it is not uncommon for this resistance to turn to hostility. The denial will, in turn, lead to resistance and coordination within the workplace.

Additionally, personality differences can cause conflicts due to different expectations of the change process. Different experiences, preferences, backgrounds, and temperaments can affect the operation of internal communication and acceptability of the perceived change. Indeed, the internal communication process can generate personality clashes due to conflicting work approaches, differing life outlooks, incompatible personalities, and diverse cultural backgrounds. Hence, although the company seeks to promote a conducive environment and accommodates various views, it can lead to the emergence of personality conflicts.

References

Chavan, S., & Bhattacharya, S. (2022). Study of employees behavior during organizational change: effects of business theatre on Kübler-Ross model. Cardiometry, (22), p. 237-243.

Culver, K. C., Young, R. L., & Barnhardt, C. L. (2020). Communicating support: Examining perceived organizational support among faculty members with differing appointment types. Innovative Higher Education, 45(4), 299-315.

Hendrith, M. (2018). The effects culture and communication have on businesses. Integrated Studies, 120. Web.

Prabavathi, R., & Nagasubramani, P. C. (2018). Effective oral and written communication. Journal of Applied and Advanced Research, 3(1), 29-32.

Radovic Markovic, M., & Salamzadeh, A. (2018). The importance of communication in business management. In Radovic Markovic, M., & Salamzadeh, A.(2018). The Importance of Communication in Business Management, The 7th International Scientific Conference on Employment, Education and Entrepreneurship, Belgrade, Serbia.