Interpersonal communication forms a central part of our daily lives. The skill is crucial in promoting our social relationships (Borman 12). Various analysts determine that social spheres are come in handy in sorting our problems and concerns. Interpersonal communications enable employees in the work place to exchange their professional experiences and expectations. This improves efficiency in the work place and the effectiveness of the entire organization. Interpersonal communication forms the channel through which our mentors and instructors add into our professional and personal growth. Partners and friends we have faith in usually enable us to solve self-defeating barrier (Cassey, Jennifer, & Rachael 101). Consequently their efforts help in shaping us to become the people we desire. At the workplace, co-workers who offer advice and feedback promote our effectiveness while undertaking a task.
Interpersonal communication enable us to hang out with the people we trust, like, and who promote our full potential. Effective interpersonal communication skills are crucial in maintaining high efficiency levels of the members of staff.
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"Communication in the Workplace".
I experienced communication constraints at my place of work. Working with a local research company after graduation proved to be a lifetime challenge, especially in the area of communication (Borman 84). Being new and in a new environment made me so anxious that I was afraid to ask for crucial guidelines on how to handle particular tasks. My new surrounding greatly intimidated me to the extent that I limited my activities as much as I could. My research skills were more of theoretical research skills that I learnt in college. Having secured an employment opportunity that corresponded to my intellectual capacity, I needed practical skills that would sustain me in the job. My initial days at my new job comprised of office (indoor) tasks that were highly arithmetic in nature. The work proved so challenging, but my shyness constrained me from consulting senior employees. My personality made me keep to myself and struggle to find my way through my difficulties. In the end, I took so much time completing a task thereby affecting my efficiency. Furthermore, my lack of consultation resulted in producing sub-standard work quality in some instances (Borman 192).
My ability to negotiate and share ideas, as well as exchange messages and feedback with my employer was greatly hampered by my shyness. An active person-to-person encounter is determined by the efficiency in handling essential elements that are active in the process. Maintaining a low profile in the office made matters more complicated for me. An understanding of crucial elements of effective communication helps to improve our inter-personal communication at the workplace (Cassey, Jennifer, & Rachael 234).
Social Penetration Theory
This framework concerns the development of rational closeness. Relational closeness can develop from superficial to intimate. As such, closeness progresses through self-closure. The theory of social penetration holds that degrees of closeness are determined by costs, satisfaction, rewards, and stability. Tendencies of self-disclosure tend to focus on attracting attention. It aims in sharing information that could aid in the understanding of an individual. Self-disclosure is most enlightening when the sharing is in the present, but least revealing when it concerns the past. Self-disclosure can, therefore, be least revealing or most revealing. In addition, self-disclosure always represents the person telling the story, and it also stimulates feedback. The standard of feedback is connected to the amount and importance of self-disclosure we share and receive with others (Cassey, Jennifer, & Rachael 354).
Self-disclosure can be defined as the ability to make us transparent to others with the aid of our communication. Self-disclosure identifies also that whatever one is not communicating; at times, amounts to sufficient communication. Some people communicate through their silence. Extreme silence or shyness is at times associated with anxiety or depression. Communication occurs when we pass information to others concerning ourselves which helps them to understand us and appreciate our uniqueness. Self-disclosure; however is not self-description. Self-description entails communication associated with public spheres. On the other hand, self-disclosure entails communication which reveals more personal, confidential, and sensitive information. Self-disclosure involves voluntary communication of information concerning one’s self to another. Various proponents have connected self-disclosure with confession. There seem to be some closeness in meaning. Confession is coerced or forced communication of information concerning an individual to another party. Revelation, on the other hand, refers to inadvertent or unintentional communication of information concerning an individual to another party.
Social penetration theory is vital in improving interpersonal communication both at the work place and personal level. The framework enables us to understand individuals through their interpersonal values. A personal suffering from interpersonal communication is tantamount to an individual seeking attention and some sense of understanding. The framework advises that disclosure increases with enhanced intimacy. A person suffering from shyness could be new to a particular surrounding. Consequently most of his/her relationships are characterized by low intimacy levels and could result to shyness. Such individuals should be handled with patience and offered as much platform to reveal them as much as possible. This promotes a quick familiarity to their environment. Interviews always promote full disclosure of nominees. As the nominated staff adapt to their environment, they tend to be shy and reserved. Such periods are always characterized by low consultations, and their inter-personal communication at the workplace is low. Social penetration theory advises that a good way to deal with such people is to give them a chance to offer current information on themselves.
Communication is important to all human relationships, from private to formal relationships. Interpersonal communication offers people an opportunity to be heard and offer their input in crucial undertakings. Communication is vital to life as it is the channel through which human beings express their feelings. This inspires trust and mutual respect for the sustenance of long-term contributions.
- Borman, F. A First Look at Interpersonal Communication. London: Oxford Publishing Press. 2008. Print.
- Campbell, Suzanne H, and Karen M. Daley. Simulation Scenarios for Nurse Educators: Making It Real. New York: Springer, 2013. Print.
- Casey, Jennifer N, and Rachel E. Upton. Educational Curricula: Development and Evaluation. New York: Nova Science Publishers, 2008. Print.
