Interpersonal Communication: Definition, Importance, and Must-Have Skills

 

(-Written by Mumtaz Afrin): - Employee satisfaction, motivation, teamwork, and corporate success are all significantly influenced by interpersonal communication in the workplace. We shall discuss the definition and significance of interpersonal communication in the workplace in this blog. 

 

 

What Is Interpersonal Communication?

Interpersonal communication is the spoken or nonverbal exchange of information, ideas, and feelings between two or more individuals. Information is frequently exchanged face-to-face through voice, body language, facial expressions, and gestures. The effectiveness of conveying messages to others serves as a gauge of one's interpersonal communication level. 

Client meetings, employee performance evaluations, everyday internal staff communication, and project talks are examples of interpersonal communication that is frequently utilized in a corporation. Additionally, a sizable amount of employees' interpersonal communication in the modern workplace takes place online.

 

The Importance of Interpersonal Communication in the Workplace

 

Managers place the value of having strong interpersonal skills at 4.37, just below the capacity to work in teams, on a scale of 1 to 5. They are highly appreciated for a variety of reasons, including the fact that verbal communication skills are still important for productive working relationships with coworkers and superiors even though the majority of office communications now take place online. Consequently, having good people skills is essential for corporate success. Now let's examine why effective interpersonal communication is essential for your professional growth and workplace productivity. 

 

1. Problem-solving

 

Interpersonal communication abilities are essential because they enable people to discuss issues and consider the advantages and disadvantages of potential solutions before choosing the best one. Interpersonal communication is necessary during brainstorming sessions, for instance, because it is crucial that everyone feels appreciated and free to express their opinions. 

 

2. Alignment with business goals

 

Poor communication between managers and staff members can be detrimental to the company in many ways. Workers might easily become irate and disengaged from the company's goals when managers and leaders are unable to explain assignments adequately. Additionally, a lot of workers complain that their bosses don't provide them with clear objectives and directives for their work. Therefore, managers should be able to consistently align staff with the business strategy through appropriate online and offline communication as well as the use of the appropriate internal communication tools.

 

3. Trust

 

Only around 50% of American workers believe that their managers are honest with them, according to the American Psychological Association, while a quarter of workers in the US do not trust their employers. Some of the most frequent reasons for bad workplace communication include a lack of transparency and trust. All employees, especially business leaders, should therefore seek to improve communication with their staff because interpersonal communication skills are essential for enhancing trust and workplace communication. 

 

4. Change management

 

When a business is trying to manage change, effective interpersonal communication is crucial. Employees who are better informed about the change are more likely to support it, understand it, and work together to successfully implement it.

 

5. Company culture

 

Organizational culture must have effective interpersonal ties in order to succeed. Interpersonal communication abilities among employees contribute to more positive and synergistic workplace culture. Negativity, misunderstanding, and disputes, on the other hand, are inescapable in poor interpersonal interactions. This ultimately destroys the office atmosphere, lowers worker productivity, and has a negative impact on the bottom line of the business. 

 

6. Employee recognition

 

More employee recognition is a result of effective interpersonal communication. Employees are more inclined to compliment one another's work and offer helpful criticism when they get along well with one another and their superiors.

 

7. Workplace miscommunication

 

Employees are more likely to feel comfortable approaching managers that uphold professionalism, open workplace communication, and a good attitude. Miscommunication, office rumors, and gossip are considerably less likely to occur when staff members feel comfortable speaking candidly with decision-makers. 

 

8. Personal relationships

 

For establishing and keeping genuine human connections at work, interpersonal skills are crucial. Therefore, those with effective interpersonal communication abilities can create wholesome working relationships with their coworkers and perform significantly better as a team.

 

9. Effective management and leadership

 

An effective leader must have the capacity to develop interpersonal relationships, build trust, and communicate effectively. When a manager lacks effective interpersonal communication abilities, staff members will be agitated and perplexed. In fact, managers have a greater need than the average worker to practice their interpersonal skills. 

 

10. Employee success

 

Additionally, managers must have effective interpersonal communication skills to support their staff in performing their duties successfully. In order for employees to carry out their duties and meet organizational objectives, leaders must be able to impart the necessary skills. Additionally, they want to impart interpersonal communication abilities to their staff.

 

11. Conflict management

 

Workplace disagreement is common, and we can't always count on our staff to settle disputes amicably and quickly. Interpersonal communication becomes essential for resolving issues of this nature. Effective interpersonal communication is essential for conflict management. In actuality, communication is the key to all conflict resolution techniques that aim to defuse tense circumstances in demanding settings. 

 

12. Career development

 

Continuous advancements in interpersonal communication abilities can lead to career advancements for many professionals, as many employers seek out candidates with strong communication skills.

 

Additionally, according to a poll by Workforce Solutions Group, more than 60% of employers feel that job applicants lack the necessary interpersonal and communication skills to be given consideration for open positions. Additionally, due to the growing use of communication technologies, both employees and communicators must now adjust to the latest developments in employee communication. 

 

13. Remote work

 

We have all seen how crucial communication is in the workplace during the past year. Interpersonal contact between peers, coworkers, managers, and leaders has been affected by the rise of remote work. But now, more than ever, it is crucial. Employers must continue to foster interesting workplace interactions even when employees are geographically separated in order to maintain their cultures of openness and transparency.

 

14. Crisis management

 

Many organizations will recall 2020 as the year of crisis management in addition to remote employment. The capacity to foster interpersonal communication inside the workplace is one of the traits of businesses that manage crises more effectively. It is considerably simpler for firms to express the effects of the crises on both a personal and corporate level when people are linked and are able to interact effectively.

 

Interpersonal Communication and Remote Work

 

Many questions about how to change workplace interactions are raised by the fact that remote work is increasingly becoming the norm for many organizations. Even though interpersonal contact is frequently thought of as taking place in person, we are all aware that remote work is fundamentally altering the way our employees interact. Employers are currently seeking for innovative strategies to maintain their workforce's connectivity, engagement, and knowledge in order to adapt to this new trend. Additionally, because so many workers are already dealing with severe information overload, businesses need to realize that there is no one-size-fits-all solution for internal communications.

 

They must be very knowledgeable about the methods used for internal communications, and they must know how to personalize communication depending on employees' locations, languages are spoken, positions and duties, as well as interests. Therefore, many are introducing new contemporary employee communication solutions that act as a focal point for maintaining remote, blue-collar, as well as in-office personnel together, as well as for facilitating meaningful, two-way corporate dialogues every day.

 

They must be very knowledgeable about the methods used for internal communications, and they must know how to personalize communication depending on employees' locations, languages are spoken, positions and duties, as well as interests. Therefore, many are introducing new contemporary employee communication solutions that act as a focal point for maintaining remote, blue-collar, as well as in-office personnel together, as well as for facilitating meaningful, two-way corporate dialogues every day.

 

 

There are six essential elements of interpersonal communication according to communication theory.

 

The messengers

 

Both the transmitter and the receiver of the information are referred to as communicators. In interpersonal communication, the dialogue involves at least two communicators.

 

The Message

 

The message is among the most crucial elements of interpersonal communication. Speech, body language, tone of voice, gestures, and other signs are just a few ways that messages can be communicated.

 

Noise

 

Noise is the void between a message's sent and received components. Jargon, communication difficulties, distraction, and other factors are examples of noise. Many workplaces experience noise issues, which makes it difficult for internal communicators to acquire the necessary employees' attention.

 

Feedback

 

The receiver's answer is referred to as feedback. It is, in other words, the message that is returned to the sender. Feedback is crucial because it enables the sender to determine whether their message has been properly understood and comprehended.

 

Context

 

Context is mostly what determines whether a communication is understood and perceived appropriately. Interpersonal communication is consequently contextual. The environmental elements that have an impact on communication results are known as context. The environment, time, and variables including family ties, gender, culture, and personal interests are among them.

 

Channel

 

The final aspect of interpersonal communication is how communication takes place. Communication travels through a particular medium or channel to be sent and received. Emails and intranets are two of the most popular forms of communication in the office, in addition to face-to-face interactions. Employers must prioritize identifying and comprehending the effectiveness of such communication channels.

 

The Lack of Interpersonal Communication Skills in the Workplace

 

As was already established, the most sought-after abilities by employers in candidates are communication skills. People have a sense of alienation and exclusion when interpersonal contact is lacking in the workplace. They also lack the confidence to speak up for themselves and express their needs, interests, and worries.

This can be a significant issue, particularly for globally distributed non-wired and remote workers. Employees should always be able to contact their colleagues within a few seconds, even when they are unable to speak with them in person. On the other hand, business owners and internal communicators should be able to communicate with the entire organization in a timely, relevant, and personalized manner to increase interest in internal information.

 

Skillset Map of a Modern Internal Communication Department

 

The significance of improving interpersonal communication skills in the workplace has been covered in this blog. To be able to engage, connect, and inform people, successful communicators—including leaders and internal communications departments—need to have greater abilities and expertise. Professionals in internal communications are now among the most crucial strategic business partners, and over the past few years, they have been increasingly critical in maintaining engaged, safe, informed, and productive workplaces.