Interpersonal communication is the process of developing a unique relationship with the other person by interacting and simultaneously sharing influence. It is an important aspect of a person's character to develop. However, few people set aside adequate time and effort to improve upon this skill in spite of its importance.
Here is a five step strategy to help you to improve on your interpersonal communication skills.
Be Knowledgeable
I used to believe that interpersonal communication skills are innate, which means either you are born with it, or you don't. How I realise that communication skills can be learned and developed.
The people with the best interpersonal communication skills have extensive knowledge of the subject, through a combination of real life experiences mixed together with an extensive knowledge of the principles involved in interpersonal communication.
There are many rules, many components behind interpersonal communication that a normal individual will spend many years blundering through while a learned individual can easily negotiate through. Hence, an extensive knowledge of interpersonal skills is the first step.Be Skilled
It is not sufficient to simply know the principles of interpersonal communication. You will have to be practice it in real life. You can know everything there is to know about weight training but will remain as weak as before if you don't put it into practice. The same principle applies to developing interpersonal skills.
Applying the principles in real life will be hard; hence, you will need to employ step number 3.Be Motivated
You will need to be motivated in order to develop new skills in the area of interpersonal relations. Improvement in your character does not come overnight, but with practice, over a period of time. Only with determined applications of the fundamental principles of interpersonal relations, will a person be able to improve.Be Flexible
Each situation is unique with many different variables to consider. Thus it is important to be flexible in the application of the principles of interpersonal communication. We need to be mindful that the same set of skills is not always applicable in all situations, and need to adapt our responses according to the situation at hand.Be Other-Oriented
Focusing on others means considering the needs and interest of the other person before our own. We are eternally interested in ourselves, but the person who is able to place the other person's interest ahead of our own will be able to win the hearts of others. When we focus exclusively on ourselves, it will be difficult to communicate effectively with others. We may be able to get out point out, but will probably not be able establish a strong two way communication with the other person.
Being other-oriented, together with the application with the other 4 steps mentioned earlier will definitely help you become a better interpersonal communicator.
