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Sub domain VI. A Leadership Roles

• Communication and interpersonal skills
• By: Niah Bradford
• 

Communication and why it is important

• 
• Communication is the interpersonal process by which information is transferred from one person to another.
• It is important for professionals to understand important aspects of communication, including channels, and barriers, the challenge of diversity, and ways communication can be improved.

Formal and Informal Channels

• Communication can take place through formal or informal channels. Formal communication consists of those intentional messages that are directed to people through their role relationships in the organization and usually through established channels such as email, phone, face-to-face interaction, memo, letter or other forms of announcement.
• Informal communication may occur across role or department boundaries or organizational levels. It tends to employ face-to-face and social media interactions and focuses on the interpersonal aspects of work, such as rumors and topics the immediate scope of the workplace.

Barriers to Communication

• Structural barriers
• Distortion that can occur when a message is passed through several people, each adding or deleting information based on their own perceptions and needs
• The increasing use of email in organizations also eliminates the nonverbal cues of voice tone, volume, and inflection as well as facial cues and gestures that add so much to face-to-face communication
• Interpersonal barriers
• Distraction and partial listening
• tendency to judge
• assumption that we know what others mean
• fear of asking questions

Interpersonal Skills

• Interpersonal skills involve the ability to work and through others to accomplish goals.
• Depending on the nature of the work and the level of interaction needed among individuals, interpersonal skills may or may not be a critical skill for employee success.
• Interpersonal competency is based on self- awareness and understanding, and the best managers are those who can articulate both their strengths and weaknesses.

Practices that increase the accuracy 0f communication

• To communicate effectively, managers must pay just as much attention to how their message is received and interpreted as their message is received and interpreted as they do its content. The following practices can enhance the accuracy and acceptance of communication.
• Minimize "noise" that can distort the message. Make sure all parties are minimally distracted, can give their undivided attention, and have sufficient time to their message across.
• Know what outcome you want to communicate through your message and then check to see if you get it.
• Write clearly and concisely
• Ask for feedback and listen to it without being judgmental
• Use examples of visual aids to make the message clearer
• Explain your reasoning to show and lead others to show and lead others to how you have formed your conclusions
• Monitors others nonverbal behaviors for cues that they are following or are confused.