Communication is the process of transmitting or imparting information to a receiver. In the case of interpersonal communication, both the transmitter and receiver are human beings, although they need not necessarily be in direct physical contact with each other. Therefore, for communication to be affected in interpersonal relationships, there are various principles applied and these include treating each other with mutual respect. We need to have personal, open-hearted consideration of other people as being equal worth to ourselves no matter who they are, what they do or have done. This principle may be challenging in circumstances where there is a conflict between individuals as they may dislike each other, but for the sake of communication purposes, they need to treat each other with respect if the conflict is to be solved successfully.
Effective listening is also another principle that leads to effective interpersonal communications. The ability to be able to pay attention and listen to people is a very vital social skill in any setting. Whenever we talk at the same level or time as our partner, we are causing interruption thus making it hard for effective communication to take place. Interruptions can also be in form of phones ringing, listening to music while we are communicating with a person. Interruptions are also a result of a listener assuming to already be in the know-how thus finishing the sentences begun by the speaker. The distinction is often made between passive listening and active listening.
The listener pays attention during the conversation period without interruptions or making any judgment in active listening. The active listener is not only keen on the words that are being conveyed but all the other compliments of the speech outlined earlier. While passive listening, the degree of concentration from the audience is very low because the passive listener does not respond to all the things said. Communication that is not interrupted flows faster than one that is continuously forced or made to deviate by opinion or comments. Therefore, for effective communication in interpersonal relationships, active listening should be employed at all times and in all areas of the communication process.
The principle of the passage rights, which dictates that everyone has a right or freedom to make choices about what they want. This involves listening to someone`s views and ideas concerning a certain issue. For instance, parents may force their children to do a particular course that is not with their wish, later on, the child may regret not following his or her dream thus they end feeling that they were never allowed a right to pass.
The effective questioning principle also helps promote effective interpersonal communications. Questioning has a very different role in normal social interactions from that used in educational settings. In education, the person asking the question usually knows the answer already, whereas, in normal social interactions, the questioner is seeking information or data. For instance, cognitive questions need the respondent to answer from his or her knowledge base and can range from the recall of specific information to the evaluation of courses of action, while effective questions require the respondent to answer about his or her feelings and values.
For effective interpersonal communications, we need to speak for ourselves without assuming that others hold the same views as ours. This principle encourages individuals to own the statements they make about a particular subject without presuming that they are able to speak on behalf of others.