It is well known that good communication is
the foundation of any successful relationship, be it personal or professional.
Throughout life, we all encounter many different types of conflict. As such,
being able to handle them is a skill that one cannot do without. One of the
most common types of conflicts faced by us is interpersonal conflicts. One can
employ 3 key steps in managing such conflicts. Firstly, one must try to engage
in effective communication by developing good listening, relating and questioning
skills. Next, one must learn to accurately interpret nonverbal communication.
Last of all, one also has to build good interpersonal communication skills.
In addressing the first point of effective
communication, one has to minimize the communication barriers that could occur
at the various stages of the communication process. To ensure this, it is
crucial to get your point across without misunderstandings and confusion. This
can be achieved through using clear, concise and accurate channels of communication.
As the person sending the message, you have to be confident that the
information you are communicating is useful and accurate. As the recipient of the
message, you have to cultivate good listening, relating and questioning skills.
It is the quality of the communication between the sender and recipient that will
serve to determine the outcome of the message and whether there will be any
prospect of a conflict.
Next, the accurate interpretation of
nonverbal communication is of paramount importance as it makes up nearly 93% of
effective communication. Thus, it is essential to register the facial
expressions, gestures, eye contact, posture and tone of voice of the speaker.
The ability to understand and use nonverbal communication cues serves as a
powerful tool in helping you connect with others, expressing what you really
mean and fostering better relationships.
Moving on to the third key factor, one also
has to build good interpersonal communication skills. These skills stem from
having high emotional intelligence. People with high emotional intelligence are
usually successful in life because emotional intelligence is the ability to
recognize and understand your own emotions, as well as to realize how your
emotions affect the people around you. Emotional intelligence also encompasses
your perception and understanding of others; when you are able to place
yourself in their shoes and understand how they feel, you will be better
equipped to manage the relationship in question effectively thus reducing the
possibility of conflicts arising.
To summarize the 3 key steps in managing
conflicts, one can be an effective communicator by being aware of one’s
surroundings, sensitive to nonverbal cues and also by working towards
developing greater emotional intelligence. In conclusion, proper communication
is of utmost importance in reducing the possibility of conflicts and the above mentioned
3 key steps to effectively manage interpersonal conflicts can be employed in
achieving it.
