Resolving Interpersonal Conflicts

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.