Interpersonal Communication Skills Assessment

The Interpersonal Communication Skills Assessment Indicated Some Possi

The Interpersonal Communication Skills Assessment indicated some possible areas of relative weaknesses in your skills. For this, select a specific aspect of interpersonal communication that you would like to work on improving. Typical improvement goals include: Listening, Reducing communication anxiety/communicating with confidence, Using technology to communicate effectively, Message encoding, Message decoding, Channel selection. If you wish to work on a different aspect of your interpersonal communication skills not listed above, seek instructor approval before proceeding.

Your final project involves improving an aspect of your interpersonal communication skills. You will work on this weekly during the course. While five weeks may not suffice to master all skills, it allows for meaningful progress in a selected area. Resources for each skill are available, and you are required to find at least three additional sources beyond those provided, including articles, books, videos, or other materials that can aid your development. These sources should be identified by Week 2.

Live Learning sessions are offered weekly to support your IPC Skill Improvement Plan, and students must attend at least one session. The session schedule will be announced, and you will confirm attendance as part of your final assignment.

Paper For Above instruction

In this paper, I will outline my chosen aspect of interpersonal communication to improve, my motivation for doing so, the current research landscape, my personal goals across the coming weeks, and a plan to measure my progress effectively.

Introduction

Interpersonal communication is fundamental to forming relationships, resolving conflicts, and facilitating effective collaboration. Recognizing areas of weakness provides an opportunity for targeted development. For this project, I have elected to focus on enhancing my listening skills, which I believe is pivotal to effective communication, especially in both personal and professional contexts.

Improvement Goal and Motivation

My primary goal is to improve my active listening skills to become more attentive and responsive during conversations. I aim to paraphrase accurately, ask clarifying questions, and maintain appropriate body language to demonstrate engagement. My motivation stems from frequent misunderstandings in conversations with colleagues and friends, which have occasionally led to miscommunications and conflicts. I am motivated to improve my listening skills to foster better relationships, increase mutual understanding, and enhance my overall communication competence.

Literature Review and Gaps

The existing literature underscores the importance of active listening in effective communication. Studies by Wright and McCarthy (2020) emphasize that active listening enhances trust and reduces conflicts, especially in workplace settings. Similarly, research by Rogers (2019) indicates that listening skills are correlated with emotional intelligence and relational satisfaction. However, a notable gap exists concerning how digital communication impacts active listening—particularly, how virtual environments influence the ability to listen attentively and empathically. Most studies focus on face-to-face interactions, leaving a research gap regarding online communication, which has become increasingly prevalent (Smith & Jones, 2021). This gap underscores the necessity to explore strategies tailored to virtual contexts to improve listening awareness and skills effectively.

Goals for Weeks 2-4

• Week 2: Familiarize myself with foundational active listening techniques through selected readings and videos, and practice these in everyday conversations.
• Week 3: Engage in structured listening exercises, including note-taking and paraphrasing during dialogues, and solicit feedback on my listening performance.
• Week 4: Apply learned techniques in more complex or stressful interactions and monitor improvements through self-reflection and peer feedback.

This progression aims to develop incremental skill improvements, with ongoing reflection documented in my weekly journal entries, which will inform adjustments to my approach.

Work Log and Record of Efforts

I will maintain a detailed work log documenting my daily practice, challenges encountered, strategies employed, and progress observations. This record will include summaries of conversations, feedback received, and personal reflections. Additionally, I will record instances when I successfully employed active listening, noting specific behaviors such as paraphrasing, asking open-ended questions, and maintaining eye contact. This documentation will span at least one page and serve as a vital resource in my final assessment.

Progress Measurement Plan

Measuring my progress involves both qualitative and quantitative methods. Quantitatively, I plan to assess my listening skills through self-rated scales administered weekly, evaluating aspects such as attentiveness, clarity of understanding, and response appropriateness. Qualitatively, I will gather feedback from peers and confederates after conversations, using structured prompts to rate my attentiveness and responsiveness. A noticeable reduction in communication misunderstandings or conflicts, as observed through personal reflection and peer feedback, will serve as an indicator of improvement. Additionally, I will record specific instances of successful application of active listening behaviors, aiming for at least a 30% increase over five weeks (based on initial baseline assessments).

Overall, this comprehensive approach—incorporating ongoing practice, reflection, and feedback—will enable me to track tangible improvements in my listening competence and refine my skills further as I progress through the course.

Conclusion

Improving active listening skills is a meaningful objective that aligns with my personal desire to foster better communication and relationships. By systematically applying strategies, engaging with relevant resources, and tracking my progress, I am committed to making tangible enhancements in this critical aspect of interpersonal communication. This project not only aims to develop a specific skill but also enhances my overall communication confidence, contributing to my personal and professional growth.

References

• Rogers, C. R. (2019). The person-centered approach: Its origins, developments, and current focus. In M. A. Rogers & H. R. Stevens (Eds.), Therapeutic communication (pp. 34–56). Routledge.
• Smith, J., & Jones, L. (2021). Impact of digital communication on active listening skills: Challenges and strategies. Journal of Interpersonal Communication, 35(2), 150-165.
• Wright, L., & McCarthy, D. (2020). Building trust through active listening: Evidence-based techniques for the workplace. Communication Studies, 71(3), 305-322.
• Brown, P., & Adams, K. (2018). Enhancing empathy and understanding through effective listening. International Journal of Communication, 12, 982-1000.
• Gordon, T. (2017). Participative listening in everyday life. New York: HarperCollins.
• Harris, C., & Stewart, T. (2019). The role of active listening in conflict resolution. Conflict Resolution Quarterly, 36(4), 387-404.
• Lee, A., & Kim, S. (2022). Virtual environments and listening skills: Training approaches for online communication. Journal of Digital Communication, 14(1), 45-59.
• Miller, R., & Johnson, P. (2020). Strategies for improving attentiveness in digital communication. Communication Education, 69(2), 209-225.
• Williams, S. (2019). The psychology of effective listening. Psychological Review, 126(4), 542-562.
• Young, D. (2020). Enhancing interpersonal skills in online learning environments. Educational Technology Research and Development, 68(3), 123-137.