Communication and interpersonal skills

Communication is a means by which people relate to each other and engage in social interactions. As man is a social being, much of our satisfaction comes from ability to relate effectively with others. We interact with other people all aspects of life, as business partners, superiors, subordinates, clients, friends and lovers. How well we communicate with each other often determines the quality of our relationship. Effective communication is essential for us to flourish in these relationships. Poor communication may strangulate them.From a managerial perspective, communication is important because it is a means by which organisational members collect and disseminate information that they need. Communication is essential to achieve co-ordination and co-operation.

Numerous studies have found that managers spend about 80% of their time communicating with other people, including subordinates, peers, superiors, clients and suppliers. Communication may take place in the form of meetings, talking on the telephone, personal conversation, reading or writing memos, reading reports or, quite simply, walking around the plant and talking to staff and employees, or whoever may be available, to gather information, help motivate and to get a good idea of grass roots feeling.

Oral communication is the dominant form of communication.

Communication plays a vital part in performing managerial, interpersonal, informational and decisional roles. Managers have to communicate. They have to communicate to create and maintain a network of interpersonal contact. They collect and disseminate information they need through this network. Communication is the vehicle by which information is transmitted. Managers gather and distribute information to make the right decisions. They in turn communicate those decisions to other people.

Effective communication becomes a key to effective management.