Incorporating Interpersonal Communication Skills in Business: A Report

This report delves into the crucial role of interpersonal communication skills in business settings, specifically focusing on listening, feedback, and questioning. It underscores the significance of these skills in fostering effective communication between individuals, which in turn influences behaviors and attitudes within a business context. The report highlights the different types of communication skills, such as discriminative and comprehensive listening, and emphasizes the benefits of incorporating these skills, including improved partnerships, enhanced business performance, and the ability to manage diversity. The report also explores the challenges of incorporating these skills, such as linguistic differences and psychological barriers. It concludes by recommending strategies to overcome communication barriers and promote the effective use of interpersonal skills within the business environment, ultimately advocating for their importance in occupational therapy and business development.

Running head: INCORPORATING INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION 1
Incorporating interpersonal communication skills to business.
Author’s Name.
Institution.

INCORPORATING INTERPRSONAL COMMUNICATION 2
Executive Summary.
Interpersonal communication skills are important life skills which provide quality
communication between two people . Communication skills influence the behaviors and
the attitudes of a person. For any communication to occur there must be two mediums
which is the sender and the receiver. There are types of communication skills that people
employ to ensure that a message is passed effectively from one person to another. Some
of the interpersonal communication skills include listening, feedback and questioning.
Development of communication skills is a way of improving communication. There are a
lot of benefits when handling a particular field or occupation. The purpose of this report
is to extensively cover the importance and benefits of these skills which include listening,
giving feedback and asking questions and how this can be made useful in a particular
field. It also brings out the challenges facing effectiveness of communication and come
out with a recommendation to further help appreciate and uphold the use of
communication skills to enhance a particular field. This has been achieved through
several means such as the study of communication theories and a discipline in relation
to interpersonal communication. The occupational therapy that is highlighted will be on a
business discipline, the way incorporating communication skills affect the field whether
negatively or positively. For the purpose of this report, the discipline of business and
marketing co-operations are the fields to be highlighted in relation to the incorporation of
the major interpersonal communications skills. However, communication is important in
all fields of play as far as occupational therapy is concerned .The following report
analyses the ideological concepts of therapy in an occupation with regard to the major
three skills of communication.

INCORPORATING INTERPRSONAL COMMUNICATION 3
Listening Skills.
Listening can be referred to as the process in which a person receives a message,
establishes meaning from and then responds to it whether verbal or non-verbal. The
message may be of the two types. In Occupational therapist Listening is seen as the most
important interpersonal skill in the line of communication. Effective listening is the most
necessary tool of communication that makes up a good relationship among individuals. It
is a very unique skill that is used by business partners for a quick sustainable business
management. Also at any other institution like the hospitals and schools the listening skill
is so vital. According (Lexén & Bejerholm, 2015) job candidates who wish to get
employment must have the skill of listening and verbal communication. This is so much
of benefit to the employee as well as the employer. They need to understand one another
and it is with the help of the skills of listening that they will achieve the same. Listening
skills got two main and general listening types. This are; Discriminative listening and
comprehensive listening. Some other types of listening skills that are employed by
workmates include critical listening, therapeutic or emphatic listening, informational
listening, selective listening, rapport listening and appreciative listening. All listening
skills are necessary for the workmates to incorporate as communication skills to enhance
the business performance (Willard & Schell, 2014). Listening skills has got many
benefits in relation to a business field on occupational therapy. Some benefits resulting
from the quality level of listening are good partnership from one another, a friendship
mode ,improvement of business level and the progress of the business association,
(Candlin, 2011). Poor listening skills kill the morale of a group which cannot lend an ear

INCORPORATING INTERPRSONAL COMMUNICATION 4
to another member and as far as business is concerned, the people experience a great
downfall. Some of the basic features to consider when making use of the listening skills
are facing the speaker, attentiveness, an open mind as well as maintaining eye contact
with the one speaking coherently. They are key features in establishing effective listening
skills.
Feedback skills.
Giving feedback is an act of communicating with a person about an issue with the aim of
changing or affecting a certain behavior. The feedback more so must be effective. As
‘feedback’ is commonly used in communication theory, it is a necessary interpersonal
communication skill which when employed effectively enhances particular occupational
field which for instance in a business field. According to communication theory,
Mankind communication has to be complete for a chance of fewer or no doubts. The
sending or receiving of feedbacks therefore provides completeness of a communication.
There is a better way of delivering bad news while also giving a high performer
productive feedback. In business, the role of the manager is to give feedback to the
employers especially those who had no hope or expectations. This is a very important
skill of giving support to other people in the business you run and with the same
progressive use of the interpersonal communication skill, the business benefits (Bodie,
2011).Giving of feedback always occurs in two ways that is giving and receiving. In the
business firms the ability to develop both skills is so hard and for that reason many are
tempted to opt out. Also the act of receiving feedback in a wise way is a challenge
according to (Qu, Zhao & Sun, 2012). The way people should effectively give feedback.
Some ways that she mentions are by being selective; meaning to be able to plan well to

INCORPORATING INTERPRSONAL COMMUNICATION 5
ensure the feedback is surely helpful. Another aspect is by being gentle so that the
feedback that you give is able to influence a behavior at its best. The third is through
being encouraging so that it can lead to the overall success of the team. The other part of
receiving a feedback, it is essential to be attentive, getting engaged fully and by being
encouraged to be appreciative. This will enhance the trust and benefits to the success of
the business at large. (Candlin, 2011)
Questioning skills.
The power of the question as a skill in influencing occupational therapy is so big. The
questions a person asks is so important in gaining information and without the questions
it may lead to failure of interpersonal communication. When engaging in communication,
especially interpersonal, questioning always take the better part of the conversation and it
provides a basis through posing and answering of the questions. In the field of business,
entrepreneurs are basically succeeding with regard to their questioning skills that is
asking the right question at the right time for the right purpose and answering questions
asked appropriately. Consequently, in a workplace the questions that are posed to the
workers by colleagues or the manager help in maintaining the conversation of which the
communication skills are upheld. The answering of these questions also provide
knowledge enough to promote the business ventures of the particular business
(Bonsaksen, Myraunet, Celo, Granå & Ellingham, 2011).The following are benefits of
questioning: To obtain information, to help maintain a controlled conversation,
expressing an interest in another person, to test knowledge and to explore the difficulties
and the personality of another person. It also helps in impacting of further thoughts. In
groups of many the questions give an opportunity for introduction of discussion points

INCORPORATING INTERPRSONAL COMMUNICATION 6
and involve members to the group (Willard & Schell, 2014).Questioning also got a
special role that of psychology. It has a specific purpose of reading what the other person
thinks at that moment. Socratic questioning majors on getting to know answers, through
asking questions and it are as well, an advantageous skill to employ when in need of
answers. Whereby a question has to be formulated and asked to a person which will lead
to a successful answer. That is the benefit of questioning and when equipped with
questioning skills. The aspect of knowledge comes in context. According to Rezaei,
(2013) using Socratic questioning as a questioning skill enhances critical thinking
through various discussions and learning environments and the therapy is necessary in a
productive occupation.
Challenge To Incorporating Communication Skills In Occupational Therapy.
In a business occupation, and in relation to the therapist, there are specific challenges
which undermine the purpose of these communication skills. Some include the language
and linguistics differences which may hinder communication. People are of different
language origins and may not understand each other in respect to the language they
speak. Type of linguistics too may differ (Lexén & Bejerholm, 2015) . Psychological
states of the people such as stress will affect how the message will be sent, received and
to how it shall be perceived. Also physical and physiological barriers have become a
challenge hindering a successful incorporation of interpersonal communication skills in
business for progressive business opportunities.
Conclusion.

INCORPORATING INTERPRSONAL COMMUNICATION 7
In conclusion, communication skills is very necessary in a business as one occupational
therapy of discussion. Most people work as a team and therefore it needs be effective
communication skills for people to work as a team. In an instance where the workers and
partners do not talk with their bosses it is evident that no work is to be done for that
matter and it won’t be business as usual. Without involvement of the three interpersonal
communication skills, no occupational therapy is to be accomplished as such. Therefore
interpersonal communication skills are vital for a successful business. Communication
skills have got value in regard to occupational therapist. Some of the benefits for business
therapy include working as a team, managing diversity, surviving catastrophe which may
arise when things get tough, dealing will all sorts of problems as good communication
can solve all problems which are usually caused by the bad communication skills. Good
interpersonal communication skills deal with all sorts of problems in the relationship and
status of such a discipline. However it is important to note that incorporation of the
communication skills such as listening ,questioning and feedback skills in an
occupational therapy comes in with several challenges such us non-efficient working
conditions and failure to progress in a particular field such as business.
Recommendation.
 Every person to level up the communication skills through awareness and trying
to minimize the barriers of communication that are discussed above.
 Currently present through developing emotional intelligence to enhance
communication in most appropriate ways such the to imrove relationship of
colleagues in an occupation.

INCORPORATING INTERPRSONAL COMMUNICATION 8
 Taking interpersonal skills self-assessment to distinguish one’s strengths and
weakness is important so that every person dwells on the part he is best on and do
not become a hindrance to progress in a team of many.
 To totally encourage the incorporation of interpersonal communication skills to
business and other disciplines every time to positively influence such fields of
choice such as in business.

INCORPORATING INTERPRSONAL COMMUNICATION 9
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Bonsaksen, T., Myraunet, I., Celo, C., Granå, K., & Ellingham, B. (2011). Experiences of
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Communication and Interaction Skills in Mental Health Settings in Norway. British Journal Of
Occupational Therapy, 74(7), 332-338. doi: 10.4276/030802211x13099513661117
Candlin, C. (2011). Handbook of communication in organisations and professions. Berlin: De Gruyter.
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Willard, H., & Schell, B. (2014). Willard & Spackman's occupational therapy. Philadelphia:
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