Assignment on Interpersonal Communication and Relationship Maintenance

This assignment analyzes the concept of interpersonal communication, specifically focusing on relationship maintenance. It begins by defining the concept and then presents a real-life example where the student had to balance professional and personal obligations. The student describes a situation where they successfully managed to fulfill both their work responsibilities and their commitment to their wife, demonstrating effective communication and problem-solving skills. The assignment then justifies how the example aligns with the concept of relationship maintenance, highlighting the consideration shown to both parties involved. Finally, the assignment analyzes the communication strategies employed, emphasizing the relational and instrumental goals achieved through the chosen approach. The student's decision to work from home allowed them to meet both their professional and personal commitments, thus maintaining positive relationships with their manager and wife. The assignment concludes with references to relevant academic sources.

Running Head: Interpersonal Communication
Communication Application Exercise

Interpersonal Communication 1
Table of Contents
Definition of Concept:................................................................................................................2
Example of own behavior regarding this concept:.....................................................................2
Justification of the example fitting the chosen concept:............................................................3
Analysis of own message in goal achievement:.........................................................................3
References:.................................................................................................................................4

Interpersonal Communication 2
Definition of Concept:
The chosen concept for this analysis is ‘Relationship Maintenance’. It refers to all the
communications and interactions undertaken by a person to ensure a healthy relationship at
professional or personal fronts of life. Relationship maintenance is extremely essential to
form trusted and warm relationships within family and workplace (Canary & Yum, 2015).
Example of own behavior regarding this concept:
In my life I have come across various situations where I had to communicate in such ways
that ensure relationship building and maintenance. As for example, during my career there
was an instance when I was asked to work on a Sunday, though officially it was my holiday.
My manager called me up and said that due to the extreme work pressure some of the
employees will have to attend the office on Sunday. But, I had made some plans with my
family as it was my wife’s birthday. Hence, I was in a dilemma as to whether I should say no
to my manager or cancel the family outing with my wife. In such a situation I had to ensure
that my interpersonal communication was effective and diligent such that I do not end up
hurting the sentiments of both my manager and my wife. So, I decided that I will not visit the
office in person but will work from home to address the issues. This will enable me to finish
my task and at the same time go on a dinner date with my wife on her birthday. I proposed
my stand to work from home to my manager and he accepted my request. I finished my task
and took my wife out for dinner. Hence, I can say that I successfully maintained my personal
and professional relationships on that particular incident. I personally believe that to be
successful in life, we should respect our personal as well as professional relationships
equally.

Interpersonal Communication 3
Justification of the example fitting the chosen concept:
My given example fits in the category of ‘Relationship Maintenance’ because I have shared
an incident that describes demonstration of respect to both personal and professional
relationships. I neither disappointed my manager nor did I hurt my wife by choosing a
considerate approach that takes care of both of their demands.
Analysis of own message in goal achievement:
The interpersonal communication that I discussed earlier encompasses a scenario where I had
to face an ethical dilemma as to whether I should listen to the requests of my manager or my
wife when I am in a challenging situation. The case that has been discussed contains
relational as well as instrumental goals. The relational aspect involved my manager and my
wife. The instrumental goals consisted of my achievement of the assigned task and the
responsibility of taking my wife to dinner on her birthday. It offered a situation of dilemma as
to which choice should be made so that both of the objectives can be achieved without
agitating either of the parties (Stonebridge College, 2015). In this regard, I can say that the
choice that I made was prudent and effective as it took care of both my professional and
personal relationships and thereby facilitated effective relationship maintenance. My decision
made it possible for me to achieve a much desired outcome that pleased my manager and also
my wife.

Interpersonal Communication 4
References:
Canary, D. J., & Yum, Y.‐O. (2015). Relationship Maintenance Strategies. Wiley Online
Library, n.a.
Stonebridge College. (2015). Relationship maintenance strategies. Retrieved from
stonebridge: https://www.stonebridge.uk.com/blog/psychology/relationship-
maintenance-strategies