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Interpersonal Communication Survey
Your survey results are strictly confidential

Copyright © 2002 by Andrew LeCompte

Interpret Your Results

The Problems

1.   A "yes" answer.
Conflicts at work are emotionally taxing and cause people to drag their feet. Work becomes less productive and less enjoyable for everyone. Interpersonal conflict is the largest controllable cost in the workplace today.  Back to Survey    On to the Solution

2.   A "yes" answer.
Perhaps your anger comes out too quickly, upsetting others. Anger inappropriately expressed causes resentments that can leave you isolated. Or perhaps you bottle your anger up in the moment and are left feeling walked over and frustrated. Back to Survey    On to the Solution

3.   A "yes" answer.
Few experiences are less pleasant than having an angry person in your face. Yet whether you get angry yourself or knuckle under, it seems as though no good can come from the situation. Back to Survey   On to the Solution    .

4.   A "yes" answer.
Having a good idea but not having its value effectively understood and appreciated by others is disappointing. Many creative solutions are lost because the communicator doesn't have an effective approach. Back to Survey    On to the Solution

5.   A "yes" answer.
Timely feedback and coaching is the most powerful way to develop good performance. Yet the majority of mangers and supervisors don't take full advantage of this golden opportunity or even miss it entirely. This simple omission creates a negative drag on performance. Back to Survey   On to the Solution  .

6.   A "no" answer.
Not being acknowledged when you have put yourself out to do a good job is de-motivating. Back to Survey   On to the Solution

7.   A "no" answer.
Conflict is a daily occurrence. Many people, however, shy away from directly confronting a conflict situation. That is often because their experience has shown them that their interventions are unlikely to significantly improve the situation, and may even make it worse. When a group does not have a way to handle conflict its effectiveness dies.  Back to Survey   On to the Solution

8.   A "yes" answer.
One person's behavior can make a whole department of people miserable. The situation may go uncorrected for a long time or the individual may be inappropriately fired. Back to Survey   On to the Solution  .

9a., b., c., d., e, f., g.  A "yes" answer.
These are all common negative results of conflict and ineffective communication. Back to Survey   On to the Solution

 

The Solutions

1. .An effective training program in interpersonal communication, with an emphasis on practical conflict resolution, empowers employees to promptly resolve their conflicts. This creates a cooperative environment and results in increased productivity. In many cases the increased productivity, savings of manager's time and reduced employee turnover pay for the program ten times over within one year.  An effective program incorporates training in "true empathy."

 2. .We all feel anger when we experience someone treating us rudely or unfairly. We need to know how to control our initial impulses, to center ourselves. Then we need to be able to speak in such a way that does not trigger anger or defensiveness in the other person so they can fully hear what we have to say.

3. .Centering ourselves emotionally is essential in the presence of an angry person. Then we need to be able to bring the angry person back into emotional balance through a process of active listening that helps them identify their positive intention. In this way we shift their emotional energy away from attacking us and toward cooperating in bringing about a positive resolution. Both parties experience great relief.   Back to the Problem

4. .There are many components to influential communication, the most powerful of which concern the emotional competence of the speaker. A person who can connect and understand another person at the level of feeling and positive intention is the  person most likely to influence them to change their thinking or behavior.

5. .Managers and supervisors need to know how deliver feedback that will motivate employees positively. Simply calling attention to a person's mistakes does not do this. Nor, over the long run, will threats and punishment   bring positive results from employees. Effective coaching requires several skills, the first of which include: assessing the situation accurately, empathizing with the individual, communicating a compelling vision, and establishing clear expectations. These skills can be learned through practice.    Back to the Problem

6. .Without the reinforcement of acknowledgment and appreciation our motivation flags and our relationships grow stale. No personality type has a monopoly on the ability to give these things to another. The essential requirement is that they be given genuinely and that they touch the other person in a meaningful way.

7.  .The only effective, long-term solution to an interpersonal conflict is to have the two people communicate with each other and resolve it. Groups made up of individuals who face and resolve conflicts quickly attain peak performance.

8. .An individual whose behavior is upsetting others needs help. Often their behavior is simply all they know, the model they learned growing up. Such people can readily learn new ways of behaving, either in group training sessions or through one-on-one coaching.    Back to the Problem

9. .The good news is that stress, low morale, avoidance, withholding, complaining and foot-dragging can all be dramatically improved when people learn how to effectively listen to others and speak to others, especially when they are upset.    Back to the Survey

Thank you for taking the survey.

To meet the needs of your organization please look at the Let's Talk corporate communication programs.

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