How to Make Decisions Using Effective Interpersonal Communication

Effective interpersonal communication is a necessity for success in any field.

Gathering information from informants, before making a decision, often increases the likelihood that any decision made or course of action taken is what's best for an individual and his family or business. Consequently, effective interpersonal communication strategies are crucial to the decision making process. To that end, consider the following when collecting information from others, which is intended to help in the decision making process.

Instructions

1. 

   Be clear and concise when communicating with informants.

   Pose clear questions to informants from the start as effective interpersonal communication relies on a clear and understandable exchange between individuals. Vague queries will fail to provide clear guidance for an informant. If you are looking to hire an accountant, you would ask a colleague, "Who's good with calculations?" or, "Who's a certified accountant with experience in our industry?"

2. 

   Choose distraction-free areas for effective interaction.

   Interact with informants in a quiet space to reduce the risk of misunderstanding. As for use of digital resources (texting, email, etc.), such devices can be effective formats for communication. However, skip the use of abbreviations and shorthand as the other party may be unfamiliar with words or symbols used.

3. 

   Building on long-standing relationships makes it easier to effectively communicate.

   Collaborate with informants with whom you have a track record of successful partnerships. In deciding whom to hire to babysit, will a parent trust a stranger's recommendation over a friend he or she has known for years? Not likely. Likewise, from the informant's standpoint, individuals will arguably feel more responsibility to a friend than a stranger. Consequently, establishing and maintaining a line of communication with an informant is an effective strategy for decision-makers.

4. 

   Verify all information received by informants.

   Corroborate any data you acquire to verify input from friends and strangers alike. If you pass on information that is inaccurate, you could damage your reputation, which will make it difficult to effectively communicate in the future.

5. 

   Be patient with informants, or any communication will be strained.

   Give informants and colleagues time to gather information. If a decision-maker does not provide adequate time for an informant to gather facts, critical data may be overlooked by the informant. Likewise, rushing an informant may irritate or antagonize him. In turn, the information provided to the decision-maker may be half-heartedly collected, lacking vital information. Not such a big deal in selecting a place to eat lunch, but critical when picking a school district for a child.

Tips & Warnings

• Always be cordial with those you interact with; you never know when you may need an informant's help in the future. Likewise, thanking those that assist you in making a decision goes a long way toward creating a solid network of informants.

• Making a decision usually hinges on communicating with family, friends, colleagues and strangers. If the decision maker effectively communicates with others, courses taken and choices made will likely lead to a good result. On the other hand, failing to effectively communicate could lead to a range of poor decisions.

References

• Referece for Business: Interpersonal Communication