Interactive and Effective Communication

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Interactive and Effective Communication
People respond to various issues differently which at times leads to conflicts. During conflicts, it is unusual to find the concerned parties listen to each other. The best way to resolve a conflict is to employ listening skills which would help resolve the issue. A type of conflict that demonstrates effective and interactive communication is the one that the participants were prepared to listen to each other. Listening helps in resolving of misunderstandings. In our life, we find ourselves at loggerheads with our peers. For instance, while playing basketball, I have witnessed a situation where players have resolved issues using amicable means. The players were able to listen to each other which led to an understanding of the underlying situation. They demonstrated great listening skills and both parties could understand each other. Listening helps us process inferences regarding the experiences at hand (Brower and Jana 2). Listening is an essential part of effective communication which helps to develop response and solve the conflict.
Communication roadblocks arise whenever both parties in a conflict do not understand each other. I have witnessed a conflict situation between two students that did not apply effective communication since concerned parties applied criticism, defensiveness, and contempt. The two students employed criticism while resolving the issue and they ended up attacking the personality of the other parties.

Sometimes, it is acceptable to complain about the other person’s actions, but it is wrong to attack the person and put them down due to their actions. When arguing, it is essential to concentrate on the person’s behaviors and not the person himself (Brower and Jana 2). Employing criticism leads to communication breakdown due to the use of inappropriate body language such as eye rolling, name calling, and cutting remarks. Defensiveness, on the other hand, escalates the conflict. When parties are defensive, it is unusual that they would be listening to the person’s views which eventually lead to communication shut down.

Works Cited
Brower, Naomi, and Jana Darrington. “Effective communication skills: resolving conflicts.” (2012).