Over the course of the unit, we have used a wide range of interpersonal skills and communication techniques to communicate with our teams. These skills are useful if used correctly, but can also be detrimental to group work when they are overused or misused. Knowing how these skills work is vital for working well in a team situation and producing good work.
Interpersonal Skills
Verbal Exchanges: Signing, Lip Reading
Verbal exchanges are possibly the most important part of working in a team. By talking to your team members, you can communicate about the current task and learn about the thoughts and ideas of the other people in your team. This is the most common way of communicating as it is quick and easy. Lip reading and signing can also be used for people who have trouble hearing, although signing requires an understanding of sign language from both parties, which means that it is less likely to be an effective way of communicating. Although it is a good way to communicate, there is a danger of people going off topic and not focusing on the task at hand when they are talking to others in their group. Written messages can be used instead, which allows the team to write out their ideas in a clear and concise way, without veering off topic.
Nonverbal Exchanges: Body Language and Intonation
On the other end of the spectrum from verbal language, there is nonverbal language. The most common form of this is known as body language and in some cases, can be as useful and informative as verbal cues. Body language describes how a person moves and acts when they are addressing someone. By studying body language, you can assess the attitudes of people in your group, which allows you to change topic when they start to become bored, which will increase the level of information that is passed through the group. This can also be bad if a team member is displaying negative body language such as crossed