In the article “Principles of Supportive Communication”, published by Developing Management Skills, the author, Rogers, states that supportive communication should be problem-oriented rather than person-oriented. Instead of focusing on a person’s characteristics, supportive communication should focus on the behaviour which would cause the certain problem. Rogers mentions that to have the best interpersonal communication, it is important to ensure congruence when communicating. This means that it is necessary to make sure that what is felt is also delivered.

Supportive communication should be more descriptive compared to being evaluative. As evaluative communication comes off as being judgmental and offensive at times, this can cause arguments and weakening of the interpersonal relationship. Descriptive communication reduces defensive interaction as it becomes more objective which is based on the specific event, behaviour or circumstance. The focus is zoomed in on behaviours and reactions instead of the individual’s characteristics. Invalidating communication generates negativity in each individual’s self-worth, identity, uniqueness and most importantly denies their presence. Through validating communication, the involvement of two-way communication allows people to feel recognized, understood, accepted and valued, that their opinions are appreciated even in the worst case scenarios.

A clear supportive communication is necessary for better understanding of the opposite party. A blunt supportive communication contains extremes and absolutes which will only lead to pressure and confusion. Conjunctive communication allows flow in instruction and explanation. Only in cases like lack of equal opportunities or change in direction during a conversation should there be disjunction.

Supportive communication is all about personal rather than relative as the source of the ideas belongs to oneself instead of others. Lastly, Rogers also states that listening and responding effectively to someone else’s statement is as important as delivering a supportive message.

Completed along with: Rati, Ya Wen, Marcus

Every day people speaks to each other in a common language while illustrating the different styles of verbal and nonverbal interaction. In term of verbal interaction, the speaker sends his/her message across to the listener through words while the listener receives and decrypts the message through his/her ears and mind. As for nonverbal interaction, it could be an independent source of communication or works as a compliment or even distraction to verbal interaction. Most of the nonverbal interactions are visual, where one understands the meaning of the message through actions displayed by the sender. With these two forms of interaction, the world becomes a platform for information through actions and words.

Since young, I have lived under the care of my parents. My parents come from different kampongs of different countries and brought up my siblings and me humbly. My father is a quiet and logical man, responds to others with composure and assurance. In contrast, my mother is an extrovert woman who behaves more ‘dramatically’ in term of response and words. Once, I was caught in a dispute between the two of them. My mother was talking harshly from the kitchen, with her hands and legs moving actively as she speaks. On the other side, my father was reading the newspaper in the living room, replying to her calmly and with hardly any movements. Emotionally overwhelmed, my mother put down her work in the kitchen and stomped towards my father. Acknowledging my presence in the living room, she cooled down the moment she saw me on the coffee table doing my homework. She went on to have an effective conversation with my father and resolve the conflict quickly.

In the nutshell, different people from different culture shares different forms of verbal and nonverbal interaction. No matter how different they are, respect will prevent any unnecessary discomfort. Ultimately, we should pay close attention to our own verbal and nonverbal interactions in order to avoid dispute and improve communication with people around us.

 

Last Updated: 12^th April 2016

 

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Lin Zaw, Keryl Tham, Yar Zar ( 7 C’s )