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Writer's pictureMaria Repova

What Is Jakobson's Interpersonal Communication & How to Improve Your Positive Communication Skills

Updated: May 11, 2023


jakobson's interpersonal communication

Roman Jakobson was a Russian-American linguist and literary theorist who made significant contributions to the field of communication science. He is known for developing a model of communication that includes six factors: sender, receiver, context, message, channel, and feedback. Jakobson's model, often referred to as the "Jakobson communication model," Often added in an extra factor "interpersonal relationship".

When I studied communication science we went over the different levels of communication which are:

Communication Aspects; Positive Communication

My point of focus is interpersonal communication.


Interpersonal communication skills and personal growth are interconnected, just like a ripple effect. How we approach our intrapersonal communication impacts our inter and group communication, and vice versa. I'm not always certain which came first for me - my inter or intrapersonal communication - but I believe that working on both simultaneously is key to success.

There are many different theories, and we looked into many but more detailed the work of

1. Newcomb | 2. Shannon & Weaver | 3. Jacobson


For myself, the work of Jakobson is what I took to heart and have internalized.


The Steps in Interpersonal Communication


  • Sender- the person who originates the message. Also referred to as “speaker” by me.

  • Receiver- the person who receives the message. Also” listener” (Sender and receiver change place over the course of a conversation, If not it's a monolog, but then do we really communicate?)

  • Context- refers to the physical, social, and cultural factors that influence the communication process, such as time, place, and audience.

  • Channel- how the message is sent, such as face-to-face conversation, phone, email, or text. (When Jakobson created this theory there were such things as email text, and teleconference that he listed but today they are integrated channels we use)

  • Feedback- Feedback is the response to a message, which can be verbal or nonverbal.

  • Interpersonal relationship- The relationship between the sender and receiver can influence the communication process.

  • Noise- Noise refers to any interference or disruption in the communication process that can cause a message to be misinterpreted or misunderstood.



Challenges That Arise When We Communicate





The challenges are real. We have probably all had a conversation that did not go the way that we had intended. We cannot always put a finger on what made the hard, but we got a feeling that it did not go as well as we had planned. We have to be aware of the different layers of communication to know what to look out for. It is essential to know this to improve and ace your communication skills. Let's have a look at the conversation above as an example and ask few questions:

  • Is the internet connection OK or do we have disruption (noise) with it?

  • Can I see the person properly when we speak, as the nonverbal feedback- such as body language and facial expressions- will be lost unless I see the person.

  • Are the surroundings welcoming to talk in, or are there a lot of things going on? (Noise)

  • How is the interpersonal relationship between me and my counterpart? If I am a boss, I might act differently than if I have a meeting with my boss.

  • Is the meeting squeezed into just before another important task, and I am not paying attention to what is being said? (context+ noise)

As we saw in the video, there were few of "incorrect" parameters for positive communication.

  1. Internet was bad which hindered Tom and Michal from properly hearing and seeing each other.

  2. They were not in the same room and due to bad internet this made things worse

  3. Hard to understand the nonverbal feedback as they could not see each other properly

  4. Tom's screen was very small hence seeing even less.

  5. Tom seems to be Michal's boss and his growing annoyance seems to have a direct impact on Michal who grows nervous.

Both got confused, annoyed, irritated, and the conversation ended in a way that probably both of them had not planned. The message from both Tom and Michal was misunderstood, by each other, as the surrounding parameters were not optimal. Was this effective communication? I would not claim that and for sure not positive communication. Both came out feeling misunderstood and did not get out what they really wanted from the conversation. All due to external misunderstandings. These misunderstandings pay a risk that the teamwork will suffer if it happens many times over a period of time. Bad teamwork might be a factor in poor results and missed deadlines, as well as a decrease in well-being in the workplace. What should we do then? Just give up as we will not be able to change many of the parameters. Companies should promote professional development and work for increased communication skills



Solution at Hand to Promote Positive Communication


Of course, can not not just throw our hands in the air and say there is nothing to do. Things such as working from home, bad internet connections and not hearing people properly are things that are happening in our workplace now. To say that we have to ban working from home etc is not a solution that I am willing to give. WFH is here to stay and I think that is only positive. We have to think about how to add new skills to our professional development and how this will improve teamwork and well-being.

Working on your communication skills can greatly improve your professional (personal too) relationships because if fewer of the steps get incorrect, we have created bigger understanding, rapport, and connections, which leads to better teamwork. Below are a few tips that you can think about:


  1. Use active listening and give the person your complete attention. Make sure to ask follow-up questions to see that you have fully understood the intention of the other

  2. Recognizing and respecting personal differences; it helps to foster positive relationships between colleagues. E.g If someone expresses a feeling, acknowledge it.

  3. Avoid making assumptions about the other; When we assume things about someone based on our own biases or limited knowledge, we risk projecting our own thoughts and feelings onto them.

  4. Do not act in the moment; if you get annoyed or irritated, as in the video above. Do not act on it directly. Take time to think about what has happened, and then give your response. Often when we act in the moment that we feel what we feel, we tend to act differently than when we are calm.

  5. Reschedule; if the noise is overwhelming, as in the example above, reschedule your meeting! This will save time in the long run, as you run a lower risk of misunderstanding and irritation over outside elements that influence the meeting.



If You Do Not Know How to Implement or Improve Communication Skills- It Is Easy!

Last thoughts Positive Communication Skills.


Positive communication skills can improve your personal and professional relationships by helping you to express your thoughts and intent clearly. It will build connections and improve work relations. It should be seen as any other professional development tool that is promoted in the workplace, Additionally, you’ll be more able to understand and empathize with others thanks to your own introspection that takes place, once you start to think about how to communicate.

Embrace the fact that challenging conversations are an opportunity for growth and don't forget to wait until you feel calm and centered before addressing any hard issues!






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