Quratulain IqbalLecturer, English Deptt.FUUAST
What is Interpersonal Communication?
Interpersonal communication is the process by which people exchange information, feelings, and meaning through verbal and non-verbal messages: it is face-to-face communication. Interpersonal communication is not just about what is actually said - the language used - but how it is said and the non-verbal messages sent through tone of voice, facial expressions, gestures and body language.
When two or more people are in the same place and are aware of each other's presence, then communication is taking place, no matter how subtle or unintentional. Without speech, an observer may be using cues of posture, facial expression, and dress to form an impression of the other's role, emotional state, personality and/or intentions. Although no communication may be intended, people receive messages through such forms of non-verbal behaviour.
Effective interpersonal communication helps us express ourselves and share our thoughts and opinions with the people around us. Notice  how this effects different areas of our lives, especially in our workplaces. 
To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others. ~ Anthony Robbins
Interpersonal communication is the process that helps us express our feelings, ideas, and thoughts and share them with the people around us. Efficient interpersonal communication is a very good quality that helps people in every aspect of life be it personal or professional. It is the process where a person expresses his thoughts, converts the thoughts into a well designed message and sends the message across a communication channel (oral, visual, written, etc) and the receiver receives the message and responds to the message and sends his reply via the communication channel. Interpersonal communication can be a formal dialog between two people at a workplace, or even an informal tête-à-tête between two friends. Communication can occur with or without words and through a number of communication media.
1. Oral Communication (Speaking face-to-face or on the phone)2. Written Communication (Writing emails, letters, instant messaging and texting)3. Visual Communication (Body Language or sign language)
Factors that Determine the Efficiency of Communication
1. Clarity of Message: The way in which the sender presents a message plays an instrumental role in the success or failure of the communication process. A message should be formulated taking into account the receiver's frame of mind and simple message formulation that conveys the correct meaning. 
2. Communication Channel: Choose the right communication channel according to the situation and the receiver. For example think whether in a particular situation having a face-to-face conversation would be a better option instead of speaking on the phone, or writing an email. 
3. Rapport between Sender and Receiver: If the sender and the receiver share a common background and have faced similar experiences, it increases the mutual understanding level and hence enhances the outcome of the communication process. The development of rapport will depend on the educational background, social background, family upbringing and the kind of experiences the person has come across.
Styles of Interpersonal Communication
There are various styles of this form of communication and that we adopt into our lives depending on how we need it. 
Controlling StyleThe controlling style is actually a style of interpersonal communication wherein the sender leaves little or no room for the receiver to provide feedback or reply. People who are generally senior in workplace hierarchy use it to communicate with their subordinates and although this style might prove to be an efficient form of communication during crisis situations, it can intimidate the receiver or the audience and can actually create a communication gap. 
Egalitarian StyleThe Egalitarian style is much more efficient than the controlling style since it facilitates healthy two-way communication wherein information is shared mutually. This style of communication encourages the participants to express their ideas and hence creates a cooperative and healthy atmosphere. 
Structuring StyleThe structuring style is generally used to communicate specific goals and bring coordination to an organization. To avoid making this a one-way conversation it is always better to modify this style and keep it more open to responses from the audience. 
Dynamic StyleThis style is a high-energy approach which involves use of motivating words and phrases to encourage the person to get inspired and achieve a certain goal. However this style cannot function when the receiver does not have enough knowledge about the required action desired out of him/her. 
Relinquishing StyleThe relinquishing style is highly open for ideas to the extent that it can transfer the responsibility of the communication to the receiver. This style of communication works well when the sender and the receiver are equally interested in carrying the conversation ahead. 
Withdrawal StyleIt is ironic to call this process a style of interpersonal communication since the withdrawal style is basically the failure or lack of communication. This is a style where a person shows complete disinterest to participate in the communication process or carry it forward.Four Principles of Interpersonal CommunicationThese principles underlie the workings in real life of interpersonal communication. They are basic to communication. We can't ignore them1. Interpersonal communication is inescapableWe can't not communicate. The very attempt not to communicate communicates something. Through not only words, but through tone of voice and through gesture, posture, facial expression, etc., we constantly communicate to those around us. Through these channels, we constantly receive communication from others. Even when you sleep, you communicate. Remember a basic principle of communication in general: people are not mind readers. Another way to put this is: people judge you by your behavior, not your intent.2. Interpersonal communication is irreversibleYou can't really take back something once it has been said. The effect must inevitably remain. Despite the instructions from a judge to a jury to "disregard that last statement the witness made," the lawyer knows that it can't help but make an impression on the jury. A Russian proverb says, "Once a word goes out of your mouth, you can never swallow it again."3. Interpersonal communication is complicatedNo form of communication is simple. Because of the number of variables involved, even simple requests are extremely complex. Theorists note that whenever we communicate there are really at least six "people" involved: 1) who you think you are; 2) who you think the other person is; 30 who you think the other person thinks you are; 4) who the other person thinks /she is; 5) who the other person thinks you are; and 6) who the other person thinks you think s/he is.We don't actually swap ideas, we swap symbols that stand for ideas. This also complicates communication. Words (symbols) do not have inherent meaning; we simply use them in certain ways, and no two people use the same word exactly alike.4. Interpersonal communication is contextualIn other words, communication does not happen in isolation. There is:• Psychological context, which is who you are and what you bring to the interaction. Your needs, desires, values, personality, etc., all form the psychological context. ("You" here refers to both participants in the interaction.)• Relational context, which concerns your reactions to the other person--the "mix."• Situational context deals with the psycho-social "where" you are communicating. An interaction that takes place in a classroom will be very different from one that takes place in a bar.• Environmental context deals with the physical "where" you are communicating. Furniture, location, noise level, temperature, season, time of day, all are examples of factors in the environmental context.• Cultural context includes all the learned behaviors and rules that affect the interaction. If you come from a culture (foreign or within your own country) where it is considered rude to make long, direct eye contact, you will out of politeness avoid eye contact. If the other person comes from a culture where long, direct eye contact signals trustworthiness, then we have in the cultural context a basis for misunderstanding.