Communication competence is the ability to achieve one's goals in a way that is personally acceptable and, ideally, acceptable to others. (Adler, 2013) Communication competence is the ability to choose communication behavior that is appropriate and effective for a given situation. Interpersonal competence allows you to achieve your communication goals without making the other party lose face. To communicate correctly and ideally you must first learn what is the best way to approach any situation and how it will be best accepted. Are you a competent communicator? There are many things that will help you communicate more efficiently. There are certain skills, communication knowledge, and self-assessment that need to be addressed to be a competent communicator. Effective interpersonal communication exists when the recipient interprets the sender's message the way the sender intended. So, to achieve this, you need to think about how you want your message to be received before you tell the person and then adapt how the actual message is conveyed. You should always be aware of how the recipient interprets and processes your message. The way to be sure is to continually ask for feedback on what meanings the recipient attaches to your messages. Focus on listening to what the other person says and make your message personal to the person. Making it personal also means making the message appropriate to the recipient's frame of reference. For example, the same message may vary if you're talking to your boss or colleague rather than your best friend. Make your messages specific and comprehensive. When you speak, include all the recipient's essential information in the...... middle of the paper ...... livery. Sometimes you can say what you want but in a different way. This does not mean that you are compromising your position or that you are not being true to yourself. It means you are working on yourself and expanding your communication skills. And if you think it's not worth it, then you're ignoring missed opportunities. “It doesn't matter whether we are arguing against a real opponent or against a simple proposal; in the latter case we still have to use the word and overthrow the opponent. Our principal also sticks to ceremonial speeches; the spectators by whom such a speech is put together are treated like the judge.” (Aristotle, 2004) Cite: Rhetoric by Aristotle, Courier Dover Publications, 2004Adler, Ronald B., Lawrence B. Rosenfeld, and Russell F. Proctor II. Interaction. The process of interpersonal communication. 12th ed. New York: Oxford UP, 2013. Print.