Types of Communication and How To Improve Them

The workplace is just one of the many places where we regularly engage in communication. Communication is vital for many different reasons, including making connections, exchanging ideas, assigning tasks, leading a team, and many others. This is true whether you're nodding your head slightly in agreement or presenting information to a huge gathering.

Investing time and effort into honing your verbal and nonverbal communication abilities will pay dividends throughout your professional life. While it takes time and practice, communication and interpersonal skills are undoubtedly feasible to be both strengthened and perfected.

Types of communication

The techniques in which we communicate with one another are varied. For example, you might employ verbal communication when presenting a presentation with a group. Emails and resumes are two examples of written communication. Here's a deeper dive into the four major classes of speech:

1. Verbal

Talking or signing to convey information is an example of verbal communication. It's one of the most popular formats, and it comes in handy in a variety of situations, including talks, phone calls, video chats, and face-to-face meetings. Verbal exchanges are crucial due of their effectiveness. Complementing spoken communication with written and nonverbal cues can be effective.

2. Nonverbal

Body language, gestures, and facial expressions are all forms of nonverbal communication. It has a dual purpose and can be employed on purpose or accidentally. When you hear something interesting or exciting, you could smile unconsciously. Understanding the intentions and emotions of people is facilitated by paying attention to their nonverbal cues.

People that exhibit "closed" body language, such as by crossing their arms or hunching their shoulders, may be experiencing negative emotions. Their "open" body language, where they have both feet on the floor and their arms are at their sides or resting on the table, indicates that they are in a good mood and ready to listen.

3. Visual

Visual communication is the process of conveying ideas and concepts by visual means such as pictures, drawings, sketches, charts, and graphs. Presentations benefit greatly from the incorporation of visuals to supplement the written and/or spoken word. Due to individual differences, some people may find it easier to absorb information if it is presented in a visual format.

4. Written

Using symbols like letters and numbers on paper or a computer screen to express meaning is called written communication. It's useful since it preserves data in a searchable format. Writing is often used to disseminate knowledge through books, pamphlets, blogs, letters, memos and more. Workplace writing communication typically takes the form of email or online chat.