What is communication?
Published 3:26 am, Tuesday, January 5, 2016
Have you ever stopped to really think about what communication is all about? When we hear the word communication, we automatically think it’s about expressing ourselves clearly in order to get our point across, but there is much more to communication than the verbal expression of our own thoughts. What roles do listening, reading and watching play in communication? I guess it depends on how you are trying to communicate with someone or someone is trying to communicate with you. There are three types of communication: verbal, nonverbal and written.
Verbal communication -- In an article, Kasia Mikoluk defines verbal communication as using spoken words to communicate a message. When most people think of verbal communication, they think of speaking, but listening is an equally important skill for this type of communication to be successful. Verbal communication is applicable to a wide range of situations, ranging from informal office discussions to public speeches made to thousands of people to conversation with friends, family or a significant other. One mistake people make in verbal communication is rather than actually listening to what someone is saying, they are actually just waiting to speak and whether you realize it or not, there is a difference. When you really listen to someone, you take in what they say, understand it and are actually able to see their point of view. On the other hand, if someone is talking to you but you are chomping at the bit to respond, you only heard enough to come up with your response to what they said, but you do not see the other person’s point of view. That may set you up for miscommunication and can actually steer a conversation in the wrong direction
Non-verbal communication - According to Mikoluk and an article in About Health, non-verbal communication includes body language, gestures (waiving, pointing, using fingers . . . uh, to indicate numeric amounts), facial expressions, paralinguistics (tone of voice, loudness, inflection in pitch), proxemics (personal space), haptics (communicating through touch) and even posture. Non-verbal communication sets the tone of a conversation, and can seriously undermine the message contained in your words if you are not careful to control it. Nonverbal communication plays an important role in how we convey meaning and information to others, as well as how we interpret the actions of those around us. The important thing to remember when looking at such nonverbal behaviors is to consider the actions in groups. What a person actually says along with his or her expressions, appearance and tone of voice might tell you a great deal about what that person is really trying to say.
Written communication - In an article, Nicole Papa stated the University of North Carolina defines written communication as clear expression of ideas in writing; includes grammar, organization and structure. Effective written communication is an important aspect of business and personal communication because it sends messages that are flat and lacking other elements of communication (verbal and nonverbal). Written communication can be confusing, offensive and ineffective if it is poorly written, uses vague terminology or doesn’t provide concrete definitions for the message attempting to be sent. Even though written communication has become integrated into daily life through email, text messaging and online chatting, it must be clear and effective enough that the recipients understand, know what is expected or know how to accomplish the goals. If it’s ineffective, more time will be spent attempting to clarify than was originally needed.
So the next time you try to communicate with someone, anyone, remember the different things involved in communication. One last very important thing to remember is people cannot read your mind. If you do not communicate with people (verbally, nonverbally or written), you cannot get mad at anyone for not knowing what you want or need or are thinking. In communication, there is a speaker and a receiver. If you’re not speaking, they’re not receiving. Think about that.
Take care and God bless.
JoAnn Rey is a Licensed Professional Counselor.