Communication is not just an art and science of expression but is much deeper than that. It is a way that links two parties to each other. It is the foundation of every business and management process.
It is through communication that two parties can set up a sense of trust, and feeling of union between them and productive communication ensures that a correct message is conveyed and is meant by the senders and receivers respectively resulting in increased understanding between the people, group, or organization.
What is Communication?
The conveying and communicating of various issues of interests which can be in the form of relevant information, speeches, debates, articles or anything written is called communication.
Words are not the only thing that helps in the communication process. Some actions like using body language to convey something also plays a very crucial role in the communication process. Communication can be anything through which one person interacts with others about anything.
Verbal communication is considered as the start of general communication. Often we take the help of words as a medium to communicate. Whether to make a general statement or to argue yourself out of any situation, verbal communication plays a very vital role in this matter.
Importance of Communication:
For instruction:
It provides a mean to command other individuals to perform certain duties. It is through communication that the person is able to deliver exact instruction to perform a specific job and thereby gaining a certain amount of control over the actions of the subordinates and juniors
For integration:
Communication provides a way to put together different individuals under one group. It helps to build a robust inter-personal relationship and can aid in making an understanding between different individuals to express their ideas and thoughts to others.
For information:
Without the presence of any means of communication, it will be very difficult to express the exact information of others. With effective communication in an organization, you will be able to complete its task on time and gain success in the future. Conveying correct and accurate information is not only important for the person concerned but is also vital for the organization as a whole.
For influencing:
Communication provides a way to persuade people to your way of thinking. It is because of the presence of a common means of communication that the people are able to tactically convey their message to influence and persuade people to think along their line of thinking. This can be a useful asset for managers.
For direction:
Communication provides a mean for higher authorities to give direction to the organization and provides directive to the juniors to act in accordance with the vision and aim of the organization. In short, followers follow the leader because of their effective means of communicating their idea to the audience.
Types of Communication:
Broadly communication can be classified into two types:
Verbal communication:
When the communication is done with the help of letters or symbols that carry specific meaning to the receiver then we say that the communication is in verbal form. The main advantage of one to one communication is that it is permanent and easy to understand.
When the information is conveyed through speaking i.e. by voice then the form of communication is called oral communication.
It provides a means of quick feedback and chance of clearing your doubt immediately. If the communication is done through written format then it is called written communication. Both are the subcategories of verbal communications
Non-verbal communication:
When the communication is in the form of signs, symbols or gestures which do not use any structured form of abstract letters or sounds to convey information, then we call it as non-verbal communication.
Examples of Verbal Communication:
- Verbal communication can be anything that is represented through words or any communicating medium. It can be of two types- oral and written broadly. Oral communication includes something like speaking, singing or answering and questioning. There are also some benefits of oral communication and the limitations of oral communication.
- Written communication includes exams, written interviews or translation or something that requires writing as a medium to communicate. Some special people who are unable to communicate orally opt for written ones.
Advantages of Verbal Communication Skill:
It saves time:
You can give direct orders to your subordinates. Get instructions on a matter within a few minutes. Convey your message at a rapid speed. The verbal form of communication gives you this facility to quickly send intended message thus saving you time. Also, you won’t need to grope for sign languages. Just write or say it and you will understand within a fraction of a second.
It saves you money:
If most of the information is considered to be verbal then you won’t be wasting energy and money on explaining things differently. All you need is a medium to speak or write and your work would be done. Also, fewer chances of getting misinterpreted as everyone receiving the instructions are able to understand the common language between you.
Feedback quickness:
The distinct advantage of verbal communication is in the fact that the receiver can ask and clarifies his doubt on the spot without any delay. The sender can get quick feedback as to whether his intended message is received in its intended form or not and can clarify the receiver, in the case of any doubt. Additionally, the difficulty is removed in communication.
Most convenient method:
Yes, verbal communication is the most widely adopted means of communication globally. People prefer more of verbal communication due to the convenience factor dominating over other types of communication. While communicating verbally, you are more likely to convey matter simply in plain readable text and understandable language which is widely preferred.
Persuasion in the act:
Managers can use it to their advantage to make their point more powerful and persuasive. In combination with non-verbal language, a person can peruse the other on any matter.
Ease of preparation:
Oral communication is the easiest way of communication as it does not have any need for material to convey the message. Therefore casual conversations are usually easy to conduct.
Maintain secrecy:
It can be very useful in case you want to maintain secrecy about a matter as there is no way to prove what you said. Private conversations can be easily conducted through one to one discussions and privacy is well maintained if proper instructions regarding this matter are provided to concerned individuals.
Clarity of message:
If the message provided is in written format, the receiver can re-read the contents and clarify any doubt on the later moment. Therefore sometimes written format can have an extra edge over oral one in this matter.
Legality of the content:
As the documents can be reproduced, the written format has legal importance. Many people prefer to communicate in the written or oral format in case of important discussion. These conversations can be stored or recorded for future use as evidence to some crime or as legal documents which can be of very much important in many things.
Disadvantages of Verbal Communication:
Chances of distortion of meaning:
Due to the presence of various barriers in effective communication, it happens that the intended meaning of the message changes for the intended person which causes a lot of problems in the future.
There are some instructions provided. If the instructions are not conveyed properly it may cause its meaning to change and therefore the other person might do the opposite of what you expect, therefore clarity in giving the instructions should be maintained.
Not convenient for long messages:
It is not at all convenient to convey long messages orally as it may happen that by the time message is completed, the receiver may forget the previously spoken important points leading to a chance of ineffective communication. As a result, the written format can be used which is also a problem since many people don’t like writing too much or communicate too much through messages or written format.
Irrelevant information:
While having an important discussion, a lot of irrelevant information can creep in during a conversation leading to a waste of time and gap in the relevant information. This leads to unnecessary time waste and sometimes omitting or forgetting to converse on what is really important. Therefore it is always necessary to keep your communication process clear of any unwanted discussion that may lead to wastage of your precious time and energy.
Create a misunderstanding:
Usually, when two individuals are having deep conversations, they can have some misunderstandings during the time. Sometimes subtle hints given or some words spoken with some intention get misinterpreted and a whole new different meaning comes out of it. Thus it becomes crucial to know that what you have spoken or written has a crystal clear meaning with no indirect hints that could make a conversation difficult.
Communication cost:
Sometimes verbal communication can be really expensive if you need to communicate in a language that you are not familiar with. You will need another person to play the part for you. Also, paper works and other mediums require expenses to be fulfilled for this communication purpose.
Too many ways of communicating:
There are thousands of languages used all over the world for the purpose of communication. And it is not possible for one person to know all of them. So intercultural communications become a headache as you will need a third party to understand and communicate. Therefore verbal communication is at a disadvantage at this point.
No rectification:
Sometimes fixing small mistakes becomes a headache while doing verbal communication. Errors, like typing errors or speaking out wrong thing whether you are in for some official or personal matter, can actually ruin your whole intention of communication. So while you are communicating verbally, it is very much necessary to do the correct speaking or writing to avoid unnecessary hostility.
Maintenance cost:
Many resources and money are spent in preserving records which includes speech recordings or records in a written format that result in additional financial loads. Time and proper maintenance is required to preserve and protect these records for additional use which sometimes can cost arms and legs to a particular person.
Examples of Non-Verbal Communication:
Non-verbal communication is the indirect means of communication which usually includes some gestures and sign languages. Some signs are understood beyond mere words. There are signs and gestures that do tell us many things about a certain individual and what he/she is trying to communicate. Some of them are:
Facial expressions:
Include eye contacts, eye movements, eyebrow signs, lip movements or as a whole expression from the face can communicate widely.
Hand movements:
Also, your hand movements can convey many things like what do you think of the situation or what should you do. Waving gently is bidding goodbye, whereas waving vigorously can mean to attract attention to something. Placement of your hand is also important. Placing them on your hips says differently than crossing them over your chest.
Leg movements:
Direct and indirect leg movements like shaking or twisting can also communicate different things.
Sitting posture:
This can tell a lot of things about the individual person. The way a person sits and carries himself/herself is very important.
Touch:
Different types of touches can mean different things like touching lightly can mean a casual call while grabbing and shaking can define urgency.
Dance:
Thousands of culture globally and each culture has its own dance form. Dancing is an art of performing various movements using body parts to convey a story or message non-verbally. Dance forms can be both traditional and modern.
Some classical dance forms give us messages about history through repetitions of movements. At the same time, modern dance can convey various social issues happening globally at present or give us a romantic appeal.
Conclusion:
Verbal communication is the most efficient way of communicating between two personnel or groups. The verbal communication provides you the mean to handle the everyday task with ease and helps in getting a quick result as the feedback is quick and the message conveyed in verbal format is quick and direct to the point. Verbal communication forms a great chunk of our daily communication.
Therefore, it is very important for a person to be capable of producing good verbal skills that should be flawless in this medium of communication.
