What is Communication?
Every communication involves a message, at least one sender, and a receiver. Good communication skills are essential for a positive and productive workplace. Often called interpersonal skills or soft skills, communication is the process of sharing information, knowledge, and data between individuals or groups.
While there are different types of communication, including verbal, nonverbal, written, and visual, communication itself is a complex topic influenced by many factors. This article will help you understand the different types of communication in more detail.
Communication is a process where messages are sent and received through both spoken and non-spoken methods. The sender shares a message, the receiver gets it and then gives feedback to the sender.
Communication can be done through talking, writing, or using visuals. It also involves factors like culture, tools used to communicate, and location. Although it seems simple, communication can be quite complex.
In simple terms, communication is a way of sharing thoughts, opinions, and ideas between people to help them understand each other better.
4 Types of Communication
There are four main types of communication:
Verbal: This type uses speech to share a message. It’s the most common and effective way to communicate, often used in video calls, phone calls, presentations, one-on-one talks, and meetings. It works well alongside nonverbal and written communication.
Nonverbal: This involves using gestures, facial expressions, and body language to send a message. It can happen intentionally or accidentally. For example, someone might smile without meaning to when they hear something pleasant.
Written: This type uses writing to communicate, like typing, printing, or writing letters, numbers, and symbols. It’s often used for record-keeping or to share information, such as in books, blogs, memos, and emails. In the workplace, email is a common form of written communication.
Visual: This includes using images, art, photos, charts, and drawings to convey information. It’s especially helpful in presentations to support spoken or written messages and create a visual impact.
Communication Process
Communication starts when a sender has an idea or thought they want to share. This thought is then sent to the receiver, who responds with feedback. The process includes seven main steps:
Sender: The sender is the person who comes up with the idea or message to share.
Encoding: The sender turns their thoughts into words or body language that the receiver can understand.
Message: After encoding, the sender has the message ready to send.
Communication Channel: The sender chooses how to send the message, such as by talking, writing, or another way, making sure the receiver can understand it clearly.
Receiver: The receiver gets the message and tries to understand it.
Decoding: The receiver interprets the message and tries to make sense of it.
Feedback: The last step is when the receiver responds to let the sender know the message was received and understood correctly.
FAQs on Types of Communication
1. What are the four main types of communication based on the communication channel?
The four primary types of communication, classified by the channel used, are:
- Verbal Communication: The use of spoken words to convey a message, such as in meetings, presentations, or phone calls.
- Nonverbal Communication: The transmission of messages without words, through body language, gestures, facial expressions, and tone of voice.
- Written Communication: Conveying information through written symbols, such as in emails, reports, memos, and letters.
- Visual Communication: The use of images, graphs, charts, videos, and infographics to share information and ideas.
2. What is the main difference between formal and informal communication in an organisation?
The main difference lies in their structure and purpose. Formal communication follows a pre-defined, official path within an organisation's hierarchy, used for official tasks like giving orders, making reports, and policy announcements. In contrast, informal communication (often called the 'grapevine') arises from social interactions, is unstructured, and does not follow official channels. It is faster but can also be less reliable.
3. How does upward communication differ from downward communication?
These are two types of formal vertical communication. Downward communication flows from a higher level in the hierarchy to a lower level, such as a manager giving instructions to a subordinate. Upward communication flows from a subordinate to a superior, for example, an employee providing a progress report, feedback, or suggestions to their manager. Downward is typically directive, while upward is often informative or responsive.
4. Can you provide examples for each major type of communication?
Certainly. Here are common examples:
- Verbal: A team leader conducting a morning briefing.
- Nonverbal: Nodding in agreement during a discussion or maintaining eye contact to show engagement.
- Written: Sending a formal email to a client or submitting a project report.
- Visual: Using a pie chart in a presentation to show market share.
5. What are communication barriers and how can they distort a message?
Communication barriers are obstacles that can interfere with the effective exchange of information, leading to misunderstanding or failure in communication. They can be semantic (wrong words), psychological (emotions, bias), organisational (complex structure), or personal (poor listening skills). For instance, using technical jargon (a semantic barrier) with a non-technical audience will distort the message's original meaning.
6. Why is choosing the right type of communication crucial in a business context?
Choosing the right communication type is crucial because it directly impacts efficiency, clarity, and relationships. For example, using an informal chat to convey a serious performance issue is inappropriate and ineffective. A formal, face-to-face meeting is better. Selecting the wrong channel can lead to misinterpretation, delays, a lack of official record, and a breakdown in professional conduct, ultimately affecting productivity and morale.
7. How can nonverbal cues completely change the meaning of a verbal message?
Nonverbal cues can reinforce, contradict, or substitute a verbal message. A person might say, "I'm open to feedback," but if they have their arms crossed, are avoiding eye contact, and have a tense facial expression, their nonverbal communication signals the opposite. In such cases, the receiver is more likely to believe the nonverbal message, as it often reflects the speaker's true feelings more accurately than their words.
8. In what business situation is diagonal communication more effective than traditional vertical communication?
Diagonal communication, which cuts across different departments and levels, is more effective than vertical communication for tasks requiring speed and inter-departmental collaboration. For instance, if a marketing executive needs urgent data from the IT department to finalise a campaign, communicating diagonally with an IT analyst is much faster and more efficient than going up the marketing hierarchy and then down the IT hierarchy (vertical communication).
9. How has the rise of digital communication affected the balance between formal and informal interactions at work?
Digital communication has significantly blurred the lines between formal and informal interactions. While email often serves as a channel for formal written communication, instant messaging platforms (like Slack or Teams) encourage a more informal, conversational style, even for work-related tasks. This has increased the speed and volume of communication but has also created ambiguity, as the tone and formality can be easily misinterpreted without face-to-face cues.
10. Why is 'listening' sometimes considered the fifth type of communication?
While not a channel for sending messages, listening is often called the fifth type because communication is a two-way process. Without active listening—understanding, interpreting, and evaluating the message—the communication loop is incomplete. Effective listening ensures that the message sent is the message received, preventing errors and fostering mutual understanding. It is a critical skill that underpins the success of all other communication types.
