Communication is an integral part of every relationship that you foster in your life, whether it be relationships in the workplace or at home. Each type of effective communication that you engage in has individual pros and cons that makes it ideal for some situations, and a poor choice for others. Knowing the types of communication available to you and the right way to use them can give you better control of your communication skills and allow you to improve for clarity and proficiency.
Face to Face
Face-to-face communication enables you to be able to see a person's expressions and reactions while communicating with him. Face-to-face communication is the most personal form of communication, says business website CIO.com, but many people neglect it, opting for easier forms of communication. Face-to-face communication is useful when delivering serious news or important information; your facial expression, tone of voice and body language are all taken into consideration along with the message.
Electronic Verbal
Electronic communication is used most often via the Internet and cell phones. Being able to communicate with little effort is attractive to some. Texting, email, social networking sites and instant messaging all can be used as forms of electronic communication. While most effective for quick information and to establish documents and an electronic paper trail, electronic communication is a poor way to communicate feelings, but valuable if used in a straightforward manner. Too often the message can be misconstrued without facial expressions and tone available.
Non- Electronic Verbal
Verbal communication constitutes communication that is completely without the benefit of being face-to-face with the other party. Done over the phone, via conferences or webinars, verbal communication allows you to convey the message with the right tone for the most clarity. Verbal communication is sometimes necessary when a face-to-face meeting simply isn't possible because of location and distance. Robert M. Krauss of Columbia Univeristy notes that verbal communication relies on the listener to correctly decipher the message behind the communication.
Written
Written communication is not used as frequently as it was before the technological development of email. But written communication is still necessary and can be effective to establish an official paper trail and give recipients a written copy and evidence of the message. Similarly, some official papers for court and government documents are only acceptable in written form. Written communication also can help you express yourself in an editable and personal way. Your writing skills will have a bearing on how effective written communication is for you, notes business website MindTools.com, and if your writing skills are not strong, you may want to choose another type of communication.
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