Effective Verbal & Non-verbal Communication

Effective communication is the foundation for healthy relationships in the workplace, as well as in social and personal social settings. Through effective verbal and nonverbal communication, you are able to share your ideas, give your opinions, teach others and define who you are as an individual. You're also able to clearly understand others if they communicate effectively.

Verbal

Without effective verbal skills, you would be unable to give clear and accurate information to others, or to understand the information that others give to you. It's important to give the correct verbal information, because one wrong word can change a message, causing problems ranging from hurt feelings to major disasters. Consider, for example, a company that asks a bank to transfer $5.3 million instead of $3.5 million.

Nonverbal

According to Missouri Western State University's Laurel J. Dunn, you can decipher nonverbal communication beginning in early childhood, but your interpretation becomes more accurate as you grow older. Nonverbal cues are responsible for the vast majority of the message you send. Even if your verbal message is flawless, you still might communicate ineffectively. For example, if you are interviewing for a job and have excellent experience, education and appearance, you still might not get the job because you rarely make eye contact or look at the clock several times during the interview.

Listening

According to the University of Colorado, people often are distracted by other stimuli when they are supposed to be paying attention to a speaker. During an argument, people often formulate a response while the other person is talking, which leaves parts of the message unheard or misunderstood. Active listening involves clearing your mind of distractions and focusing entirely on the speaker. Once the speaker has completed talking, paraphrase what he said before replying. Active listening can bridge the gap between effective verbal and nonverbal communication.

Technology

As technology changes, so does the way you communicate. Not only does the style of transmission change, but the entire language has differences. A teenager does not need an explanation of "LOL", "BRB", or "TTYL", but a 60-year-old may not understand these more recent additions to language. In addition, e-mail, instant messenger, snail mail and social network websites all show verbal skills as a written language, but the message can still have nonverbal cues by using emoticons or writing with all capital letters. Since there are no nonverbal cues from body language through most communication technology, messages are easier to misinterpret than with face-to-face communication.

Self

Avowal and ascription are the two concepts involved in communicating your individuality. Avowal is how you portray yourself, and ascription is how others see you. According to Intercultural Communication in Contexts, there are three universal identities you give yourself. These include individualized, familial and spiritual. Some other identities include our sexual orientation, political stance and gender. Through verbal and nonverbal communication with others, your identities develop over time in many areas of your life, including your opinions, thoughts, clothing, friends, etc.