What is Communication?

Seeing the widespread presence, unending relevance, and eternal significance of communication, folks get confused about ‘what is communication actually’.

If you are also amongst those then let me tell you that it just can’t be completely depicted in one line or paragraph. It requires a proper understanding of different interrelated concepts, history, and types of communication.

However, in the simplest form, communication can be understood as a medium for sending and accepting messages.

Another definition of communication considers it as the demonstration of exchanging messages, information, data, and signals via verbal and nonverbal means.

While discussing what communication is, experts suggest different concepts, and we will start this post by delving into those concepts first. So, let us start delving into different concepts of communication.

When you discuss the paradigms of communication, you basically can’t stop at one section, as it rises above psychology, physiology, and technology.

Communication applies to the interchanges all through human beings, other creatures, nature, communities, businesses, countries, and so forth.

Different forms of communication that take place in our personal, as well as professional lives, come into this. Some of those are-

Regular Communication
Business Communication
Technical Communication
Online communication
Personal Communication
Spiritual Communication
Celestial Communication

From the miniaturized scale elements in the earth to the macro elements in the space to human beings, other creatures to machines, all are interconnected through one or other form of communication.

This way, communication is a ceaseless arrangement of sharing information, feelings, and presence that starts during childbirth and finishes at death – even previously and beyond that as well.

The manner in which we convey our feelings, thoughts, presence, or inclinations regularly involves words and a whole world more than words- means verbal and non-verbal forms of communication.

Now, after being aware of different concepts of what is communication, the time has come to delve into different types of communication. So, let us get started with that-

Types of Communication

As we had discussed, there are a few unique ways to communicate with each other. Primarily, there are four classifications of communication and we are going to discuss that here and now-

1. Verbal Communication

We use this type of communication to share our ideas, information, or thoughts by speaking or by using sign language.

Whenever we communicate using one or other forms of words/sounds, it is verbal communication. It is frequently utilized during face to face conversations, conferences, presentations, public speaking, calls, and so on.

It is significant on the grounds that it is something we use our inherent characteristic of speaking through words or sounds. Some of the times, other types of communication are used for supporting verbal communication as well.

Verbal communication can further be classified into four different parts and they are-

Intrapersonal Communication- this type of verbal communication is the silent conversation that we do with ourselves.
Interpersonal Communication- This is the second type of verbal communication which is also understood as one-on-one conversation and in this, two individuals talk with each other.
Small-Group Communication- when communication occurs amongst more than two people then it is group communication.
Public Communication- when one person addresses a large gathering of listeners then it is understood as public speaking

Now, after being aware of different types of verbal communication, you should also have a look upon some of the key verbal communication skills-

Be friendly
Think before you speak
Be clear
Do not talk too much
Be your authentic self
Incorporate humility
Speak with the confidence
Have the right body language
Be concise
Master the art of listening
Read more
Think about the words you use
Do proper preparation
Show and seek some understanding
Have power acceptance
Understand other’s perspectives
Develop key verbal skills
Know the right balance between verbal and nonverbal signals

2. Nonverbal Communication

In this type of communication, different non-verbal signals come into play.

Our stances, gestures, postures, eye movements, facial expressions, and other forms of outward appearances enable us in communicating different thoughts and perceptions.

Non-verbal forms of communication tend to be utilized both deliberately and inadvertently. Such a form of correspondence is useful when attempting to comprehend others’ considerations and sentiments.

The effectiveness of nonverbal communication can be quite crucial in setting up a particular type of environment around you. Let us go through them-

Environments Nonverbal Communication can create around you-

Intellectualism
Maturity
Optimism
Willingness to take the adventure
Family orientations
Politeness
Tenseness
Artistic interests
Graciousness
Privacy
Quietness

Your nonverbal habits also play a crucial role in conveying the tendencies of your personality. For instance, if you want others to find you confident, you need to incorporate the following nonverbal traits in you-

Good eye contact
A confident handshake
Effective gestures
Dressing the part
Authoritative posture and presence
Appropriate facial expressions
Initiating interactions
Right voice tone and attention upon paralanguage
Giving complete attention
Responding to nonverbal cues of others’
Know the right physical space and touch

Finally, let us have a look at some key hacks of improving nonverbal communication-

Key Hacks to Improve Nonverbal Communication Skills

Do not slouch means don’t stand, sit or move in a lazy manner
Control your smiles or laughter when topics being discussed are serious
Use hands and facial expression to display some animation in your presence but do not use hands excessively
Don’t have things or behavioral patterns that could distract communication
Big not to fidgeting and shaking of limbs
Opt for frequent eye contacts but do not have piercing and constant contacts while facing an interview
Have a proper focus on the process
Adeptly shift eye contact with different members while facing group interview or doing public speaking
You should introduce yourself with an appealing smile and approachable handshake
Do not frequently touch your face and hair
A big no to interruption, instead of listening carefully to respond accordingly is a big plus
Don’t have folded arms as it shows defensiveness
Use voice modulation to show excitement
Use punctuation adeptly to emphasize key points
Do nodding when you understand something
Observe nonverbal signal of listeners and respond accordingly
Do not give fake laughter as a response to someone’s sense of humor
A big no to looking at your phone, clock or making other signs that show disinterest
Maintain calmness in nervous situations
Do not give monotone delivery

3. Written Communication

When words, symbols, letters, images, etc are written to convey any idea, information, and perception then it is a written form of communication.

This type of communication is useful in light of the fact that it gives a record of data to reference.

The written form of communication is usually used to share information, idea, and thoughts through books, blogs, online journals, pamphlets, letters, notices, and many more.

In the professional sphere, emails, messages, and chats are the typical types of written communication.

Some of the places where your written communication skills are tested are-

On your resume
In your cover letter
In your job interview
In your thank you letter
In emails
In your presentations and reports
In memos
In Faxes
In employee manuals
In instant messages
In crisis communication

Next thing integral to the effectiveness of written communication is written communication skills, so let us dive into some of those skills as well-

Clarity
Conciseness
Tone
Active voice
Grammar and Punctuation
Word Choice
Planning and Preparation
Formatting
Editing

You should also be aware of common grammatical errors in written communication such as-

Use of Effect or Effect
Use of Then or Than
Use of Your or You’re
Use of Its or It’s
Use of Company’s or Companies, etc.

Now, the final step of mastering what is communication in written form is the composition and style that you choose for your piece. Some common steps here can be-

Starting with your audience
Creating an outline
Using Attention-Interest-Desire-Action (AIDA) formula
Incorporating some empathy by telling how your piece will do value addition
Incorporating rhetorical triangle- to communicate why the audience should listen to you, to pitch message engagingly, & to present all the info and details coherently and logically
Finding out your main theme
Opting for simple and impressive language

4. Visual Communication

When you use photos, drawings, art, outlines, diagrams, graphs, charts, etc to convey your information, idea, or thoughts, it is visual communication.

Visual communication is more prominently used as a guide during presentations.

It is useful in supportive verbal or written communication by depicting the contexts via relevant visuals. Since individuals grasp things more easily if shared via visual means, this form of correspondence may be progressively useful for sharing your ideas more convincingly.

Some of the visual abilities that play a crucial role in visual communication are-

Visual Literacy
Visual Reasoning
Spatial Analysis
Visual Analytics

Your artistic and professional skills also play a crucial role in visual communication. Let us have a look upon those as well-

Artistic and Professional Skills used in Visual Communication-

Aesthetic Sense
Design Sense
Artistic Sense
Cultural Sense
Style
Art
Illustration
Graphic Design
User Interface Design (e. g. Web Design)
Typography
Page Layout Design
Photography
Photo Editing

Next thing that is important for understanding ‘what is communication via visual means’ is information visualization. Some of the elements of information visualization are-

Visual Expression of Emotion
Visual Expression of Concepts
Simplifying Complex Ideas
Technical Drawings
Engineering Drawings
Scientific Diagrams
Diagrams
Graphs
Heatmaps
Flow Charts
Data Flow Diagrams
Mindmaps
Concept Maps
Maps (Cartography)
Statistical Graphics
Timelines
Hierarchies
Network Visualization (Representing Relationships)
Argument Maps
Symbols

And finally, you should be aware of the contemporary techniques used in visual communication, so let us go through them as well-

Using Visualization Tools
Computer-aided Design
Information Architecture
Visualization Standards (e. g. UML)

Now, after being aware of different types of communication, the next thing you should learn is the communication process. So, let us have a closer look upon that as well-

What is the Communication Process?

A communication process revolves around a few simple steps.

In this, a sender sends message in encoded form as per the communication channel used in the process. Then, the receiver receives the message, decodes its meaning.

Now, the receiver will share the feedback by following the same channel and practice. So, the receiver will encode the feedback and send it to the sender who will decode it and comprehend it.

Here, feedback of the receiver while going through a communication channel may face some barriers. For proper communication, these barriers should be understood properly by all the associated parties, so the information, ideas, or viewpoints can be conveyed without any misunderstanding or misinterpretation.

The use of techniques like reflection or clarification by the receiver can also be quite useful in ensuring that message is accurately conveyed.

Let us now have a look upon some of the barriers of effective communication-

What is the Communication Barrier?

Such barriers can distort the significance and importance of your message, and that is why, for effective communication, you should know about below give barriers to communication-

The use of jargon, unfamiliar and complicated terms
Emotional barriers and taboos
Lack of interest and attention
Distractions and irrelevant to receiver
The difference in the perceptions
Not understanding the nonverbal signal used with verbal communication
Language difference
Preconceived notions, prejudices, and expectations
Cultural differences

To learn and master the concepts of what is communication, it is inevitable to be aware of the aforementioned communication barriers.

By surpassing these barriers, you will pave your path towards being a skilled communicator.

What aspects of communication do you want to improve?

Pinky Bhasin

Pinky is an MBA in Marketing from the University of Mumbai. She loves helping people out in learning Marketing and sharing latest ideas and tactics for growing businesses.