Types and Channels of Communication

There is a saying, 'the medium is the message', which tells a lot about the channel we select for the communication.

Types of communication :

1. Verbal communication : occurs with the help of words, opportunity for personal contact and two-way flow of information. These are two types :
1. Oral communication : a speaker interacts verbally with one or more listeners in order to influence their behavior in some manner. Ex : meetings, presentations, performance reviews
2. Written communication : correspondence made in writing. It can be hand written, printed or typed. This takes several forms such as letters, memos, circulars, notices, reports and email. Ex : an apology letter to a customer in response to his complaint.
2. Non-verbal communication : communication without words or any way of conveying meaning without the use of verbal language. This can have more impact than verbal communication as 'how you say' is sometimes more important than 'what you say'.

Verbal communication have some drawbacks such as the message may not be properly worded or the message is misunderstood or interpreted differently. We can avoid this by following some simple guidelines :

• Avoid words with multiple meanings
• Ensure clarity through highly specific statements
• Avoid overuse of jargon
• Avoid biased language and offensive word

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