Types of Communication

Broadly, communication may be divided into two types.

They are: • Verbal communication • Non-verbal communication
Let us briefly discuss these two types of communication.
• Verbal communication – This type of communication occurs with the
help of words. It provides the opportunity for personal contact and a
two-way flow of information. A large part of our communication,
whether at work or outside, is verbal. Verbal communication may be
divided into two types.
They are:
o Oral communication – This type of communication may be defined as a
process in which a speaker interacts verbally with one or more
listeners, in order to influence the latter’s behavior in some way or the
other. Oral communication in a business context can take the form of
meetings, presentations, one-to-one meetings, performance reviews,
etc. Example – In a business context, a manager doing the performance
appraisal with an employee or a sales manager making the sales plan
presentation to the sales team. In the first example, the manager may
point out areas for improvement and in the second case, the sales
manager may explain how to achieve new sales targets.
o Written communication – This type of communication is
correspondence made in writing. It can be handwritten, printed, or
typed. For example, a manager is writing a letter of apology in response
to a customer’s complaint regarding poor service. Written
communication at the workplace can take several forms such as letters,
memos, circulars, notices, reports, and emails. We will examine some of
these in more detail in subsequent units.
• Non-verbal communication – This type of communication may be
defined as communication without words. It refers to any way of
conveying meanings without the use of verbal language. The game of
‘Dumb charades’ is a perfect example. Non-verbal communication is
generally unintentional, unlike verbal communication. All of us tend to
communicate silently and unknowingly send signals and messages by
what we do, apart from what we say. Gestures, facial expressions,
posture, and the way we dress, are all part of non-verbal
communication.
Non-verbal communication can have a greater impact than verbal
communication, since ‘how you say something’ is sometimes more
important than ’what you say’. Although non-verbal communication can
affect both our personal and business relationships, it is particularly
important in the workplace.
Let us consider the following scenario to understand this: Your boss has
asked you to make a presentation on your suggestions for improving
the organization. You take him at his word and come prepared with an
elaborate presentation and a list of ideas. However, as you make your
presentation, he yawns repeatedly, sits back casually, looks out of the
window, clenches his jaw muscles and begins to frown. At the end of
your presentation, he rises abruptly from his chair, says ‘thank you for
your ideas’ in an angry voice and gives you a curt handshake. In the
given scenario, the boss, through his non-verbal behavior, conveys a
message beyond the spoken words that he does not really want to
listen to your suggestions.

Verbal communication is of 2 types:

Oral and Written.
Intrapersonal communication, Interpersonal communication, Small
group communication, Public communication and Mass communication
are also types of communication
1.Intrapersonal Communication: This is your private verbal
communication channel. You talk to yourself (self-talk) and articulate
your thoughts. Communicating with yourself will give you more
confidence and clarity in your thoughts. It’ll help you make up your
mind, form your sentences, find suitable words and effective ways to
connect with other people. This will help you gain trust of your
audience.
2. Interpersonal Communication It’s also known as one-to-one verbal
communication. This type of communication happens between two
individuals. It helps you understand if you’re getting your thoughts
across clearly. Reactions, responses and verbal and nonverbal cues
from the other person will help you understand whether you’re being
understood or not. Make sure that you listen to the other person
intently. Communication doesn’t just mean to talk to someone. It’s also
about listening. So, listen, think and then respond. Take time to think
and make sure you don’t offend people with your response.
3. Small Group Communication: The number of people increases in
small group communication. You move from communicating with a
single participant to a few more. These small groups could be team
meetings, board meetings or sales meetings. The number of
participants is small enough for 5 Unit: 2 – Types of Communication
BCOM105: Communicative English everyone to communicate with each
other. When you attend small group meetings, be prepared with a topic
to make sure you stay on track. Stay on topic and allow enough time for
everyone to present their thoughts.
4. Public Communication: It’s also known as ‘public speaking’. Here, an
individual addresses a large number of people at once. Speeches,
election campaigns and presentations are a few examples of public
communication. Since the number of people in the audience is larger in
this type of communication, be sure to use words and phrases they’ll
understand easily and structure your thoughts before addressing the
audience. The more prepared you are, the more confident you’ll feel
like a public speaker.

Types of Non-verbal Communication:

Description Communication Terminology
Body language Kinesics
Touching Haptics
Personal space and distance Proxemics
Use of time Chronemics
Tone of voice Paralanguage
Physical environment Physical context

Kinesics: Kinesics is the most often studied and important area of non-
verbal communication and refers to body movements of any kind.
Different body movements can express inner states of emotion.
The different body movements are:
• Facial expressions – Facial expressions can convey feelings of
surprise, happiness, anger and sadness. If you meet a long-lost friend
and say “I am very happy to meet you again”, but with a sad facial
expression, it conveys the exact opposite meaning.
• Eye movements – The eye movements such as wide-open pupils'
express feelings of surprise, excitement or even fear. The importance of
eye contact with one’s audience was pointed out earlier. Direct eye
contact is an indication of intensity and interest, while lack of it can
convey feelings of nervousness and guilt. Different cultures perceive
eye contact differently. In Asia, Latin America and Africa people avoid
direct eye contact to show respect. Arabs use prolonged eye contact to
measure trustworthiness.
• Gestures – Gestures such as movement of the hands while giving a
lecture or presentation indicate a high level of involvement in what you
are saying. On the other hand, shuffling of the feet is a sign of
nervousness and speaking with one’s hands in one’s pockets is
considered to be casual or even rude.
• Head movements – The head movements like nodding the head can
convey interest, appreciation, agreement or understanding.
• Posture – Posture refers to carriage or attitude. Our posture can
indicate our feelings. In formal settings such as job interviews or
classroom settings, it is essential that you maintain an erect posture to
convey that you are attentive, since slouching or a relaxed posture
conveys a casual attitude. Similarly, crossing your arms and legs can
convey that you are defensive and rigid. Uncrossing your arms and legs
can indicate that you are willing to listen. Haptics
• Physical appearance – Our outward appearance, including the way we
dress and the jewelry and make-up that we wear can convey an
impression of formality or informality. Going to a job interview dressed
in blue jeans or not sticking to a stipulated dress code at the workplace
can convey that you are a rebel, non-conformist or a very casual
person. Haptics refers to communication through touch. We can use
touch to communicate affection, assurance, familiarity, comfort,
sympathy and other emotions. Touching can also be interpreted as an
assault.
Hence, we must use touch as a communication tool carefully.
Touching is used for the following purposes:
• Working – Professionals such as doctors, dentists, hair dressers and
airport security staff need to touch people in the normal course of their
work.
• Greeting – Contact through touch is part of the greeting ritual. We
often use handshakes to greet people. Retaining contact for a greater
duration of time can convey feelings of friendship or domination. In
some cultures, people also embrace or rub noses to greet people.
• Establishing friendships – A friendly part or a comforting touch can
help in establishing amicable relationships.
• Guiding – A touch on the back, shoulder or arm can help to guide
people in the correct direction.
• Managing interactions – Touching is used to manage interactions. We
can gently touch the shoulder or arm to gain the attention of a person.
The importance given to touch varies with culture. Asian cultures forbid
displays of affection. Hence, touching is not encouraged in such
cultures. Cultures, like Germany and England, that have rigid status
structures and stress emotional restraint give lesser importance to
touching when compared to the countries in Middle East and Latin
America.
Proxemics: Proxemics is derived from the word ‘proximity’ or closeness
and is the communication term for personal space and distance. The
space and distance which we choose to keep from people is also part of
non-verbal communication. Each of us has our own inner and outer
circles, which differ for different people.
The different types of spaces are as follows:
• Intimate space – Our innermost circle is an ‘intimate space’, into
which we generally admit only select people such as family and close
friends.
• Personal space – A ‘personal space’ might include other friends and
colleagues or co workers. Intimate and personal spaces involve
communication of an informal nature.
• Social and public space – The ’social and public space’ includes official
or workplace relationships, where communication is of a more formal
nature.
In a business context, it is more relevant to understand the concept of
the following spaces:
• Fixed space – Fixed space means that the physical features of the
work environment such as furniture, room size and seating
arrangement are permanent. This conveys an impression of formality.
• Semi-fixed space – Semi-fixed space means that certain elements of
the environment can be changed. For example, changing the seating
arrangement conveys an impression of informality. Space should
therefore be used carefully in a work environment, so as to convey the
right impressions.
Chronemics Chronemics refers to the study of usage of time. This
includes our attitudes towards punctuality and willingness to wait.
Perception of the importance of time varies between individuals and
cultures. For example, in most western culture's punctuality is
considered to be important. Arriving late for a business meeting is
inexcusable. In other cultures, it is more relaxed, and time is not given
that much importance. We convey messages to others through the time
we spend on a work-related activity or by the importance that we give
to time.
Arriving early at work or for a job interview shows interest, involvement
and seriousness. Spending time with employees and giving them
suggestions on how to improve their performance shows interest and
involvement in their career growth.
Paralanguage: Para means ‘like’ or ‘similar to’, therefore
paralanguage means ‘like language’. Of all the forms of non verbal
communication, paralanguage is closest to verbal communication. It
refers to the tone of voice with which something is said. In other words,
it is ‘how’ something is said, and not ‘what’ is said. The tone of voice
includes the pitch (high or low pitch), the pace (slow or fast) the
emphasis on words and the volume (soft or loud) and can convey
different moods and emotions. For example, the statement, “I practice
good business communication.” can be understood in different ways,
depending on the emphasis on certain words. When more emphasis is
given to ‘I’ while saying “I practice good business communication.”
means that the speaker alone practices it above anyone else. On the
other hand, placing more emphasis on ‘practice good business
communication’ could be interpreted to mean that the speaker
communicates particularly well in a business context, rather than in a
general context.
The important point to keep in mind regarding tone of voice is to avoid
mixed signals - that is, making sure that what you say is consistent with
how you say it. Physical context Physical context refers to the physical
environment or surroundings within which we communicate.
This includes the following aspects:
• Color and layout – Colors are known for their symbolic meaning and
have associations with different feelings. For example, colors like black
and grey are associated with death, mourning and negative feelings.
Yellow and green are associated with more positive feelings. Of course,
these can also vary across cultures. The point to remember is that you
can make the right impressions with use of the right colors. Layout in a
work environment refers to the size of an office, or the arrangement of
furniture.
• Design – Design refers to the type of chairs, desks or carpeting. All
these can convey status, formality or informality.
• Space management – Space management refers to the arrangement
of work spaces of people who regularly work together. It can influence
employee interactions and enable effective communication. It includes
the size and sequence of offices, the length and width of hallways, the
arrangement of the meeting rooms, etc.
• Location – The location in which we communicate influences the
manner and nature of communication. Communication done from a
podium to a vast audience needs to be loud. The same form of
communication cannot be done in a meeting room. The actual location
of the office space communicates status. An office located in the
business district of a city conveys greater success in the business when
compared to one located in the suburbs.
• Distance – The physical distance between the people communicating
influences the nature of communication. Virtual offices or
communicating with long-distance partners requires different forms of
communication like telephone messages, video-conferencing, e mail,
etc. We have discussed the two broad types of communication – verbal
and non-verbal, in detail. We will now examine the choice of channels
for different business situations.

Effective Communication:
Communication is an activity, skill, and art that incorporates lessons learned
across a wide spectrum of human knowledge. Perhaps the most time-honored
form of communication is storytelling. We’ve told each other stories for ages to
help make sense of our world, anticipate the future, and certainly to entertain
ourselves. The art of storytelling draws on your understanding of yourself, your
message, and how you communicate it to an audience that is simultaneously
communicating back to you. Your anticipation, reaction, and adaptation to the
process will determine how successfully you are able to communicate. You were
not born knowing how to write or even how to talk—but in the process of growing
up, you have undoubtedly learned how to tell, and how not tell, a story out loud
and in writing.
Effective communication takes preparation, practice, and persistence. There are
many ways to learn communication skills; the school of experience, or “hard
knocks,” is one of them. But in the business environment, a “knock” (or lesson
learned) may come at the expense of your credibility through a blown
presentation to a client. The classroom environment, with a compilation of
information and resources such as a text, can offer you a trial run where you get
to try out new ideas and skills before you have to use them to communicate
effectively to make a sale or form a new partnership. Listening to yourself, or
perhaps the comments of others, may help you reflect on new ways to present,
or perceive, thoughts, ideas and concepts. The net result is your growth;
ultimately your ability to communicate in business will improve, opening more
doors than you might anticipate.
Oral and written communication proficiencies are consistently ranked in the top
ten desirable skills by employer surveys year after year. In fact, high-powered
business executives sometimes hire consultants to coach them in sharpening
their communication skills both oral and written.
LSRW skills not only contribute to understanding oneself but also help in critical
thinking, problem-solving, and building relationships. Building relationships and
connections with each other is a foremost role of a person.

4 Ss of Communication
Shortness
If the message can be made brief, and verbosity did away with, then transmission and comprehension
of messages are going to be faster and more effective.
Flooding messages with high sounding words do not create an impact. Many people harbour a
misconception that they can impress the receiver if they carry on their expeditious travails.
Little do they realize how much they have lost as the receiver has spent a major chunk of his time
trying to decipher the actual meaning of the message.
Simplicity
Simplicity both in the usage of words and ideas reveals clarity in the thinking process.
It is normally a tendency that when an individual is himself confused that he tries to use equally
confusing strategies to lead the receiver in a maze.
Reveal clarity in the thinking process by using simple terminology and equally simple concepts.
Strength
The strength of a message emanates from the credibility of the sender.
If the sender himself believes in a message that he is about to transmit, there is bound to be strength
and conviction in whatever he tries to state.
Half hearted statements or utterances that the sender himself does not believe in add a touch of
falsehood to the entire.
Sincerity
A sincere approach to an issue is evident to the receiver. If the sender is genuine, it will be reflected in
the manner in which he communicates.
If the receiver is keen and observant, he would be able to sense the make-believe situation and,
business transactions, even if going full swing, would not materialize.

3 Vs of Communication

Stanford University Professor Dr. Albert Mehrabian proposed 3 elements of face-to-face effective
communication:
1. Verbal – Words, Content – 7%
2. Vocal – Tone, Pitch, Intonation – 38%
3. Visual – Body Language, Facial Expression, Gestures – 55%
7 Cs of Communication

Hearing vs Listening :
Listening goes beyond the passive act of hearing; it involves active engagement,
absorption, and comprehension of information. Indeed, listening starts in our
brains.
What is Hearing?
Hearing is an involuntary process - one of our five senses - that requires no
conscious effort on our part. When nearby sounds occur, the outer ear collects
sound waves, guiding them through the ear cavity to the eardrum, initiating
vibrations. These vibrations move to the inner ear, transforming into electrical
signals that then journey to the brain for interpretation.

What is Listening?
Contrary to hearing, listening is an intentional cognitive process that demands
active engagement. While hearing is involuntary, listening involves a conscious
effort to attend to, interpret and comprehend the received sounds.
In educational settings, attentive listening fosters a deeper understanding of
subject matter, enhances retention, and facilitates effective communication
between educators and learners.
In performance-driven environments, be it professional, educational, artistic, or
athletic, the ability to truly listen enables individuals to grasp instructions, learn
from feedback, and adapt swiftly to changing circumstances.
The Cognitive Capabilities at Play During Listening
Attention:
The ability to focus on the speaker and the message being communicated is
fundamental to effective listening.
Working Memory and Processing Speed:
Our brains have cognitive functions responsible for holding and processing
information. Thus working memory helps to retain key points, understand
content and context, and make connections between new information and
existing knowledge. The faster an individual can comprehend the spoken word
and respond appropriately; the more effectively their listening and
conversational skills can be developed.
Emotional Intelligence and Metacognition:
The ability to perceive and understand emotions, both in oneself and others, is
essential for effective listening and communication. Emotionally intelligent
individuals can pick up on subtle cues in the speaker's tone or body language,
enhancing their comprehension and empathetic listening. Being aware of one's
own thinking and emotions is essential for deep listening. It is the brain function
underneath EQ that structures our capacity to perceive, interpret, reflect and
empathize.
Language Development:
To listen and communicate, we need a secure capacity to develop language,
including vocabulary, syntax, and semantics.
Understanding the logical sequence of ideas and the chronological order of
events, contributes to effective listening in complex discussions.
to create a world of profound understanding, connection, and meaningful
communication in every facet of life.

Listening Skills:
Stephen Covey has identified listening as one of the ‘seven habits of highly
effective people’ in his book of the same title. This definition implies that
listening is a skill that can be cultivated and developed, just like speaking,
reading, or writing. Listening involves the following four steps: • Hearing – In this
step, you must pay attention to ensure you hear the message clearly.
• Interpreting – In this step, you analyse the speaker’s words based on your
experience, attitude, knowledge, and background. You also give meaning to the
words based on the gestures and expressions of the speaker.
• Evaluating – In this step, you evaluate the information received and make
decisions accordingly.
• Responding – In this step, you let the speaker know whether you have
understood the message, and respond to it.
listening, one is engaged in processing the information, reconstructing the
information, and also giving meaning to the information. This brings us to a
discussion on the different types of listening.

Classification of Listening:
i) Discriminative listening: This is the most basic type of listening,
whereby the difference between the sounds is identified. The
differences between the sounds must be identified to grasp the
meaning of such differences. We can do the same in other languages
once we learn to distinguish between sounds in our language. One
reason why people from one country find it difficult to speak the
language of another country is that they find the sounds similar and
need help understanding the subtle differences.
ii) Comprehension listening: Once we have learned to discriminate
between the different sounds, the next step is to try to comprehend the
meaning of these sounds. To do this, we require a dictionary of words
and the rules of grammar and syntax. Apart from verbal
communication, we also need to understand the meaning conveyed by
the speaker’s non-verbal behaviour. This can be achieved by closely
observing various aspects of the speaker’s body language and tone of
voice.
iii) Evaluative listening: This type of listening involves making
judgments about what the speaker is saying. We listen critically and
assess what is being said as good, bad, worthy, or unworthy. We
generally resort to this kind of listening when the other person tries to
persuade us, or change our behaviour or convictions. The tendency,
then, is to question what the speaker is trying to say.
iv) Appreciative listening: This type of listening could be in the form of
paying selective attention to certain information that might be relevant
to us, or which helps meet our needs and goals. The tendency is to
appreciate such information better. Appreciative listening is also used
when listening to good music, poetry, or a powerful speech.
v) Empathetic listening : In this type of listening, we try to put
ourselves in the other person’s place and understand the moods,
beliefs, goals, and feelings behind the speaker’s words. It requires
excellent discrimination and paying attention to the nuances of
emotional signals. It also requires a high degree of sensitivity and
tactful probing on the listener's part. Empathetic listening is most often
needed in the workplace when dealing with customer complaints,
employee feedback, and problems. For example, a manager doing a
 performance appraisal with an employee should listen to the
employee’s point of view and understand the real reasons for the lack
of performance.
vi) Therapeutic listening: In this type of listening, the listener goes
beyond merely empathising with the speaker and tries to help the
speaker to change or develop in some way. In other words, the listener
plays the role of a therapist by diagnosing the problem at hand, and
offering a remedy or solution. This type of listening is common in social
situations, where family and personal problems are resolved through
counselling. It is also important when managers try to solve employees'
problems in job situations. Taking the same example of a manager
doing a performance appraisal, the manager should not only
understand the employee’s problems but should also ‘counsel’ the
employee by suggesting what measures the employee could take to
improve his/her performance in the future.
vii) Dialogic listening: As the name suggests, this type of listening
involves listening and learning through dialogue. This implies that
listening is a two-way, rather than a one way process. It involves
exchanging ideas and information between the speaker and the
listener. This type of listening is active listening, whereby the listener
continuously seeks clarifications, gives feedback, and converses with
the speaker. Another name for this is ‘relational’ listening since a
relationship is established through exchanging ideas.
Barriers to Listening :
• Physiological barriers
• Physical barriers
• Attitudinal barriers
• Wrong assumptions
• Cultural barriers
• Gender barriers
• Lack of training
• Bad listening habits
Physiological barriers:
Some people may have hearing problems or deficiencies preventing them from
listening properly. Once detected, they can generally be treated. Other people
may have difficulty processing information or memory-related problems, making
them poor listeners. Another physiological barrier is rapid thought. Listeners can
process information at approximately 500 words per minute, whereas speakers
talk at around 125 words per minute. Since listeners are left with much spare
time, they may focus on something other than what the speaker is saying but
may wander elsewhere.
Physical barriers:
These refer to environmental distractions such as the sound of an air conditioner,
cigarette smoke, or an overheated room, which interfere with listening. They
could also be in the form of information overload. For example, if you are in a
meeting with your manager and the phone rings and your mobile beeps
simultaneously to let you know that you have a message, it takes much work to
listen carefully to what is being said.
Attitudinal barriers:
Preoccupation with personal or work-related problems can make it difficult to
focus completely on what a speaker is saying, even if it is of prime importance.
Another common attitudinal barrier is egocentrism, or the belief that you are
more knowledgeable than the speaker and have nothing new to learn from the
speaker’s ideas.
Wrong assumptions: It is wrong to assume that communication is the sole
responsibility of the sender or the speaker, and listeners have no role to play.
Such an assumption can be a big barrier to listening. Listeners have as much
responsibility as speakers to make the communication successful, by paying
attention, seeking clarifications, and giving feedback. Real listening or active
listening is hard work – it requires you to ask questions sometimes, agree or
disagree with the speaker, give feedback, etc.
Cultural barriers: Accents can be barriers to listening since they interfere with
the ability to understand the meaning of words that are pronounced differently.
The problem of different accents arises not only between cultures but also within
a culture. For example, accents may differ even between regions and states in a
country like India, which has enormous cultural diversity. Another type of cultural
barrier is differing cultural values. The importance attached to listening and
speaking differs in Western and oriental cultures. Generally, Orientals regard
listening and silence as almost a virtue, whereas Westerners attach greater
importance to speaking.
Gender barriers: Communication research has shown that gender can be a
barrier to listening. Studies have revealed that men and women listen differently
and for different purposes. Women are more likely to listen for the emotions
behind a speaker’s words, while men listen more for the facts and the content.
Example – A salesperson demonstrating a new type of office equipment may ask
two colleagues if the equipment will work without any problems and respond by
saying ‘Sure.’ A male user may take the salesperson’s answer at face value,
whereas a female user may detect some hesitation in the salesperson’s voice.
This is because the male user listens for the content of the message, whereas
the female user listens for the tone of the message.
Lack of training Listening is not an inborn skill. People are not born good
listeners. They have to develop the art of listening through practice and training.
Bad listening habits Most people are very average listeners who have developed
poor listening habits that are hard to shed and that act as barriers to listening.
For example, some people have the habit of ‘faking’ attention or trying to look
like a listener to impress the speaker and assure the speaker that they are
paying attention. Others may tend to listen to each and every fact.
This may result in them not understanding the main point. Yet another habit is to
avoid difficult listening and to tune off deliberately, if the subject is too technical
or difficult to understand.
Measures to Improve Listening : Although several barriers stand in the way
of effective listening, these can be overcome through conscious efforts, training,
and practice. Some of the suggested methods to overcome barriers to effective
listening are as follows:
• Create a conducive environment
• Select face-to-face channels
• Be open-minded and avoid distractions
• Use non-verbal cues to indicate active listening
• Use verbal communication to indicate active listening
• Listen first before responding
• Use the speaker-listener gap constructively
• Do not be judgmental Let us discuss each of these briefly.
Use verbal communication to indicate active listening While non-verbal
behaviour can communicate that you are an active listener, it is also important
to communicate verbally with the speaker. Silence is often interpreted as a lack
of understanding or attention. To convey that you have understood the speaker’s
message, you need to: • seek clarifications. • give feedback and suggestions. •
paraphrase in your own words what the speaker has said. Listen first before
responding Always let yourself finish listening before you begin to speak. Avoid
the tendency to formulate your response even before you have listened
completely to the speaker’s words.
Characteristics of Good Listeners
• Considers all evidence before jumping to a conclusion.
• Takes notes when listening, in order to recall information or
understand a difficult idea.
• Concentrates on what the speaker is saying and not on unrelated
thoughts.
• Is willing to consider the opinions of others.
• Listens openly when others disagree with him.
• Encourages others to express their ideas, instead of occupying centre
stage.
• Is able to grasp the main idea from others’ comments.
• Is curious about other people and their ideas.
• Does not interrupt others, or change the topic to suit his/her purpose.
• Makes the speaker feel comfortable while talking.
• Remembers important ideas given by others, even when he is busy.
• Does not pretend to understand, when he is confused.
• Recognises that people may change over time and have something
new to offer.
• Tries to find solutions to others’ problems.
 Knows when to speak and when to listen.