What's All the Fuss About Communication?

Com•mu•ni•ca•tion: A process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common system of symbols, signs or behavior.  

Today, we have more ways to communicate than ever before. There are more potential channels, tactics and systems for communication than most of us can keep up with. With all the tips and talks, conferences and guidelines, how do you make sense of, and synthesize all the insights on communication? And is it really so critical to be good at communicating? 

Establishing the importance of communication, first – yes, effective communication has tremendous benefits across every area of life.  

The words you choose 

Taking time to consider the words you use in written and verbal communication helps ensure clarity and comprehension. Being careful and concise in your word choices may prevent misunderstandings or even disagreements. 

Have you ever felt you had to spend too much time re-explaining something you thought you had already conveyed?  

You may look at it as the person on the other end of the conversation being difficult, but what if you looked at it from a different angle? Perhaps you didn’t do a great job of stating it the first time, and their reason for questioning you is because the words you chose didn’t give them enough information. Their additional questions may simply be an attempt to understand you better, which is ultimately the goal—effective communication for the purpose of exchanged information. Even if you did state something thoroughly, if the person receiving the information is not clear on the message, restating it using a different phrasing may be necessary if your goal is to satisfactorily complete the exchange of details.  

Mannerisms, tone and body language 

“One look is worth a thousand words,” as the commonly used phrase goes.  

How true that is. Whether positive, negative or indifferent, facial expressions communicate so many things without the utterance of a word. Body language, as well, conveys messages as the accompaniment to verbalization or silence. A shoulder shrug, thumbs-up, wave or shaken fist, leaning against a wall, standing with feet squared-off, hands in your pockets, hands at your sides or in your lap, leaning in or away ... each of these conveys something different and specific, some more intentionally and overtly than others. 

And then there’s tone. Written communication can take a tone, and that goes back to the words you choose since you must rely solely on the words without benefit of face-to-face interaction. Verbal communication takes a tone, literally, through your vocalization. The volume and nuances of your spoken word conveys a wide range of feelings to the recipient that can go well beyond the actual words being said. This is why it’s essential to choose your tone as carefully as you choose your words, if you’re hoping for an optimal outcome.  

When to be quiet and listen 

A part of communication involves each party, in turn, being silent. To truly have a successful exchange means one person is listening or receiving, and the other is imparting the message. Listening is an art, which requires truly absorbing and contemplating what’s being communicated without thinking and jumping ahead to a response. Even in the realm of social media and other digital channels, there is a recipient who must be quiet and focused enough to receive and consume the information, and another, who is actively distributing or making the content available to its listeners. And if the content distributor is not doing some listening as well, which comes in the form of engagement tracking, they will miss what their audience is consuming and lose listeners or followers.  

Written vs. Verbalization 

There are times when verbalization is necessary, whether in-person, via virtual meeting platforms or by phone. Communicating face-to-face, even through your laptop screen can be far more concise and effective, for certain purposes and other times, a quickly sent, written message by email suffices. At times, just hearing another person’s voice by phone is the right way to communicate. It just depends on the context, the information you’re looking to impart or receive, and the rapport or relationship between the parties. If an email exchange has gone awry or become ineffective, communication by phone or in-person may be needed to resolve the issue and restore the good nature of the relationship. Looking to one form of communication, such as email or text, for all scenarios is sure to produce unsatisfactory and incomplete results.