Essay, Paragraph or Speech on “Modes of Communication” Complete Essay, Speech for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

Modes of Communication

Communication is the method by which people share their ideas, information, opinions and feelings. People sharing ideas, information, opinions and feelings may contribute to the operations of teams and the work of individuals. Communication is a two-way activity between two or more people. There are various modes of communication, some of which are used more commonly in some workplaces than others.

Verbal Communication: Verbal communication is when a person puts across a message by speaking. The message can be sent to an individual, a team or a group. The message can be sent in person, via an intercom, over the phone, email etc. The person sending the message should express the message clearly so that the receiver is able to understand and act, if required, on the message. The receiver of the message should be able to understand what was said. Many times the message may not be received as the sender intended, due to a range of factors including lack of attention or interest.

Non-verbal Communication: There are numerous ideas, thoughts and feelings that are communicated without words. Only one third of a message is sent in a person-to-person exchange in words alone. People have the ability to read non-verbal cues. These cues are learnt from the environment and through culture and can therefore be misinterpreted. The examples of non-verbal communication are yawn, tears, frown, crossing arms and averting eyes.

Non-verbal communication is divided into six types. They are: body language, physical characteristics and appearance, voice, space, environment and time. Silence can be a type of non-verbal communication.

Writing: Written communication provides a record for the future. Written communication can be studied, reflected on and absorbed at the receiver’s own pace. Written communication is permanent and makes a lasting impression. The written word can sometimes have more authority. Words can be written, rewritten, edited until the communication is seen as clear and accurate and is ready to be sent to the receiver.

Written communication includes letters, memos, email, minutes of meetings, reports, instructions, diagrams, maps, other pictorial aids etc. Written communication can overcome distance and can be cheaper than face-to-face meetings. It can be useful when information has to be sent to large numbers of people and can reinforce verbal communication.

Reading: In most workplaces there is a lot of reading required of personnel. The reading material may include minutes of meetings, Occupational, Health and Safety procedures and practices, work procedures, reports etc. Due to the amount of reading required for many workers, reading skills need to be developed so that time ‘spent reading is efficient and effective. When reading a workplace document you have questions to ask beforehand like ‘Why am I reading this? What is the purpose of the document? And what do I expect to be able to know / do as a result?

Overcoming communication barriers: Personnel in a workplace communicate with peers, managers, supervisors, members of the public, suppliers and others. Barriers to communication can cause problems and misunderstanding with effective communication.

Some barriers to communication are jargon, disabilities, age, status, lack of empathy, stereotyping, unclear or incomplete messages, distance, lack of time, poor spelling and inaccurate sentence structure. Steps to overcome communication barriers should be put in place.

Communication Mode Evaluation Factors: Before you can make a decision about what modes of communication to use, you first have to figure out what factors you’re going to base that decision on. What makes one mode of communication more valuable or effective than another? Here are some factors to consider:

Audience acceptance — What percentage of your audience is tuned in to each mode of communication? The best way to find out is to survey your audience.

Responsiveness — Some modes of communication are more effective at generating a response. If your church is collecting food for the needy, more people are going to donate if the pastor stands in front of the congregation make a plea to give than if the request is buried on page 7 of the 10 page monthly church newsletter.

Cost-effectiveness — How much money does it cost per person who actually reads/hears the message? There’s the overhead cost to develop the message itself, which could be nothing for an email or a lot if you’re having a marketing company design a brochure for you. There’s the cost per message to produce and distribute the message, which could be nothing for an email or lot if you’re mailing a’ full color newsletter. Keep in mind there’s a big difference between the number of people who receive a message and the number who actually read/ hear it.

Time-effectiveness — How much time does it require per person who actually reads/hears the message? Your time is very valuable. It’s probably not worth it to spend 2 hours every day writing a blog articles if on average only 5 people a day read it.

Inclusiveness — It doesn’t matter how cost-effective or time-effective a mode of communication is if it’s the only way some people are going to get the message. Copying the pastor’s message to audio tapes and then driving around town to hand deliver them to people who can’t leave their homes is never going to get high ratings in the cost-effectiveness or time-effectiveness categories.

There are probably other values that weigh into the decision about which modes of communication to utilize but those are five important ones that come to mind.