Basic communications courses teach the various forms of writing \u2013 informative, persuasive, promotional, or educational \u2013 and how each should be used to communicate a message. But communication is more than the written word. It is also comprised of verbal, nonverbal, and visual cues; direct and indirect
communication. As people everything we say and do communicates a message. As
leaders that message reflects back onto the organization we represent. How we show
up as individuals (warm, engaging, condescending, aggressive), how we show up in
writing (run on sentences = long-winded; numerous topic changes = scatterbrained),
how our content appears across marketing platforms and social media streams
(cohesive, confident, demonstrating expertise) is automatically equated with the
organization we lead. Is it any wonder colleges and universities offer degrees in
communication and enterprise level organizations have entire departments dedicated
solely to communications?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last month we touched on being mindful of the vehicle we use to communicate our
message and setting a standard for that messaging. As we continue our journey
through the nuances of communication, let\u2019s examine the main forms of communication
how leaders can avoid pitfalls within each form: verbal, nonverbal, visual, and written.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Verbal Communication<\/strong> is the form of communication by which thoughts and ideas are
articulated in speech. Verbal communication can happen over the phone, in a board
room, or from a podium on stage. Verbal communication relies upon the hearer being
an engaged participant through active listening. What good would it do to present a 30-
minute talk on the new vacation policy to an empty room? No one would know or
understand the change until the same talk was presented in front of the workforce.
When using verbal communication, it is beneficial to support the spoken word with
nonverbal and\/or visual cues designed to keep the audience engaged and increase
understanding. Verbal communication without those additional supports is subject to the
misinterpretation of what was said versus what was meant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n