We Need to Talk: How Interpersonal Communication Works Gestures like ‘air quotes” or shoulder shrugging add additional if not entirely different meanings to what’s being said. Moreover, non-verbal communication often complements spoken communication. To get a sense of how much can be communicated through non+verbal communication, consider that mimes are able to tell entire stories without uttering a word. This can be achieved through everything from facial expressions, to specific gestures (“jazz hands,” anyone?) to body language and certain postures.
Getting meaning across without using words either written or spoken is the essence of non-verbal communication. Written communication can also include emoji, which can help convey more emotional information and context that can be hard to deduce from the words themselves. That’s why it often serves as an “official” mode of communication. To that end, written communication is often considered more legally valid than spoken words are. When information that is complex or lengthy needs to be shared, it’s usually conveyed through written communication. This refers to how your voice rises and falls in tone as you speak and can shade how the words are meant to be interpreted.įor example, the phrase “Have a nice day” can take on a number of different meanings when you imagine it said in a friendly way, sarcastically, or even ominously. Beyond the content of what you’re saying and the context in which it’s being said, verbal communication also includes additional auditory factors like intonation.
Whenever you talk or even make an audible sound (like “hmm” of “Ahh!” for example), you’re creating verbal communication. When it comes to basic elements of interpersonal communication, the various types of possible communication will cluster under four basic categories: verbal, listening, written, and non-verbal communication. What Are the 4 Types of Interpersonal Communication and Interpersonal Skills? Your skills as a communicator will be judged by your mastery of four basic interpersonal communication concepts. Though one’s own interpersonal communication definition may differ slightly from others, the basic tenets will likely remain the same. When it’s done right, it can truly turn ideas into action. Good interpersonal communication is the catalyst for action.
It’s an array of cues that come from the voice, body language, facial expressions, and gestures.Įffective interpersonal communication is the bedrock upon which relationships in business (and beyond) are built. It is a potent and vital force that isn’t just all about words. Interpersonal communication refers to the entire process and practice of exchanging ideas, information, and even emotional experiences that can be shared between people. Before we give an interpersonal communication definition, we should first ask “what does interpersonal mean?” Simply put, “interpersonal” is most frequently defined as something “between people.” In this case, it’s communication but it’s more than mere “talk.”