Communication is an important part of our lives. We spend a significant amount of time communicating with our family, teachers, friends and classmates. Communication is a tool without which we cannot convey a message or an idea to someone else. However, the more effective a conversation is, the higher are the chances of successful results. Effective communication skills help us in all the spheres of life. With the advancement in technology, we have to deal with different types of communication: interpersonal, machine-assisted and mass communication; hence, the emphasis on improving the skills is more than ever.
Communication is an important part of our lives. We spend a significant amount of time communicating with our family, teachers, friends and classmates. Communication is a tool without which we cannot convey a message or an idea to someone else. However, the more effective a conversation is, the higher are the chances of successful results. Effective communication skills help us in all the spheres of life.
With the advancement in technology, we have to deal with different types of communication: interpersonal, machine-assisted and mass communication; hence, the emphasis on improving the skills is more than ever. As we are groomed mentally and emotionally, we also gain skills to understand and express our ideas, thoughts and feelings. This is an essential ability to learn and master with time. Suppose, you have a lot of brilliant ideas, but you are not articulate enough to make others understand them; your idea will go in vain, no matter how innovative it would be. Failure, as a result, will shatter your confidence badly, and you will eventually lose the passion and interest to succeed.
You also need to master the language in which you are communicating. The choice of words should be correct; the message should be coherent and follow a logical approach. You should also not include unnecessary information that makes the message lose brevity, as we all know that ‘Brevity is the soul of wit’; a brief message shows the clarity of your thought. Employers nowadays look for young people who can communicate well. Communication is in fact among the top five skills employers seek in the job resumes of potential candidates and also during the interviews. When it comes to written communication, it’s always better and wiser to keep your message clear and concise for a smooth conveyance.
Planning, organizing and revising are the three essential tasks for writing anything that requires time and deliberation. When you plan properly and choose the medium carefully, then you require less time organizing and revising. Written communication requires 50 percent of the time planning and the other 25 percent each organizing and revising. Nowadays, a lot of communication is done through electronic means. Like other mediums of communication, etiquette needs to be followed for machine-assisted communication, too. Oral communication differs extensively from written and electronic communication. In oral communication, you get immediate feedback through verbal or nonverbal means; this may include interaction through words or facial expressions and gestures. Oral communication and presentation skills are equally important, too. I remember that once I had to give a presentation to qualify for a job. The person to whom I gave the presentation at a marketing research company was impressed with my presentation skills. He later told me that while scrutinizing candidates, he found out that young people particularly lack flair in their presentation expertise. Similarly, reading is also becoming a dying habit, due to which the youth has to face different problems in written and oral communication at professional stages. People who are good at these skills find it comparatively easy to climb the corporate ladder than the ones who struggle to cultivate this art.
While communicating verbally, either at college or work, or at a social gathering, people adopt different communication styles, keeping in view the environment they have to deal with. Let’s take a look at the different styles of interpersonal communication:
1) Assertive communication style: Assertive communication style is the right way between passive and aggressive styles. It is the most desirable style of communication. Assertiveness means that you put your ideas and thoughts across in a direct manner. You have to be respectful to the other person’s needs at the same time. It also means that you should not force the other person to see an eye to eye with you, or be too passive to give up soon. People who possess assertive communication style have a healthy self-esteem and strong confidence. They create a respectful environment and are in charge of their lives. The messages they give to others are:
a. I am confident about who I am.
b. I cannot control others, but I control myself.
c. I speak clearly, honestly and to the point.
d. I respect other people’s view and give them an opportunity to speak out their minds.
2) Aggressive communication style: The aggressive communicator tends to violate the rights of others. A person has little tolerance for others’ views and also displays little forbearance for frustration. Their attitude says ‘I am entitled and the other person owes me.’ Therefore, for them, their own needs are important and they only focus on winning by looking down upon others.
3) Passive communication style: Passive communicators find it difficult to speak out and stand up for their rights. They usually have low confidence and give up easily. Their posture is slouchy and their tone is soft and apologetic. For them, it’s very important to please others, and they usually avoid conflicts as a result of this characteristic.
4) Passive-aggressive communication style: Passive- aggressive communicators are passive on the surface, but they act out their anger in subtle indirect ways. Hence, they are incapable of dealing directly with other persons. They feel powerless most of the time.
5) Manipulative communication style: Manipulative communicators know very well how to take advantage of others and keep them on their toes all the time. They try to impose their opinions upon passive communicators. They are no doubt very cunning and ask for their needs indirectly. This is the most unethical among all the communication styles.
As a youth, you should learn the art of communication and converse mostly in the assertive style. It goes without saying that the assertive style is suitable for all situations. The assertive style of communication helps you greatly to boost your confidence and maturity, and also enables you to stand out among others. However, it should be kept in mind that a person sometimes needs to act according to the situation, which could also turn against him. All the best!
