Principles of verbal and nonverbal communication in effective interaction

Communication

Verbal communication includes the words that are physically spoken, as well as factors, according to the video, such as tone of voice, rhythm of speaking, word choice, and emphasis. Experts and researchers in the field of communication assert that nonverbal communication composes more than half of the communication among people. Nonverbal communication has a variety of factors such as eye contact, gestures, body language, the setting, and even the dress of the person speaking. The paper explores principles of effective verbal and nonverbal communication and considers how they relate to or affect professionals in health care.

Communication of all kinds is particularly critical in the field of health. A key principle to effective communication is that all forms of communication are contextual, that is, they derive their meaning(s) from the context within which the communication was done. Context, which is directly related to the video's concept of paralanguage, is yet another dense and layered aspect of communication.

Context and paralanguage may include the environment of the communication. They absolutely have to do with how the verbal communication is delivered and the environment or setting in communication is key, as Marshall McLuhan wrote, "the medium is the message." How the communication is delivered is a part of the message itself. Proposing marriage behind a junk yard and proposing marriage on an exotic beach at sunset are two messages delivered in different ways. Context may additionally include the time of day, the country, the culture, the gender of the communicator and the receiver as well as the sex, and many other factors as the video suggests. Communication that may be successful and effective in one context may be horribly ineffective and disastrous in another, even when the communication is delivered in relatively the same way. People who have professions that require them to speak in front of groups or crowds can attest to the power of context with respect to communication.

Empathy and active listening seem to be some of the most significant aspects to effective communication. Empathy and active listening are things that can be expressed verbally and non-verbally. Ears are the primary instruments by which humans listen, but it is hard to prove a person is listening just by the ears, after all, ears do not move that much, as opposed to the mouth during speech. People communicate their empathy with body language. This could be maintaining eye contact. It could be the precise facial expression of the listener while another person speaks. Non-verbally, people in many cultures demonstrate that they are listening closely by aiming their bodies in the direction of the speaker whether sitting, standing, or otherwise. People often show listening and focus by not performing other tasks while a person is speaking, or if they are or must perform another task, they still demonstrate empathy or listening by looking up periodically to respond or react to what they have heard, for example. People can often tell when others empathize with a situation or experience. People can often tell when a person does not care about their words and does not give adequate attention while listening. Lack of empathy and active listening as demonstrated by the listener can discourage other people from communicating with a particular person. If a person's speech and body language communicates disinterest, lack of attention, and lack of caring, why bother communicating with such a person? To do so is futile. Empathy and active listening make people feel cared for and valued and without them communication would not exist. These elements along with paralanguage are critical for effective communication.

I often have problems communicating with customer service representatives. Some people cannot understand what I am asking for. Some people are just very rigid and argumentative. It is hard to communicate with reps over the phone, even though often hearing a person's voice is a great way to communicate. Strangely enough, I have received some of the best customer service online, via chat windows on various sites. I think because misperception of tone happens so often and so easily with digital communication, these reps go out of there way to politely seek clarification regarding customers' needs. I get the chance to state my issue completely, without being cut off by an impatient customer rep on the phone, or without having to get frustrated repeating my needs into an automated phone service that does understand my reply. The communication online is so specific and generally much more polite, which in turn makes for effective communication due to paralanguage (with emoticons for example), empathy through words, and active listening (through words and actions).