Formal Communication

Communication is simply the exchange of information by verbal or non- verbal mode. It's about sending and receiving information between people. A day can't be spent without communicating. Communication is not all about language, people may communicate with each other through body language, gesture, action, and behavior.

“Effective communication is 20% what you know and 80% how you feel

about what you know.” - Jim Rohn

There are two types of communication that is formal and informal.

Informal communication:

Informal communication is the exchange of information between friends or in

public, casually. This communication has no control over language or gesture.

Formal Communication:

Formal communication is a process of interchanging information officially. In

formal communication, the flow of information is controlled by the speaker.

Effective communication is an essential component of being professional.

Formal communication mostly takes place while giving an interview, presenting

any project, decision making and anything that is related to work. It maintains

a constant relation and respect among the employees in a workplace. This also

fixes the responsibility which is absolutely needed for effective and clear

communication. Formal communication takes place directly from person to

person. Both can understand the habits, body language, emotions, ideas, facts,

opinion, concept, beliefs, and capability of each other. The information between people, flow in a systematic manner or follow a certain path.

Few examples are:

• Face-to-face delivery of a questionnaire in an interview between the jury and an intern.
• Sending a formal email to an organization.
• Giving a speech at a conference meeting.
• Making phone calls to the office.
• Writing reports for an organization.
• Writing executive blogs.

Types of formal communication:

(a) Vertical communication
This involves the flow of information & ideas between the individuals of the same or other departments. For example, an employee of one department may communicate with a manager of the same or different department. It helps in preventing delays in work.

(b) Upward communication
Upward communication is the flow of information from lower levels to higher
levels within an organization in the form of ideas, complaints, reports, data,
opinions, suggestions, and applications for grant of leave etc. This helps in the
decision making process. For example, a message from employee to boss.

(c) Downward communication
Downward communication is the information the flows downward through the
chain of command, in the form of orders,instructions, directions, circulars etc.
For example, a message from manager to employee.

(d) Horizontal communication
Horizontal  communication refers to the flow of conversation between people of
the same rank or workers of the same position or at the same level in an
enterprise. For example, the production manager can contact the sales manager
about the delivery of goods, the quantity of goods etc.

Advantages of formal communication:

• Orderly flow of information
• Identified source
• Control
• Justification of authority
• Authentic information
• Answerability for actions

Classroom activities that can help our formal communication skills:

• Watching intellectual films through which we can connect through the body language, responses, expressions, eye contact, thoughts, dress-up, story, and conversation.
• Asking open-ended questions.
• Emphasize active listening.
• Letting students take the class sometime so that they can gain confidence and work on their speaking and listening skills.
• Group assignments or teamwork to know other people ideas and gain knowledge.