2.1.1 Elementor version
There are advantages and disadvantages with different channels of communication that are in use in the workplace.
Advantages
- Easier to convince people of your point of view in person.
- Helps you to connect with others.
- Non-verbal clues will give you feedback about how your message is being received.
- Better for problem solving and working with other people.
Disadvantages
- Not everyone likes face to face communication.
- Does not work for legal agreements
- Difficult if your business has lots of offices in different locations or even different countries
- Difficult to remember everything that was said
- Hard to hold someone responsible for something they said
Advantages
- You can interact with your audience
- Non-verbal clues will give you feedback about how your message is being received
- Focus on key points
- Interactive
- Can include demonstrations
- More engaging than a written report
Disadvantages
- Difficult to explain complex topics
- Not everyone can attend
- Difficult to remember everything that was said
- Only as good as the ability of the speaker
- Limited by time available
- Limit to the number of questions your audience can ask
Advantages
- Provides important information for making decisions
- Covers complex topics
- Required by regulators and agencies
Disadvantages
- Take time and money to prepare
- May not contain accurate information
- May contain only one point of view
- The quality of the report depends on the report writer
- May ignore important information
Advantages
- Used to create a record of information
- Difficult to access
- Shared documents can have more than one version
- Can be written for the intended audience
- Cheap to create
- Provides a historical record
Disadvantages
- Quality depends on the writer
- Can be lost or damaged
- No non-verbal clues, so can be misunderstood
- Information may quickly be out of date
- Used for internal and external communication
Advantages
- Creates a record of information
- Avoids misunderstanding
- Useful for organisation wide communication
- Concise
- Cheap to produce
- Can be used for future reference
Disadvantages
- Limited to internal communication
- No explanation and limited information
- No non-verbal clues, so can be misunderstood
- Can be revised by others
Advantages
- Can exchange business information externally
- Communicates product and service information with customers and suppliers
- Builds relationship
- Low cost
- Permanent and formal record
- Can be confidential
Disadvantages
- Formal and old channel of communication
- Slow to get to the audience
- May get lost
- No immediate feedback
- Formal language may be complex
- No non-verbal clues, so can be misunderstood
Advantages
- Connects people in different locations
- Easier to convince people of your point of view in person.
- Helps you to connect with others.
- Non-verbal clues will give you feedback about how your message is being received.
- Better for problem solving and working with other people.
- Can share documents
Disadvantages
- Lacks personal interaction e.g. a handshake
- Technical problems
- Cost
- Difficult to ‘switch off’
- May have delayed response
- Some non-verbal cues are missed, so people interrupt each other.
- You need to set up software and log in to access
Discuss...
Working in pairs choose five channels of communication from the table. What other advantages and disadvantages can you think of?
Thinking about how to select your communication channel
As you can see there is a wide range of media we can use to communicate. But what is the right channel given our message and our audience? Watch this video to find out:
Selecting your Communication Channel:
Another factor which is important is to decide whether your communication needs to be formal or informal.
- Formal communication – office information through proper channels. This communication is structured and deliberate. Formal communication is often used in business to give instructions or orders. It is also used to report information to senior management. Examples include business letters and business meetings.
- Informal communication – office information that is quick, natural and based on our relationships with others. It is used more often between individuals who work together at the same level in the organisation. This communication does not have a paper trail. Examples include social media and text messaging.
Word check
- Informal communication is defined as spontaneous and unofficial forms of communication.
- Formal communication is defined as official information flowing through proper business channels.
Sometimes a channel of communication can be informal or formal. The difference is based on who the intended audience is. The purpose of the communication will also have an impact. For example, a telephone call might be formal if you are on the phone to your boss but informal if you are chatting to a colleague. A business meeting may begin informally but becomes more formal when everyone gets down to business.
In business formal communication is more reliable but can be time consuming. If information is confidential formal communication will help to make sure secrets are kept to those who need to know. Informal communication can take place instantaneously and can spread the information further and faster.
Formal and informal communication
Formal and informal communication channels are in use every day. Watch the video to discover the Advantages & Disadvantages of Formal and Informal Communication: