DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ORAL & WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

Communication works for those who work at it. John powell Words, once they are printed, have a life of their own. Carol Burnett COMMUNICATION - the human connection is the key to personal and career success. ~Paul J. Meyer

INTRODUCTION
Communication skills have emerged as the most powerful set of skills to possess for accelerating ones career trajectory and speed of accomplishment in every walk of life To prepare yourselves for a rewarding career in the broad field of management, it is even more essential to acquire, practice and exhibit high levels of communication skills in normal and crisis situations Effective communication skills provide the ladder to the managers and leaders for rapid progression in their careers

COMMUNICATION CLASSIFIED
COMMUNICATION

VERBAL

NON VERBAL

ORAL

WRITTEN

BODY LANGUAGE

ORAL COMMUNICATION
Oral communications are the messages that come through words, phrases and idioms from the mouth of the speaker. His appearance, mannerism, body language and the way he throws his voice can make significant difference in impacting the audience, their attitude and performance. Oral communication connotes words uttered through the mouth i.e., spoken words. It is any utterance of, at or near the mouth, involving resonance of the mouth. It must be distinguished from the nasal resonance resonance through the nose. Oral communication always conveys an idea or a feeling.

 There are two forms of oral communication: Speaking Listening Oral communication covers both the forms. Remember the famous saying, It takes two to tango. Like the famous chicken and egg story, it is difficult to decide which one came first. At any rate, it is pointless talking unless someone is listening. One cannot be listening unless someone is speaking or talking. It is said that the art of conversation is the art of hearing as well as of being heard.

WRITTEN COMMUNICATION
Written communication is a very critical recipe for success of managers and leaders. Following famous statement also underpins the importance of writing skills: Beneath the rule of men entirely great, The pen is mightier than the sword! Written communication usually requires more thought and effort. Writing must be concise, informative and easy to read as both an informative and instructional tool. The importance of written communication in business is evident by the plethora of forms, manuals and materials that companies publish each day.

 Writing makes a person perfect. It is an important part of communication skills in the hands of budding managers and leaders. Since writing is a deliberate and intended expression of ones thoughts and feelings, its quality is usually better than oral communication which can be immediate, quick response and faster than written communication. Although an ancient wisdom suggests that one should think before speaking, the quality of choice of words, phrases and sentences is not as good as it is in written communication.

DIFFERENCES
ORAL
1) Interactive & Conversational

WRITTEN
Non-Interactive & formal

2)

Fluid and flexible

Frozen

3)

Used for basic issues, less detailed technical information

Used for complex issues, more detailed technical information

ORAL
4) Shorter time frame

WRITTEN
Longer time frame

5)

Non restrictive in place

Restrictive in place

6)

Lower cost

Higher cost

ORAL
7) Immediate feedback

WRITTEN
Delayed feedback

8)

Focus on personal relations Focus on content

9)

Unfit for long messages

Suitable for long messages

ORAL
10) Lack of written evidence

WRITTEN
Permanent record

11)

No possibility of review

Possibility of review

12)

Distortion may take place

Message cannot be distorted

13)

Spontaneous

Planned and deliberate

ORAL
14) Highly subjective

WRITTEN
Objective

15)

Able to engage the audience psychologically and to use complex forms of non-verbal communication
Retractable

Driven by logic, organization, and explicitness achieved through sentence length, complex language style
Non retractable

16)

17)

Telephonic conversation, face-to-face conversation, Video calls & conferences

Letters, memos, bulletins, draft, report, circulars