Communicating Problems:
Assessing Styles

Building on Experience

Awareness of how you communicate with others can assist you to effectively articulate your professional practice problem to people who can help. Take a few minutes to assess your communication style in relation to the situation at work. Consider these questions.

1. How have I been communicating in relation to the problem at work?
2. Who have I been in touch with?
3. What aspects of this situation do I find most rewarding? Challenging?

Communication Styles - How Do We Communicate?
In health communication, the focus is on specific health-related transactions. These transactions can be:

• verbal, non-verbal
• oral, written
• personal, impersonal
• issue or relationship-related
• in any health practice setting

In communicating, often the message we hope to send is not the message that is received. Research shows that the degree to which your communication is effective, has to do with the congruence between your verbal, non-verbal and other behavioural cues. In other words, when your words match your expressed feelings and emotions, communication is most effective. When communicating, people pay attention to a combination of words, volume or pitch and facial expression. Research shows that body movement, particularly facial expressions, have the greatest impact. The impact of communication can be broken down this way:

• 7% verbal (words)
• 38% non-verbal (volume, pitch, rhythm)
• 55% body movements (mostly facial)