One of the most present activities on anyone’s professional life is communicating. This is not new, but there are still many that seem to worry exclusively about technical and other management skills in their careesr, and forget the importance of communicating correctly.

In communicating, choosing the correct medium is crucial. You can communicate verbally or non-verbally, and in a formal or informal way. Each medium fits in two of these categories. It is important to properly define which one to use in each daily situation.

Our constant lack of time can lead us to work in an “automatic setting”, in which we communicate in a bureaucratic and impersonal way, believing that we are being productive. Of course, productivity is important, but one should not forget that there are other objectives in communication.

Verbal and informal communication is also a tool to integrate with other people and break professional relationship barriers. Besides, with this type of communication you have the opportunity of obtaining additional information that would normally not be disclosed in a formal and written medium. You can also notice the others´ tone of voice to determine their real feelings towards the issue, and gain time (productivity!) by following up on the issue immediately if possible. And most important of all: you can guarantee that the other person understood and accepted the information.

My opinion is that informal verbal communication should have a priority over formal communication whenever possible. “Whenever possible” means that you cannot forget company policies and common practices, and many times formal communication is important even if not mandatory. Just think that if you are too formal in every communication, you are creating a distance between yourself and your audience.

Remember that written formality is always necessary for every situation that involves definitions, important changes or company records.

These are some examples of a wrong choice of medium while communicating:

• Sending e-mails to colleagues with non-critical issues when you are in the same building and you could easily go to their office for a chat.
• Setting up a meeting with many people verbally, and not sending an e-mail as a confirmation and reminder.
• Getting a verbal commitment for a colleague to help you in something that is not his obligation, and then sending him an e-mail about this help, with copy to your bosses. This transforms the help in a compromise, and will indicate failure if your colleague eventually cannot help.

It is not hard to write many examples, but I don’t believe that it is necessary. You surely see many mistakes in communication medium selection in your daily work. If you evaluate your own form of communication by understanding your real needs and the needs of those with whom you are exchanging information, you can find opportunities for improvement.