Oral communication can be a high-pressure way to communicate. Unlike written communication, where you have a chance to revise, you have one shot to get your message across. Oral communication has been the primary way we communicate on a day-to-day basis for millions of years according to PLOS ONE. If you can do it well, in many cases, success follows. If you do it poorly you can find yourself in a less-than-convenient situation. Let’s take a look at what exactly oral communication is and why it’s important at work, with friends, and family. 

What is Oral Communication?

Oral communication is the ability to transmit ideas from your brain to either one person or a group of people. Good use of verbal skills means presenting an idea clearly while each thought is articulated in a cohesive manner. It has everything to do with the language that we choose to use. It’s also important to know who your audience is and address them in a way that they comprehend and understand. Your tone is also important as a confident tone can go far when you are expressing an idea as it can help you sound more credible. Good verbal communication often relies on non-verbal cues. These cues, like hand gestures or a raised brow, might put emphasis on a point, show how you feel about what you are saying, and provide insight about the seriousness of a situation. Another important aspect to think about is that good verbal skills go hand-in-hand with excellent listening skills. When used together it becomes much easier to navigate day-to-day encounters at work and in your personal life.

Oral Communication at Work

Being able to present yourself as well as your ideas is important before you even start a job. In fact, the National Association for Colleges and Employers did a study which found that verbal communications skills were the biggest priority when making a new hire. This is probably related to the fact that the ability to work within a team is the second most important quality. According to Medium, we now spend more time with our co-workers than we do with our families. So being able to communicate well with them is essential. The ability to convey ideas to your co-workers helps the team accomplish a task much more efficiently. It can also help to avoid the negativity and unproductiveness that comes when people aren’t getting along.

The ability to communicate ideas to colleagues or a board of directors in presentations is also important. This can help make you sound more expert when presenting as well as helps you look more professional. Being able to cooperate with other people, present your ideas clearly, and the ability to listen and respond to other people’s ideas will go a long way to help you enjoy your work and help set you down a successful career path.

Oral Communication with Friends

Human beings are social creatures. Studies have shown that people who go out of their way to have a social life are happier in the long term, according to Psychology Today. Oral communication is the cornerstone of social interaction. Doing more to engage others leads to the feeling of being more socially connected, which in turn makes us happier. A key part of making new friends is the ability to ask good questions. This requires active listening (an important part of oral communication) so that you can learn about the other person and get to know someone better. In turn, being able to talk about yourself so that they can get to know you is also important. Someone with good verbal skills will be able to do this in a friendly way that isn’t braggadocious or cocky. Being able to have a balanced conversation, especially when you first meet someone, is a good way to make a new friend.

Of course, oral communication is also important when talking to old friends. Sharing things about yourself, from the deeply personal to the mundane, can lead to less stress in life. Happify reports that people who have substantive conversations with friends are happier than those who only have small talk. So, don’t be afraid to go deep when having a conversation with a friend about what’s going on in your life.

Oral Communication with Family

Open communication among family members helps create strong family bonds that last a lifetime. It’s important to be able to sit down and communicate things like what’s going on in everyone’s life, without judgment, while finding a way to encourage each other. An article published by Virginia Tech reports that families utilize two different kinds of communication. One is clear communication where the family members are open and direct. The other is masked which is when communication is muddied and vague. Family members tend to mask how they feel. This happens when they think they will be met with disapproval or are unhappy with another family member. Masking how you feel might get someone out of an uncomfortable situation in the short term. However, being open and honest about feelings strengthens family bonds in the long term. The same article goes on to say that couples who rate their communication skills highly have happier marriages.

If family members feel unheard, it could help to set some time aside for a family meeting. You can also make it a point to sit down and eat dinner together. Speaking to each other and asking questions about what’s going in each other’s lives with an open mind is what family communication is all about.

Oral communication is important in all aspects of daily life. It is the easiest way to let the people around you know who you are–professionally and socially. By being direct and honest while maintaining an open and positive attitude you are telling the world that you are the type of person who can be trusted with everything from a presentation to the board of directors to helping a family member or friend through a difficult situation. Learning to listen to others and responding in a genuine way is what makes you a good communicator.