Your Attitude Is Showing: A Primer of Human Relations, Tenth Edition

Three Faces of Communication

There are three forms of communication between people. One is the written form—letters, memos, faxes, e-mails, etc. The second is the verbal form—face-to-face conversations, telephone conversations, voice mail, intercom discussions, video conferencing, etc. The third involves the transmission of attitudes.

The first two forms of communication are so important to the profitable operation of an organization that we tend to think they are the only ones. We forget that we also communicate our attitudes through facial expressions, hand gestures, and other more subtle forms of body language. Sometimes people will greet others with a positive voice, but their body language (negative facial expression) sends a contrasting ...