5 Communication Skills — How Do I Communicate Effectively with Others?

Communication is a vital life skill that enables individuals to express thoughts clearly, build strong relationships, and navigate both personal and professional environments. The ability to effectively communicate one's needs, desires, expectations, and insights empowers individuals to thrive in diverse life situations. Whether it is sharing ideas, resolving conflict, or collaborating with others, strong communication fosters understanding and trust. Effective communication skills boost confidence, help with problem solving and decision-making, and open doors to opportunities by allowing individuals to connect meaningfully with others. These skills are essential for personal, educational, and professional success.

What is communication? Communication is the process of sharing information, ideas, or feelings through verbal, non-verbal, listening-based, written, or visual methods to create mutual understanding.

While there are many ways to categorize communication, the five broad types most people learn about today are: verbal, non-verbal, listening (often referred to as active listening), written, and visual. These Communication Skill Types aren’t credited to any one person—they’ve evolved over time thanks to contributions from many fields, including linguistics, psychology, education, and media studies.

Individuals who have impacted how we understand communication include: Albert Mehrabian, Known for his famous 7%-38%-55% rule about the balance of words, tone, and body language in face-to-face communication; Paul Watzlawick, a pioneer in the field of interpersonal communication and one of the minds behind 'Pragmatics of Human Communication'; Wilbur Schramm, Often considered the ‘father of communication studies’ for helping establish communication as its own academic discipline; Marshall McLuhan, a media theorist who introduced the idea that 'the medium is the message,' changing how we think about communication tools like TV and the internet.

The purpose of today’s post is to share the basics of our new Communication Skills topic so you can explore how best to use it with individuals in your setting. Take a moment to review the definitions and examples for each of the 5 Communication Skills below. Then read through the Questions to Explore for yourself or with others in your organization. The R1 Communication Skills Group Kits and R1 Discover App provide tools for engagement, education, and empowerment for individuals you work with or support. Implementing these tools often through practice is one of the best ways to learn. It’s all about practice… practice, practice, practice.

Communication Defined

The 5 Communication Skills Defined

The 5 Communication Skills are listed below. For each, you will find a brief definition, examples of the Discovery Card’s behavioral statements, and Questions to Explore. Please note that all of this information, and more, is listed in the Communication Skills Topic Kit (which includes 1 Discovery Cards deck and 1 Facilitator Guide) located on the R1 Store.

Verbal — Expression & Clarity: My skill to communicate through spoken language (e.g., words, phrases)

3 of 8 Discovery Cards Examples:

  • I speak clearly and confidently in group discussions

  • I stay on topic during conversations

  • I ask questions to ensure mutual understanding

3 of 8 Questions To Explore Examples:

  • What techniques do you use to ensure your message is clear and easy to follow?

  • What strategies help you keep a conversation focused and productive?

  • How have your questions helped clarify a misunderstanding in a conversation? Explain.

Nonverbal — Signals & Presence: My skill to convey messages without words, using body language, facial expressions, posture, gestures, and eye contact

3 of 8 Discovery Cards Examples:

  • I consistently make eye contact in conversations

  • I use facial expressions to show engagement

  • I respect others' personal space when communicating

3 of 8 Questions To Explore Examples:

  • How does your use of eye contact help to show you are listening intently?

  • How can facial expression send the wrong message?

  • What do you consider appropriate personal space in a conversation? Explain.

Listening (Active) — Attention & Understanding: My skill to actively receive and interpret verbal and non-verbal messages

3 of 8 Discovery Cards Examples:

  • I let others finish speaking before responding

  • I listen, then pause to think, before responding

  • I restate what others say to show that I was listening (e.g., When I heard you say...)

3 of 8 Questions To Explore Examples:

  • What benefits have you noticed from hearing someone’s full point before responding?

  • In conversations, how do you ensure you are listening and not formulating a response while the other person is talking?

  • How does restating what someone says help you and them? Explain.

Written — Structure & Precision: My skill to communicate using written symbols to convey a message (e.g., letters, characters)

3 of 8 Discovery Cards Examples:

  • I write emails that are clear and concise

  • I proofread my writing for grammar and spelling

  • I organize my writing with a clear structure

3 of 8 Questions To Explore Examples:

  • What are some strategies you use to ensure your emails are understandable and brief?

  • What is your process for catching mistakes before finalizing written work?

  • How do you decide what order to present your ideas in written communication?

Visual — Imagery & Impact: My skill to use visual elements to convey ideas or information

3 of 8 Discovery Cards Examples:

  • I create clear and organized charts or graphs

  • I choose colors and fonts that are easy to read

  • I avoid cluttered or confusing visuals

3 of 8 Questions To Explore Examples:

  • What do you think makes a chart or graph effective?

  • How do you decide on colors and fonts when designing visual content?

  • What do you do to make sure your visual communication is clear and impactful?

A Toolkit For Engagement — What’s In the Deck

Questions to Explore

Answer the following questions for yourself or with your team:

  1. What do you find helpful about the the 5 Communication Skills Model?

  2. Which of the 5 Communication Skill Types will be most useful for you and the individuals you serve? Explain.

  3. How does your knowledge of the 5 Communication Skills help you to better understand the strengths and needs of the individuals you work with?

  4. How can you and your team use this information to engage and support individuals in your environment?

  5. What are some of the relevant topics where you can incorporate these ideas?

  6. What will be the benefit for you and others as you use this tool?

  7. What is your major learning or takeaway from this post? Explain.

Thank you for reading this post and participating in this activity. Contact us if you would like to learn more about our Communication Skills solutions and the R1 Learning System. We look forward to hearing from you.

References

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Copyright 2025 R1 Publishing LLC / All Rights Reserved. Use of this article for any purpose is prohibited without permission.

Engagement Tools
Integrating Discovery Card activities into your groups and one-on-ones will allow individuals to think concretely, increase self-awareness, build vocabulary, express themselves more effectively, and put insights into action. Visit the R1 Store to learn more about these evidence-based topics and models.

Here are a few ideas to help you learn more about R1 and engage others on this topic:

  1. Share this blog post with others. (Thank you!)   

  2. Start a conversation with your team. Bring this information to your next team meeting or share it with your supervisor. Change starts in conversations. Good luck! Let us know how it goes.   

  3. Visit www.R1LEARNING.com to learn more about R1, the Discovery Cards, and how we’re creating engaging learning experiences through self-discovery.  

 
Tom Karl