Types and Styles of Communication

Communication flows inside the school (internal) and out to the world (external). It is also more or less formal depending on the relationship. A school head needs all four combinations available and should use each one deliberately.

Internal communication

Communication that takes place within an organisation. Usually face to face, telephone, fax or mail. Modern organisations may use technology to communicate internally. For example, e-mails, linked internal communication tools.

Internal communication includes everything that happens inside the school: staff meetings, teacher-to-coordinator updates, principal-to-deputy briefings, school-wide announcements.

Modern internal communication channels in a Pakistani school context include:

1. In-person meetings. Still the highest-bandwidth channel.
2. WhatsApp staff groups. Fast, informal, widely used.
3. Email. Formal records, mass distribution.
4. School management systems. Specialised tools for academic and administrative communication.
5. Bulletin boards. Still useful for static notices.

A school head should know which channel is best for which purpose. WhatsApp is good for quick updates but bad for sensitive matters. Email is good for records but slow for real-time. In-person is best for relationship-building but does not scale.

External communication

Communication between the organisation and the ones outside the organisation, such as customers, suppliers, banks, government. Can be through mail, telephone, fax, internet, etc.

External communication includes:

1. Parents. Newsletters, parent-teacher meetings, online portals, complaint handling.
2. Government. Regulatory submissions, accreditation reports, board correspondence.
3. Suppliers. Textbook publishers, equipment vendors, service providers.
4. Community. Local media, partner organisations, alumni.
5. Prospective parents and students. Marketing, admissions, tours.

Each external audience has different needs. The communication that works with parents may not work with government. The school head should adjust her communication for each audience.

Why distinguishing matters

A common mistake: a school head uses the same communication style for internal and external audiences. She writes to parents the way she writes to her deputy. The result is communication that does not quite fit either audience.

The fix is to be deliberate. Before sending any communication, ask: is this internal or external? What does this specific audience need?

Formal communication

Formal communication is more rigidly structured. Has a more formal tone, more standard language. Used mainly with non-peers and other not well-known people. Most likely needed in business, education.

Formal communication is the language of official business. Written records. Standard phrases. Professional tone. It signals seriousness and creates durable records.

Examples in a school:

1. The annual school report to the board.
2. A formal letter to parents about a serious incident.
3. A government accreditation submission.
4. A formal warning letter to a staff member.
5. A contract with a supplier.

Formal communication has weight. It is also slower and more effortful than informal. A school head who uses formal for everything overburdens her communication; one who uses it for nothing fails to mark important moments.

Informal communication

Informal communication is less rigidly structured. Has a more relaxed tone, casual language. Used mainly with peers and other well-known people. Most likely in personal situations.

Informal communication is the daily language of relationships. Casual conversation. Shorthand. Banter. Easy questions.

Examples in a school:

1. A teacher dropping into the principal’s office for a quick chat.
2. The staff WhatsApp group with humour and personal updates.
3. Hallway conversations between colleagues.
4. End-of-day debrief over tea.

Informal communication builds relationships. It also surfaces information that formal channels miss. A school head who is approachable for informal conversation hears things that never make it into formal channels.

A useful balance: most daily interactions are informal; significant matters move to formal; relationship-building stays informal even when the topic is serious.

The four combinations

The two dimensions (internal vs external, formal vs informal) produce four combinations.

Each combination is useful. A school head who can move between them as situations require is more effective than one stuck in any single combination.

Common mistakes

1. Internal + formal overuse. The principal who runs every staff meeting like a board meeting kills warmth and discourages real conversation.
2. Internal + informal overuse. The principal who is always casual fails to mark serious moments.
3. External + formal overuse. The principal who treats every parent communication like a legal document feels cold.
4. External + informal overuse. The principal who is always chatty with parents loses professional credibility.

The skill is matching the combination to the situation, not picking one and applying it everywhere.

The role of digital tools

A modern school’s communication mix has shifted with technology. Five tools are common.

1. Email. Internal and external; formal in tone.
2. WhatsApp. Internal (staff group) and external (parent group); informal in tone, formal in records.
3. School management systems. Internal academic and administrative; formal in record-keeping.
4. Social media. External; varies from formal (school page) to informal (event photos).
5. In-person. Internal mostly; varies from formal (meetings) to informal (corridor chat).

A school head should set norms for each tool. Without norms, the tools get used randomly: serious matters get raised on WhatsApp; casual updates clog email; social media becomes inconsistent.

A useful exercise: write down for each tool what it should and should not be used for. Share the norms with staff. Revisit yearly as tools change.

Flashcard

What are the two main dimensions of communication type and style, and what are the four combinations?

Tap to reveal

Answer

Internal vs External (direction); Formal vs Informal (style).

Four combinations:

1. Internal + formal. Staff meetings, policies, appraisals.
2. Internal + informal. Corridor chats, staff banter, tea-time conversations.
3. External + formal. Parent newsletters, government correspondence, board reports.
4. External + informal. Casual chats with familiar parents, social media, alumni events.

A school head should be able to move between all four. Stuck in one combination produces predictable failures: too formal feels cold; too informal lacks weight; too internal-focused neglects parents and government; too external-focused neglects staff.