Techniques for Improving Non-Verbal Communication

At last…. Techniques for Improving Non-Verbal Communication Skills in the Workplace…

 Once we accept that we non-verbally communicate in our daily lives whether it be at home or work, we can improve how we send our secret messages….

Probe for more information: Actions speak louder than words and it can be confusing to you sometimes.  So instead of assuming what was meant to be said…ask!

Establish and maintain eye contact: You may not say you are paying attention to what is being said, but your eyes can ! so to show focus and attentiveness maintain eye contact with your speaker (s)

Use posture to show interest: Sit up straight and or lean forward to show you are interested and or listening to what is being said

Avoid assigning non verbal meanings out of context:  This ties into probing for more information and not assuming what a non verbal message meant

Associate with people from diverse cultures:  In the workplace you will see how diverse it has become…so take the time to learn and or ask about other cultures.  Observe how conversations are conducted.

Appreciate the power of appearance:  If you want others to take your work, company and yourself seriously, appearance is important. 

Reduce or eliminate physical barriers: Conduct meetings in an open area such as a boardroom.  Move away from the office environment.

Enlist friends and family: Ask those around you what gestures you make when speaking…what you don’t know can hurt you..career wise..

Improve your decoding skills: Train yourself to be observant to others non verbal messages to understand both verbal and non verbal messages i.e. facial expressions and body language

Observe yourself on videotape: Why not be your own judge?  Practice having a conversation and see what you are also saying non verbally.

Please feel free to comment….

Forms of Nonverbal Communication....

Time: Don’t you hate when people run late? Well if you feel this way it might be because you’re North American!  North Americans and Icelandic cultures for instance put a lot of emphasis on punctuality.  Punctuality in those types of cultures reflects personality and or attitudes of the individual (s).  This is also said in the workplace.  An employee would be reprimanded if they were late to arrive to work, submitting projects and meetings.

Territory: If someone were to stand next to you, would you move away unconsciously?  In some cultures that is exactly what some would do.  We all have “zones” that depicts our comfort level depending on the environment we are in.  There is a “Intimate Zone” (1-1.5 feet), “Personal Zone” (1.5-4 feet), “Social Zone” (4-12 feet), and a “Public Zone” (12 or more feet).  In the workplace, you should be observant of others “comfort zone” mind you as your relationship increase both yours and others zone will change.

Appearance of Business Documents: First impressions etch a image of the business providing the business document.  A question would arise if the document(s) was poorly written, on soiled paper, thoughts were written with no flow or organization.  If this is how this company would present this document, how differently would they conduct business?  Taking the time to “show your best” through writing is the motto to follow.  Use spell check, grammar check and have a second pair of eyes take a glance before sending!

Space: I personally cannot stand a mess, whereas my husband can!  How items are placed in our surroundings paints a picture of who we are, interests and purpose.  In the workplace, how your desk looks tells a story of your organizational skills and how you conduct your work.

Appearance of People: Would you hire someone that didn't wear professional clothes, had messy hair, and no visible grooming?   Your appearance tells a lot about you.  Without speaking, your image speaks for you and therefore you should pay attention to healthy grooming and appearance.  If you have to question what you are wearing, chances are you probably should change it.  If you want others to take you seriously, dress the part!

 Let me know your thoughts !!!

Forms of Non verbal Communication

Your body tells the world a story that you may or may not want to tell....So be conscience of the below Nonverbal Communications you may be sending:

Eye Contact: Would you trust someone that could not look you in the eyes when speaking to them?  It is said that those who cannot make eye contact cannot be trusted and those who can make eye contact can.  Eye contact does show the speaker you are interested in what is being said.  However, a long glare (if not with your sweetheart) can be intimidating so practice looking away every 5 minutes or so.  

Posture and Gestures:  Your body can illustrate a lot of what you think of what is being said i.e. slouching because you’re bored, sitting up straight to show interest.  In some cultures posture can reflect stature and respect for instance standing with your hands in your pocket is considered rude in China.  In the workplace you want to show you are confident and listening to who is speaking and to show this your posture should be strong and upright.

Facial Expression: If you were speaking about a serious matter, how would you react to someone smiling or smirking?  Just like your eyes your face tells the speaker how you feel or may not feel about what is being said.  Some people can control their facial expressions which we call the “poker face” (yes lady gaga had a point in her song).  The “poker face” is when someone is capable of hiding their true emotion (s).  Needless to say, a facial expression from rising of the eyebrow or smiling to much conveys messages to the speaker.

What do you think is a misleading gesture?

Did you know.....

Did you know that there are many positive functions of non verbal communication?  Some may feel that non verbal communication is a bad thing because we send messages sometimes without the intent to but if you understand these functions you can use it to your advantage.  

Here are some functions and their explanations:

To Control and Regulate- Non verbal communication can guide how you want the conversation to flow. Simple gestures such as the raising of eyebrows, moving your body from one posture to the next and rolling of the eyes tells the speaker that you are intrigued, bored, not interested in what is being said or don’t believe what is being said.

To Complement and Illustrate- Non verbal communication can help a verbal meaning visually when explaining an idea, or strategy.  For example, a manager will extend his arms wide open to show his employees that a new design will have a big impact to the company.

To Replace & Substitute- When children are learning to speak they rely on body language to speak for them.  For example, shaking their heads to say “no” or throwing something to show they “don’t like it”.  A similar concept is demonstrated when people of different languages try to speak to one another.  For example, waving of the hand from the body to an area shows “welcome, come in”.

To Reinforce and Accentuate- An employer can show they are disappointed with an employee’s performance by speaking with them in a stern tone.  On the other side an employer can show they are very pleased by having a smile on their face and a calm voice.

To Contradict- A customer can state they are extremely happy with a company but return most of the products they buy.

Please feel free to comment...I would love to hear your thoughts.  Next post will be coming soon.

Communicating through nonverbal messages

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ody language can speak a thousand words and when communicating with others that’s exactly what body language does!  You can be saying one thing, but if your body demonstrates the opposite then you can be confusing to your audience and your message can be lost in translation… 

Non verbal communications are shown through eye contact, facial expressions, posture and gestures, time, space and territory to name a few.  To see some more non verbal communication you can check these websites:  http://psychology.about.com/od/nonverbalcommunication/a/nonverbaltypes.htm, http://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/nonverbal-communication.html   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nonverbal_communication

Are you aware if you send out non verbal gestures when listening or talking to someone?  Most of us are not.  When we interact with others, we continuously give and receive wordless signals. All of our nonverbal  gestures we make, the way we sit, how close we stand, how much eye contact we give send strong messages. These messages don't stop when you stop speaking either. Even when you're silent, you're still communicating non-verbally.

What do you think are the Non Verbal gestures that you send?