– good idea is to repeat back your interpretation of what has been said and ask for clarification – “So, what you are saying is that…” 6. USE SIGNALS TO MAKE COMMUNICATION MORE EFFECTIVE AND MEANINGFUL – improve spoken communication – useful when making presentations or when speaking to a large group of people 7. LOOK AT SIGNALS AS A GROUP – a gesture can mean a lot of things or nothing at all – the key to accurately read nonverbal behavior is to look for a group of signals that reinforce a common point 8. CONSIDER TEXT – when you are communicating with others, BODY LANGUAGE always consider the situation and the 1. KINESICS context in which the communication – how we use facial expressions, gestures, occurs postures and eye behavior in – some situations require more formal communication behaviors that might be interpreted 2. EYE CONTACT differently in any other seeting – most crucial aspect of body language is 9. BE AWARE THAT SIGNALS CAN BE MISREAD looking at your prospect in the eyes – firm handshake = strong personality; weak 3. PARALANGUAGE handshake = lack of fortitude – voice minus the words – a person’s overall demeanor is far more 4. HAPTICS telling than a single gesture viewed in – sense of touch isolation 5. PROXEMICS 10. PRACTICE – using space – build the skill to “read people”
TIPS FOR NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
1. PAY ATTENTION TO NONVERBAL SIGNALS – eye contact, gestures, posture, body movement and tone of voice – help you improve your own ability to communicate nonverbally 2. LOOK FOR INCONGRUENT BEHAVIORS – words nonverbal behavior, people tend to ignore what has been said and focus instead on nonverbal expressions of moods, thoughts and emotions 3. CONCENTRATE ON YOUR TONE OF VOICE – ranging from enthusiasm to disinterest to anger – use to emphasize ideas that you want to communicate – e.g. animated tone of voice 4. USE GOOD EYE CONTACT – doesn’t mean fixedly staring into someone’s eyes – fail to look = hiding something – too much eye contact = confrontational or intimidating – experts recommend: 4-5s
Giancarlo Dimaggio, Antonio Semerari, Antonino Carcione, Giuseppe Nicolò, Michele Procacci - Psychotherapy of Personality Disorders_ Metacognition, States of Mind and Interpersonal Cycles-Routledge (2