Chapter 1

Nonverbal Communication

 The body is a canvas for expressing feelings and emotions; those who read it know our spirits.
Anonymous

Objectives
At the end of this session, you will be able to define nonverbal communication analyze nonverbal communication explain the importance of nonverbal communication describe the types/forms of nonverbal

communication deal with contradictions between the verbal and nonverbal message

Definition
Nonverbal communication refers to sending and receiving messages without the use of words.
What we say is less important than How we say it?

Research
Researchers have estimated that between 65 and 93 percent of messages are nonverbal, especially messages that convey feelings. If the verbal message does not match the nonverbal communication, people tend to believe the nonverbal message.
Terrell (2001). Communication Works! Texas: National textbook company.

Nonverbal Communication
Body language The eyes, face, and body send silent messages.
Eye contact Facial expression Posture and gestures

Appearance sends silent messages.

Appearance of business documents Appearance of people
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Nonverbal Communication
Time, space, and territory send silent
messages.
Time (punctuality and structure of)

Space (arrangement of objects in)

Territory (privacy zones)
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Nonverbal Communication
An example from the world of Dilbert:

Four types of Nonverbal Communication

Classifications
personal - unique to a person cultural - common to a group of people from a particular cultural group universal - common to people everywhere e.g. to show sadness, happiness random - unrelated to the verbal message e.g. behaviour such as a sneeze or cough. May be
distracting

Purpose of body movement

Emblems
Nonverbal acts learnt through imitation e.g. nodding head or a smile for okay,

Illustrators
Nonverbal acts that relate to, and illustrate, the spoken word e.g. a nod, a wave of arm for direction

Purpose of body movement

Regulators

(cont.)

Nonverbal acts that control verbal interaction e.g. nodding head for someone to continue, holding hand up
to stop someone talking

Adaptors
Nonverbal personal habits developed in childhood e.g. stroking chin, picking imaginary lint from clothing etc

Affective displays
reveal the feelings of the person when words are held back
e.g. Blushing when shy, drop with surprise or shock, a smile
may be used to deceive or disarm the listener.

Aspects of Nonverbal Communication

Vocal qualities Use of space Nonverbal communication is conveyed through Time Body movement

Use of artefacts

Physical characteristics Touching behaviour

Physical environment

Forms of Nonverbal Communication

Body Movement
Facial expressions
Anger Sadness Fear Enjoyment Love Surprise Disgust Shame

Forms of Nonverbal Communication

Eye contact
Maintaining Deceiving Prolonged Cultural implications

Forms of Nonverbal Communication

Posture
Confidence Shyness Tension or relaxation Showing attentiveness to speaker

Forms of Nonverbal Communication

Physical Characteristics
- body shape, - body and breath odours - weight, hair and skin colour

Touching behaviour

Stroking Hitting Holding Guiding May console, control, show affection or

dominate

Forms of Nonverbal Communication

Gestures and touch - movement of hands, arms - thumbs-up signal - a hug, arms around shoulders Touch behavior is influenced by gender and culture

Forms of Nonverbal Communication

Vocal qualities
Pitch range Rate Volume Quality Articulation control

Forms of Nonverbal Communication

How words are said, not what is said Emotions may be revealed e.g. grief, anger, fear

The sighing, groaning, volume, um and ah also give clues to the total message.

 Space
Four different comfort zones
Public Social Personal Intimate

Forms of Nonverbal Communication

Time and Distance (Proxemity)
Intimate zone: 1 to 1 feet half an arms length Personal Zone: 1 to 4 feet Social Zone: 4 to 12 feet an arms length Public Zone: 12 or more feet

Edward T. Hall, Anthropologist

Forms of Nonverbal Communication

Territory
View certain areas as our own Be aware of zones of privacy

Forms of Nonverbal Communication

Time
Scheduling of time Meetings Punctuality Time allotted for projects

Artefacts
Objects used to convey nonverbal
messages about self-concept, image, mood, feelings or style
e.g. perfume, clothes, lipstick, glasses, hairpieces, a police badge, a nurses uniform

The choice of clothes may reflect the

mood, the occasion or your attitude to the occasion

Forms of Nonverbal Communication

Environment
Location of office Arrangement of furniture Barrier Inviting Display of personal items Where you sit

Environment
Layout/size of furniture Colour Temperature Smells Music Environment should put people at ease
and match their expectations

Maximizing Nonverbal Communication Skills

Smile genuinely Be aware of false cues Keep appropriate distance Use touch carefully Respect status Shake hands appropriately

Dealing with contradictions between the verbal and nonverbal message

Nonverbal messages work with or against verbal messages. Check meaning when you: - are in doubt - are uncomfortable with the communication - have to make a decision on the basis of the total message.

To interpret the total message

Listen to the words Watch for nonverbal behaviour Check the meaning of nonverbal

behaviour when verbal and nonverbal messages conflict Consider the context or setting

Goals of business communication

Giving or obtaining information Giving or obtaining agreement
Giving or obtaining action

LISTENING

The process of using our Eyes, Ears and Mind to Understand Meanings and Feelings.

Listening vs. Hearing

0 Hearing- physical process; natural;
passive

0 Listening- physical & mental process;

active; learned process; a skill

0 Listening is hard!

You must choose to participate in the process of listening.

Why We Dont Listen

0 Self centeredness 0 Uninteresting Topics 0 Personal Concerns 0 Speakers Delivery 0 If you are a faster 0 External
Distractions 0 Prejudging people

thinker than speaker 0 Language/Culture Differences

Exercise - Listening
1. Who are the people its easiest to listen
to? 2. What is it about these people that makes it easier to listen to them? 3. Who are the people you listen to least? 4. What is it about them that makes it difficult to listen to them?
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The Listening Process

3/4 of communication is conveyed by
speaking and listening listening takes up twice as much time as speaking good listening skills are a distinct advantage in business

Listening vs Hearing
Hearing - a passive activity; no effort Listening - requires
active involvement, attention interpretation of message understanding takes time and effort

Listening skills
Types of listening
Attending Encouraging

Reflective

Active

Attending listening
Indicate interest
focus on speaker by giving physical attention Use your whole body, and the environment you create, to provide feedback that assures the speaker of your total attention. Some ways of offering this feedback are eye contact, posture and body movement. personal space - be aware of a persons personal zone ...........cont.

Attending listening cont.

Let speaker speak - dont interrupt with
questions or comments unnecessarily Encourage speaker to continue - use encouraging responses and nonverbal cues such as nodding Dont ask too many questions. Wait for cue from speaker or ask open questions Allow silences - give speaker time to continue

Encouraging listening
Provide feedback which encourages the
speaker to further discuss a point
use conversation openers invite speaker to continue

Encouraging listening
Invitation to disclose - Invite speakers to continue but without

pressuring them to disclose the feelings or thoughts. - Even if they are ambivalent, continue to give attention by using eye contact and an open posture and let them choose whether or not to disclose.

For example, if the speaker seems upset or annoyed, you might say something like, you seem to be upset about the discussion with that last client. Would you care to talk about it?

EL Minimal and brief responses

They let speakers know you are listening
and encourage them to continue. Examples of responses are mm, hmmm, yes, I see, along with an attentive posture. Nonverbal cues like nodding and facial expressions also convey your interests.

EL - Pause
A pause, or brief silence, allows the
speaker to consider, reflect and decide whether to continue the conversation As a listener, use this time to watch the speakers body movement.

EL use encouraging questions

Ask open question it will help to share
more personal feelings and thoughts. Ex: how did you go about collecting the files? open Did you collect the files closed (yes/no) Avoid why questions

Reflecting listening
Mirror the content and feelings in the
message Helps to show that you understand. Techniques you can use are 1. Paraphrasing 2. Clarifying 3. summarising

Paraphrasing

Rephrasing the essential part of the

message concisely in your own words. Listen for the main ideas and direction of the message and rephrase it for the speaker. Helps to achieve a full understanding of the content. Useful at work to confirm instructions or information before you take action.

Clarifying
Clarification of the message gives the
speaker feedback and shows what the listener understands. It takes the guesswork out of communication.

 Make clarifying remarks in terms of

describing your feelings, rather than as criticisms of the speaker. For example, if you feel confused by what the speaker has said, you might say something like, Could you repeat that? I dont think I understood.

Summarising
The process of gathering up and
condensing the most important points made in a long conversation, to conclude it and give it shape or direction. As you summarize, use statements such as: so far weve covered Your main concern seems to be etc.

Reflecting listening
Feelings and content of message are
restated or mirrored to indicate understanding or acceptance
paraphrase clarify reflect feelings

e.g. I missed out on the promotion - follow with Youre disappointed?

reflect meanings summarise

Active listening
Relate back to the speaker the total
message received (both content and feeling) suitable for problem solving or counselling a cluster of attending, encouraging and reflecting listening skills

Active listening

While reflective listening restates the

feelings and content of the message, active listening goes one step further. It also communicates to other people that you understand the process from their point of view. This technique lets the speaker either confirm or correct the listeners feedback. It also helps other people to reach their own decisions and form their own insights.

 It requires a conscious attempt to

empathize with the speaker in terms of the content and feelings. For example, a response by the listener such as: You seem to be feeling down about this. . . lets the speaker either agree or disagree with that response.

Barriers to Effective Listening

Physical barriershearing disabilities, noisy

surroundings Psychological barrierstuning out ideas that counter our values Language problemsunfamiliar or charged words Nonverbal distractionsclothing, mannerisms, appearance
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Barriers to Effective Listening

Thought speedour minds process thoughts faster
than speakers express them

Faking attentionpretending to listen Grandstandingtalking all the time or listening only

for the next pause

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References
Management.uta.edu/Rebecca/4311/Nonverbal
%20Communicaton.ppt .

Terrell, G. (2001). Communication works! Texas:

National Textbook Company.

Dwyer, J. (2006). The Business communication

handbook. 7th ed. NSW: Pearson Education
Australia.

Discuss in groups of three to four the following points:

1. Tips for Improving Your Nonverbal Skills

2. Tips for Becoming an Active Listener
3. What will happen if you are not a good communicator or a good listener?

Tips for Improving Your Nonverbal Skills

Establish and maintain eye contact. Use posture to show interest. Improve your decoding skills. Probe for more information. Avoid assigning nonverbal meanings out
of context.

Tips for Improving Your Nonverbal Skills

Associate with people from diverse
cultures. Appreciate the power of appearance. Observe yourself on videotape. Enlist friends and family.

Tips for Becoming an Active Listener

Stop talking. Control your surroundings. Establish a receptive mind-set. Listen for main points. Capitalize on lag (wait) time. Listen between the lines.

Tips for Becoming an Active Listener

Judge ideas, not appearances. Hold your fire. Take selective notes. Provide feedback.

What will happen if you are not a good communicator or a good listener?
People will withhold information you need
to do your job.