Non-verbal Communication

....communication beyond words.

Nonverbal communication may be enumerated as a natural, unconscious language that broadcasts
our feelings and intentions in any given moment. When we interact with others we continuously
send and receive wordless signals. When the signals match up with the words we pronounce, they
increase trust, clarity and rapport. When they don’t they generate tension mistrust and confusion.

Therefore, it is important to be more sensitive to body language and other non verbal cues, so that
we can be more in tune with the thoughts and feelings of others. Besides, we need to be aware of
the signals transmitted to make sure that the messages we send are what we really want to
communicate. The ability to understands and use non verbal communication is a powerful tool that
helps us connect with others, to navigate challenging situations and build better relationships in
personal and professional domains.

All our nonverbal behaviours such as: the gesture we make, the posture we maintain, the pace and
the volume we maintain while speaking how we stand, how much eye contact we make send strong
messages. Those messages don’t stop even if we stop talking either. We still communicate non
verbally even when we are silent.

The following non-verbal signals and cues, together communicate our interest and investment in
others.

Facial Expressions. (Kinesics)

The human race is extremely expressive. It enables us to express countless emotions without saying
a single word and unlike some forms of nonverbal communication, facial expressions are universal.
The facial expressions for happiness, sadness, surprise, fear and disgust are the same across
cultures.

Smile: Friendliness, Raised eyebrows: Disbelief, Tightened Jaw muscles: Antagonism or anger.

Posture
Posture normally refers to theway we hold ourselves. The perceptions of people are affected by the
way we sit, walk, stand or hold our head.The way we move and carry ourselves communicates a
wealth of information to the world. This type of nonverbal communication includes our postures,
bearing, stance, and subtle movements.
Gestures (Kinesics)
Gestures are woven into the fabrics of our daily lives. We wave, point, signal and use our hands
when we speak or argue animatedly, expressing ourselves with gestures often without thinking.
However, the meaning of gestures can be very different across cultures and regions, so its important
to be careful to avoid misinterpretations.

Eye contact
Eye contact shows the intensity of the speaker and elicits a feeling of trust. Since the visual sense is
dominant for most of the people, eye contact is an especially important type of nonverbal
communication. The way we look at a person may communicate many things including interest,
affection, hostility or attraction. Eye contact is also important in maintaining the flow of
conversation and for measuring other people’s response.

Space (Proximics)
Sometimes we feel uncomfortable during a conversation because the other person standing too
close invades our personal space. We all have a need for physical space, although that need differs
depending on the context, culture and the intimacy of the relationship. You can use physical space
to different non verbal messages including signals of intimacy, aggression, dominance and
affection.

Touch (Haptics)
We can communicate a great deal of emotions and feelings through touch. A firm handshake
reflects the warmth of greeting, a timid pat on the soldier sooths us, a reassuring pat on the back
encourages us, a pat on the head expresses patronizing feelings, a grip on the arms comforts us.