Communicating Through Nonverbal Messages

Nonverbal cues also carry powerful meanings. Nonverbal communication includes all unwritten and
unspoken messages, both intentional and unintentional. Eye contact, facial expression, body
movements, space, time, distance, appearance—all of these nonverbal cues influence the way a
message is interpreted, or decoded, by the receiver. Many of the nonverbal messages that we send are
used intentionally to accompany spoken words.

Functions of Nonverbal Communication

To complement and illustrate. Nonverbal messages can amplify, modify, or provide details for a verbal
message. For example, in describing the size of a cell phone, a speaker holds his fingers apart 5 inches.
To reinforce and accentuate. Skilled speakers raise their voices to convey important ideas, but they
whisper to suggest secrecy. whereas a big smile intensifies good news.
To replace and substitute: nodding your head for yes , giving a V for victory, making a thumbs-up sign
for approval, and shrugging your shoulders for I don’t know or I don’t care .
To control and regulate. Shifts in eye contact, slight head movements, changes in posture, raising of
eyebrows, nodding of the head, and voice inflection—all of these cues tell speakers when to continue,
to repeat, to elaborate, to hurry up, or to finish.

Forms of Nonverbal Communication

Eye Contact.
The eyes have been called the “windows to the soul.” Even if communicators can’t look directly into the
soul, they consider the eyes to be the most accurate predictor of a speaker’s true feelings and attitudes.
Most of us cannot look another person straight in the eyes and lie. As a result, we tend to believe people
who look directly at us. We have less confidence in and actually distrust those who cannot maintain eye
contact. Sustained eye contact suggests trust and admiration; brief eye contact signifies fear or stress.
Prolonged eye contact, however, can be intrusive and intimidating. One successful CEO says that he can
tell from people’s eyes whether they are focused, receptive, or distant. He also notes the frequency of
eye blinks when judging a person’s honesty. Good eye contact enables the message sender to
determine whether a receiver is paying attention, showing respect, responding favorably, or feeling
distress. From the receiver’s perspective, good eye contact reveals the speaker’s sincerity, confidence,
and truthfulness. Because eye contact is a learned skill, however, you must be respectful of people who
do not maintain it. You must also remember that nonverbal cues, including eye contact, have different
meanings in various cultures. Chapter 3 presents more information about the cultural influence of
nonverbal cues.
Facial Expression. The expression on a communicator’s face can be almost as revealing of emotion as
the eyes. Researchers estimate that the human face can display over 250,000 expressions. 52 Although a
few people can control these expressions and maintain a “poker face” when they want to hide their
feelings, most of us display our emotions openly. Raising or lowering the eyebrows, squinting the eyes,
swallowing nervously, clenching the jaw, smiling broadly—these voluntary and involuntary facial
expressions supplement or entirely replace verbal messages. In the workplace, maintaining a pleasant
expression with frequent smiles promotes harmony.
Posture and Gestures.
An individual’s general posture can convey anything from high status and self-confidence to shyness
and submissiveness. Leaning toward a speaker suggests attraction and interest; pulling away or
shrinking back denotes fear, distrust, anxiety, or disgust. Similarly, gestures can communicate entire
thoughts via simple movements.
Time.
 How we structure and use time tells observers about our personality and attitudes. For example, when
Maritza Perez, a banking executive, gives a visitor a prolonged interview, she signals her respect for,
interest in, and approval of the visitor or the topic being discussed. By sharing her valuable time, she
sends a clear nonverbal message. Likewise, when David Ing twice arrives late for a meeting, it could
mean that the meeting has low priority to David, that he is a self-centered person, or that he has little
self-discipline. These are assumptions that typical Americans might make. In other cultures and regions,
though, punctuality is viewed differently.
Space. How we arrange things in the space around us tells something about ourselves and our
objectives. Whether the space is a dorm room, an office, or a department, people reveal themselves in
the design and grouping of furniture within that space. Generally, the more formal the arrangement, the
more formal and closed the communication environment. An executive who seats visitors in a row of
chairs across from his desk sends a message of aloofness and desire for separation. A team leader who
arranges chairs informally in a circle rather than in straight rows or a rectangular pattern conveys her
desire for a more open, egalitarian exchange of ideas.

Techniques for Improving Nonverbal Communication Skills in the Workplace

• Establish and maintain eye contact. Remember that in the United States and Canada appropriate eye
contact signals interest, attentiveness, strength, and credibility.
• Use posture to show interest. Encourage communication interaction by leaning forward, sitting or
standing erect, and looking alert.
• Reduce or eliminate physical barriers. Move out from behind a desk or lectern; arrange meeting
chairs in a circle.
• Improve your decoding skills. Watch facial expressions and body language to understand the
complete verbal and nonverbal message being communicated.
• Probe for more information. When you perceive nonverbal cues that contradict verbal meanings,
politely seek additional clues ( I’m not sure I understand, Please tell me more about …, or Do you mean
that … ? ).
• Avoid assigning nonverbal meanings out of context. Make nonverbal assessments only when you
understand a situation or a culture.
• Associate with people from diverse cultures. Learn about other cultures to widen your knowledge
and tolerance of intercultural nonverbal messages.
• Appreciate the power of appearance. Keep in mind that the appearance of your business documents,
your business space, and yourself send immediate positive or negative messages to others.
• Observe yourself on video. Ensure that your verbal and nonverbal messages are in sync by recording
and evaluating yourself making a presentation.
• Enlist friends and family. Ask friends and family members to monitor your conscious and unconscious
body movements and