Lesson 9:

1. Make proper eye contact

Eye contact makes up a huge part of non-verbal communication. Keeping eye contact while
communicating is a good way to show others that you’re engaged and attentive while they’re speaking.

2. Be aware of body language

Your posture matters a great deal. Stand or sit up straight and face your audience openly and with
attention. If appropriate, move around a bit and use hand gestures to emphasize your points. Avoid
crossing your arms and legs, picking your nails or fidgeting. This can all imply you are uncomfortable, not
interested or even defensive. Also, respect people’s personal space and remember that different
cultures and individuals can have different norms and preferences about proximity and touch.

3. Facial expressions don’t lie

Facial expressions are closely tied to our emotions and easily reveal what we are thinking and feeling.
We naturally make all sorts of facial expressions when we interact with others.

4. Play with your tone of voice

Your vocal tone is another important form of non-verbal communication. It can convey emotion and
feelings, such as happiness, sadness, anger and boredom. When you speak, pay attention to your tone
and be conscious how it affects other people as it can be an effective way to amplify your message.
speaking too fast or too slow and make sure you articulate well.

5. Pay attention to discrepancies in behavior

If someone’s words don’t match their non-verbal expressions or actions or if a team member says
they’re excited to work on a new project but is staring at the ground or frowning, they might not be as
happy as they say. Pick up these signals and dig deeper to find out the problem and how you can
support.

6. When in doubt, ask

One of the biggest risks of decoding non-verbal communication is wrongly interpreting the signs. When
you are confused or in doubt of someone’s non-verbal cues, ask for clarification.

7. Practice makes perfect

Some people might have a natural talent for picking up non-verbal cues. If you are not one of them,
don’t worry. You can improve your skills by practicing.