Non-Verbal Communication

Source: Fred E. Miller (Non-Verbal Communication). Retrieved October 26, 2011.

One aspect of communication that should never be overlooked is non-verbal communication. This includes facial expressions, body movement, posture, gestures, eye contact, touch, personal space and more! I think it is always important to be aware of the message you are portraying through your non-verbal communication. The picture above really emphasizes importance of facial expression. Without holding a conversation with the man, it is possible to assign an emotion to each picture. This becomes relevant if, for example, you are trying to apologize to someone but you are periodically sticking out your tongue at him or her. Is he or she really going to take your apology seriously, no matter how eloquent your speech?

Personally, I find the differences in non-verbal communication between cultures fascinating. For example, in North America pointing is commonly done using the index finger. However, in Japan the entire hand is used to point to an object and pointing with the index finger is deemed mildly offensive! More interesting yet, in North America frequent eye contact during a conversation is a way to show that you are interested and engaged. On the other hand, Asian custom dictates that not making eye contact with your superiors is a sign of respect. This can cause problems for Asian tourists in North America because avoiding eye contact here is seen as rude and even an indication of lying! One last example that was shared with me by a friend who recently returned from Iran is the difference is head gestures. Contrary to the North American custom of nodding for yes and shaking your head for no, in Iran they dip their head down with a slight turn to signal yes and move their head up and back sharply to signal no. This could prove to be very confusing for a North American tourist if they haven’t done any research before traveling to Iran. Therefore I am realizing that it is very important to not only learn key phrases between visiting a new country, but to also learn common gestures to reduce confusion and possible offensiveness.

 One article from Fox News that I found interesting is about how scientists are teaching soldiers stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan how to effectively communicate with the locals. Simply not charging up to people and taking off their sunglasses while holding conversations is increasing the openness of communication between soldiers and citizens. I find it interesting how gestures the soldiers are not even consciously doing are making their jobs harder and I think it is great the researchers are helping them improve their non-verbal communication skills. In addition, below is a fascinating clip from a BBC documentary that better explains some of the differences in gestures between cultures.

Source: http://youtu.be/pxoB6MhmbIg. Retrieved October 26, 2011.

    

Even in our technology filled world today, non-verbal communication continues to be a major component of portraying a message. Non-verbal messages are commonly transmitted through both video blogs and photographs. For example, my fellow ALES student Fallon has uploaded two profile pictures to her blog. One photo is of her smiling with a starfish on her face and the other is her hugging Winnie the Pooh. Although pictures do not tell the whole story, her pictures make her seem like a warm, fun-loving person. In contrast, had her profile picture been her staring directly at the camera with her arms crossed and a frown on her face, I would have more likely categorized her as an unhappy or defiant person. Therefore, in a world where employers a looking at all of your online personas, it is important to scrutinize your pictures and ensure they transmit the non-verbal message you want them to. In summary, it is important to always be conscious of the non-verbal messages you are portraying to be sure your actions match your words, because the actions often matter more than anything coming out of your mouth!

Source: Mike Baldwin (Cartoon Stock). Retrieved October 26, 2011.