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.
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.
