Non-Verbal Communication

1
|
MTL: The Professional Development Programme
Non-Verbal Communication
NON-VERBAL
COMMUNICATION
A universal language

2
|
Attribution: All images are from sources where a Creative Commons license exists for commercial use. All icons are on subscription
from thenounproject. All clipart is from free sources. The MTL Professional Development Programme is copyright of Manage Train
Learn.
Non-Verbal
Communication
Introduction: Non-verbal communication is a constantly "on" form of
communication. Because of this, we don't need to speak for people to know what
we think. If we send the right signal, it can be an effective form of communication.
But, like all forms of communication, it is also one that can be misunderstood.

3
|
Why 7-38-55 is Your Key to Understanding Others
According to the research of Ray Bird
Whistell of Pennsylvania University, in any
exchange, 7% of our understanding comes
from what the other person says; 38% from
their tone of voice; and 55% from the silent
signals that accompany them.
Non-verbal communication is a relationship
language. It does more than just express
communication; it clarifies, amplifies and
reveals meaning. It allows us to send
information which we wouldn't or can't say
such as "I love you" or "I don't want to
speak" and also leaks information that we
don't intend to say.
Non-verbal language is a live language.
Although attempts have been made to
codify its various nuances, it is an evolving
and constantly-changing language and one
that, because it pre-dates spoken language,
is known and used by everyone.
The ability to correctly read other people's body language is linked to
emotional intelligence.The more self-aware you are, the better you are
at interpreting the signs and signals of other people. In contrast, people
with autism cannot read people's non-verbal signals well.

4
|
1. PERSONAL
DISTANCING
Personal distancing, or "proxemics", is the study
of our positioning relative to other people. For
example, people in competition sit opposite each
other while people co-operating sit beside each
other. In all cultures, there are zones around us
which define who we allow in and who we keep
out. In densely-populated countries, like Japan,
the distances are closer than in wide-open
countries like America and Australia.
Closeness varies in different places and different cultures
Flickr attribution: /moriza/176374083/

5
|
3. These messages
are sometimes
clear and
sometimes foggy,
but are usually
about people’s
feelings.
4. Your natural, at-
rest body
language conveys
a powerful
message to the
world about the
kind of person you
see yourself to be.
5. You can change
how others feel by
consciously
changing your
body language.
6. Your body
language is
sending messages
all the time. Some
experts estimate
that we have over
750,000 different
signals, 15,000 of
which are from
the face alone.
1. Because body
language is so
important in how
we send and
receive signals of
meaning, master
communicators
know they must
be skilful at
understanding its
range and effects.
2. Most people
can read body
language
accurately, but
don’t always know
how to respond.

6
|
2. HANDS AND
GESTURES
The hands are one of the most used instruments
in non-verbal communication because we can
use them to gesture, draw, and touch others, as
in handshakes. Here are 5 examples of gestures:
a. the finger kiss = "beautiful"
b. the finger cross = "good luck"
c. the nose tap = "it's a secret"
d. the eyelid pull = "I'm watching you"
e. the nose thumb = "ridiculous"
Next to speech, hands are the biggest communicating tool
Flickr attribution: /mcgraths/5318438876/

7
|
What Does Your Handshake Tell OthersAbout You?
The handshake is a universal sign of contact in most business situations. The hands are also give-aways for how
you feel. The hands are the only part of the body that cool in response to stress. Checking for cold damp hands is
the basis of lie detector tests. If you are in a stressful situation, such as an important interview, warm your hands
on your cheeks before you go to meet your contact.
A firm handshake lasting five
or six seconds sends a
confident signal; anything less
indicates a lack of interest.
Your contact should not notice
your hand: a tight vice-like
grip is as unwelcome as a
loose limp shake.
Whoever offers a handshake
at the close of a meeting is
the one who feels they've
been in charge.

8
|
World Greetings
Most of the world does not greet by shaking
hands. People from Cambodia and Laos will bow
with both hands together in front of the chest as
if praying.
In Japan, the depth of the bow signifies the level
of respect for the other person. If Koreans shake
hands, the right hand is supported at the wrist by
the left hand to show respect.
Thais bow with palms together at chest-height
with their fingers outstretched. Pakistanis greet
with salaam, which is done by bowing with the
palm of the right hand on the forehead. Brits
prefer a brief but firm handshake. The French
prefer a light grip which is then withdrawn. The
Germans use a quick pump and then withdraw.
Some cultures greet by hugging. Native
Hawaiians hug and exchange breaths, a custom
known as "aha".

9
|
3. HEAD AND
EYES
After the hands, the head and face are the most
important instruments in body language,
because of their ability to express emotions.
There are 6 principal facial expressions with
many nuances in between. These are: the smile
to show happiness; a lack of expression to show
sadness; a narrowing of the eyes to show
contempt; glaring to show anger; an open mouth
to show fear; and the head cocked to one side to
show interest.
The eyes are the gateway to the person
Flickr attribution: /acumenfund/14006128287/

10
|
What It Means When Others
Look at You Or Not
They are placed close together (and hence the
psychiatrist's couch and the catholic confessional
are arranged to avoid eye contact).
They are discussing intimate or difficult topics.
They are an introvert.
They are of higher status.
They don't like the other person.
A person will look at another
person VERY LITTLE when...
They are discussing easy-to-understand topics.
They are interested in each other but not
standing too close.
They are interested in the other person.
They are trying to dominate the other person.
They are dependent on the other person.
A person will look at another
person's eyes A LOT when...

11
|
AGenuine Smile Shows in
the Eyes
The smile is our animal expression signalling
whether we mean others harm or friendship. A
sincere smile is a baring of the teeth indicating "I
mean you no harm.“
Both smiling and frowning constrict blood flowing
to the brain and so create mood changes. If you
want to feel happy, smile; if you want to feel bad,
frown.
Paul Ekman catalogued 19 types of smile, ranging
from the sinister to the joyous. Smiles which bare
the lower teeth or upper teeth are considered
insincere, whereas smiles which wrinkle the eyes
and cheek are considered sincere.
According to Professor Adrian Furnham of
University College, London, ventriloquists,
salespeople and sophisticated liars smile more
than other people.

12
|
4. POSTURE
AND PACING
You can tell a lot from the way people stand and
move. For example, when people's body
language is in sync, you know they're on the
same wavelength. When it's not, you know
they're not. People of low status stay at the
office door; someone of equal status comes in
and sits at the desk. People of high rank such as
royalty have few gestures. People who are
animated come across as friendly; those with few
gestures as cold and reserved.
We reveal how we feel in the way we stand
Flickr attribution: /10413717@N08/12706427473/

13
|
The Queue to Somewhere
The rules of positioning yourself in relation to others reflect your position in the social pack. They also reflect
whether you wish to dominate others. As a rule, don't stand when others are sitting unless you want to dominate.
Sitting beside a female is considered intimate: sitting opposite a man is considered challenging. To show you
mean no harm, start a conversation adjacent to a man and move to the front; with a woman, do the opposite:
start opposite them and move to the side. If you want to dominate, move slowly. Beaten boxers always return
defiantly and slowly to their dressing room.

14
|
How to Communicate Intentions Without Speaking
In business situations, you can exclude or include someone, marginalise or bring them in, simply by orientating
your body appropriately. Studies into personal distancing are known as "proxemics". Amongst their findings, they
show that…
1 2 3 4 5
People co-operating
are likely to sit beside
each other.
People who don't
know one another
well and are working
together are likely to
sit at right angles to
each other.
Sitting at a low table
creates more
information than
sitting at one of
normal height.
People lying down
remember more
because they are not
getting ready for
action.This explains
the psychiatrist's
couch.
People in competition
are likely to sit
opposite each other.

15
|
5. SITTING
How you sit can tell others a lot about what is
going on inside you. This is information which
can be useful in a meeting or interview. For
example, wrapping your legs around the chair leg
indicates inner tension, while sprawling back
suggests inflated self-confidence. The best
position to sit in at a job interview is on the front
half of the chair with right leg forward, palms
visible, ready for action.
Contrasting signals on theTube
Flickr attribution: /neate_photos/4469741936/

16
|
2. Feet wide
apart = eager
to impress
7.Shifting
from foot to
foot =
impatient
3. Feet close
together =
fear and
tension
6. Standing
with feet
inwards =
insecure
4. Standing
with feet
parallel =
attentive
5. Standing
with feet
turned out =
open
8. Pivoting
from foot to
foot = firm
and positive
What You Can Read fromAnother Person’s Stance
When we engage in a conversation with others while standing we can read a lot into their stance, their distance
from us and the position in which they stand. This is what the position of the feet can indicate:
9. The
crossed legs
is defensive,
1. Feet apart
and balanced
= confident

17
|
6. WALKING
A whole catalogue of meanings can be drawn
from the way you walk. For example, walking
with a big step indicates decisiveness, ambition
and action. Walking with a little step shows
hesitancy, caution and a desire to adapt. Walking
un-rhythmically suggests anxiety. Walking with a
relaxed step suggests lack of commitment.
Our walk is a unique personal signature
Flickr attribution: /raylopez/846689373/

18
|
What Hand Movements and GesturesAre Saying
5. At a second job
interview, men
make fewer
gestures and move
their feet less,
whereas women
do the reverse,
and make more
movements.
Flickr attribution: /eddi_07/4344057630/
4. Authoritarian personalities use
fewer body movements than others
3. Women who contain their body movements
and keep their legs close together are associated
with a desire for neatness.
2. People with
many gestures are
rated as warm and
friendly; those
with few are rated
as cold and logical.
Research into gestures has shown that...
1. When two people like each other and are in
tune, their gestures keep pace

19
|
7. LIES
Because we have less control over our non-
verbal signals, we often leak information through
our body language. This can be of advantage if
you want to tell if someone is lying. For example,
it is thought that liars have fewer hand gestures;
touch their faces more; scratch their noses, (the
so-called, "Pinocchio effect“), breathe more
unevenly; and blush more deeply.
Lies can be revealed in our unspoken behaviour
Flickr attribution: /jintaeandpictures/5192674892/

20
|
The Body Language Clues To TellYou Who Is Lying
As well as non-verbal cues, liars also leak information in what they say, the rate at which they speak and the
sound of their voice.
1 2 3 4 5 6
1. Response
Latency
Liars take longer to
reply to questions
as their brains
have to sift truth
from fiction.
2. Linguistic
Distance
Liars tend to
distance
themselves from
what they say. "I"
is used less and
phrases like "you
might say..." are
used more.
3. Uneven
speech
Liars tend to use
uneven speech,
sometimes slow,
sometimes quick,
as they battle to
create the right
impression with
their words.
4. Gap-
filling
Liars don't like too
many silences.
5. Excessive
Pitch
Liars tend to raise
the pitch of their
voice at the end of
a reply instead of
dropping it, as if
they were asking a
question.
6. Micro-
expressions
Liars may show
flickers of surprise,
hurt or anger on
their face which
are usually difficult
to detect.

21
|
This has been a Slide Topic from Manage Train Learn
AFinal
Word
According to research, as much as 55% of our understanding of others comes from their body
language. That's why you need to be a conscious body language reader and user. Use what you see
in others to check out your assumptions, to aid your knowledge of what is going on inside them,
and to help you to closer trust and co-operation.

Non-Verbal Communication

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Similar to Non-Verbal Communication

Similar to Non-Verbal Communication (20)

More from Manage Train Learn

More from Manage Train Learn (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Non-Verbal Communication

Editor's Notes