Non-Verbal Communication

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Non-Verbal Communication
Communications
MTL Course Topics
COMMUNICATIONS

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Communications
MTL Course Topics
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Communications
MTL Course Topics
ARE YOU READY?
OK, LET’S START!

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Communications
MTL Course Topics
INTRODUCTION
Non-verbal communication, or body language, is the one
form of communication which we are all capable of using
and understanding. It pre-dates verbal and written forms of
language. In the workplace, a knowledge of body language
can be invaluable in building understanding and rapport,
particularly in areas such as selling, negotiation, interviews
and face-to-face meetings. This unit explores with you
twenty of the key areas of body language.

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MTL Course Topics
7-38-55
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.

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PERSONAL SPACE
Edward Hall first defined the science of proxemics or
personal space in "The Silent Language" in 1959.
There are four zones that we have influence over: an
intimate zone up to 18" around us; a personal zone up to 4
foot around us; a social space up to 12 foot around us and a
public zone beyond 12 foot.
We instinctively feel when people violate these areas. If we
want to threaten someone else, the simplest way is to
invade their private spaces. The only allowable invasion of
personal space in our culture is when you are giving
someone praise.
In wide-open countries such as America and Australia,
people are used to bigger personal zones; in crowded
countries, like Japan, to smaller zones.

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POSITIONING YOURSELF
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.
1. Don't stand when others are sitting unless you want to
dominate.
2. Sitting beside a female is considered intimate: sitting
opposite a man is considered challenging.
3. 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 and move to
the side.
4. If you want to dominate, move slowly. Beaten boxers
always return defiantly and slowly to their dressing
room.

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POSTURE
Alfred Mehrabian and Albert Sheflen have carried out
extensive research into the significance of different body
postures. They found that...
1. People of equal rank stand together and sit together.
2. People of lower rank hold their bodies back.
3. When seated and relaxed, men lean back if they feel
friendly. In the presence of someone they dislike, there
is little lean. Women, on the other hand, lean away
from men they dislike.
4. People of high social rank, such as royalty, have few
gestures and posture changes.
5. People of low status stay at the office door; people of
equal status come in and sit at the desk.

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PROXEMICS
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. People in competition are likely to sit opposite each
other.
2. People co-operating are likely to sit beside each other.
3. People who don't know one another well and are
working together are likely to sit at right angles to each
other.
4. Sitting at a low table creates more information than
sitting at one of normal height.
5. People lying down remember more because they are
not getting ready for action. This explains the
psychiatrist's couch.

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DRESS AND GROOMING
It is not just what people do with their body language that
leaves an impression on us it is also what they look like.
Some of the assumptions we make about what we see in
others' appearance have led to the following rules of
business dress:
1. Wear clothes that are appropriate to the occasion or
society if you want to belong.
2. Avoid black clothes: they tend to be associated with
negative thoughts.
3. Beards give the impression that a man is either of an
independent mind or too lazy to shave.
4. Spectacles give the impression of intelligence.
5. People notice little details about you, so pay extra
attention to hygiene, fingernails, and shoe cleanliness.

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THE EYES
A person will look at another person's eyes a lot when...
1. they are discussing easy-to-understand topics
2. they are interested in each other but not standing too
close
3. they are interested in the other person
4. they are trying to dominate the other person
5. they are dependent on the other person.
A person will look at another person very little when...
1. they are placed close together (and hence the
psychiatrist's couch and the Catholic confessional are
arranged to avoid eye contact)
2. they are discussing intimate or difficult topics
3. they are not interested in the other person
4. they are an introvert
5. they are of higher status
6. they don't like the other person.

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THE GAZE
Gazing at someone indicates interest but prolonged staring
suggests hostility.
Women gaze more than men but don't like being stared at
back.
People who are right-brained and more imaginative break
their gaze to the right when they are asked what they think.
Less imaginative people break to the left.
If you ask a person to picture an experience, they usually
break to the "picture gallery" of the right side - the right
brain. Ask them to remember an actual experience and their
eyes move to the left - the left brain's "filing cabinet" side.

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MAPPING
Dr Desmond Morris is credited with having defined "gesture
maps". He showed how different gestures have different
meanings in different cultures.
Here are five examples in our own society...
1. The fingertip kiss - "beautiful!"
2. The nose thumb - "ridiculous!"
3. The finger cross - "Good luck!"
4. The eyelid pull - "I'm watching!"
5. The nose tap - "It's a secret!"
6. The clenched fist - "I defy you!"
7. The thumb point - "Look over there!"
In the same way, head movements can supplement hand
and finger gestures. The head cock can indicate interest; the
eyebrow flash can be used to greet someone we know; the
nod can mean "keep on talking".

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

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TOUCH
Mark Knapp carried out an experiment in a public library in
which assistants were instructed to lightly touch some
customers on the forearm and not to touch others. Those
who were touched reported a higher appreciation of the
library's service than those who were not touched. Similarly,
waiters know that a light touch can increase the chances of
a customer tip.
Touching can send different signals. Sir Matt Busby, manager
of the Manchester United team of the 1960's, used to put
his arm around a player before telling him he'd been
dropped. His later successor, Sir Alex Ferguson, used a vice-
like shoulder grip to remind a player of his responsibilities.
Self-touching, particularly if it is excessive, may be a good
indicator of anxiety. It can also suggest a restricted
vocabulary or be a cultural habit.

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Communications
MTL Course Topics
THE SMILE
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.

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MTL Course Topics
THE HANDSHAKE
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.

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MTL Course Topics
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".

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MTL Course Topics
THE FACE
According to Paul Eckman and Wallace Friesen, there are six
principal facial expressions which reveal how we feel. These
are: the smile showing happiness; a lack of expression to
show sadness; a narrowing of the eyes and a grimacing
mouth to show contempt; glaring and teeth-gritting to show
anger; open mouth and trembling to show fear; and the
head cocked to one side to show interest.
The eyes and face are often referred to as the windows of
the soul. The number of different expressions the face can
show is huge but often we are unaware of just what our
faces show to others.
People often ascribe different attributes to different parts of
the face. For example, thin lips are supposed to indicate a
moral person, thick lips an immoral person. A high forehead
is supposed to indicate intelligence; a low forehead the
opposite.

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MTL Course Topics
FINGERS AND THUMBS
Fingers and thumbs are often used to elaborate our
communication. When used deliberately, they can help to
explain, for example by drawing pictures in the air.
When used unconsciously, they can be used to add
emphasis to a message, for example clenched fists signal a
fight; finger-tapping indicates impatience; and pointing a
finger expresses argument.
The index finger can also reveal what someone may be
thinking: when it is on the lips it expresses concealment;
across the mouth it is a way of saying "I won't speak";
rubbing lips, it suppresses a lie and placed in the mouth, it
expresses ignorance.
Rubbing the fingertips with the thumb is a sign of hesitancy;
steepling fingertips is a striving for balance; clasped hands
are a barrier.

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MTL Course Topics
HANDS
Our hands often reveal more about what is going on inside
us than any other part of our body because it is hard to talk
to someone and think about what we are saying while also
thinking about controlling our hands. Speech-makers should
learn to control their hands by keeping them in one place or
holding an object.
The left hand is regarded as the emotional hand while the
right hand is thought of as the proper hand.
When you talk with open hands, you show trust and
interest, but when you cover them so that only the backs
are showing, you indicate concealment and insecurity.
Twisting your hands or clinging to the arms of a chair shows
you're confused. A hand at the throat indicates you are
emotionally choking.

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SITTING
How we sit when talking to someone else can reveal how
we feel. Since most people tend to sit at group meetings
and presentations, you can sense how people are reacting
to you from how they sit.
1. People who sit on half the chair with the right leg
forward, head and torso forward, palms visible, are
ready for action. It is the best sitting position for job
candidates at interview.
2. People who sit on all the chair leaning forward with
elbows on thighs are expressing open-mindedness.
3. People who sprawl on the whole chair, legs apart, torso
back and hands behind the neck are showing inflated
self-confidence.
4. Cross-legs express natural confidence.
5. Legs wrapped around the chair leg indicate strong inner
tension.

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MTL Course Topics
STANDING
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:
1. Feet apart and balanced = confident
2. Feet wide apart = eager to impress
3. Feet close together = fear and tension
4. Standing with feet parallel = attentive
5. Standing with feet turned out = confident
6. Standing with feet turned inwards = insecure
7. Shifting from foot to foot = impatient
8. Pivoting from foot to foot = firm and positive
9. Crossed legs = defensive
10. The crossed legs is often the position of newcomers to a
group.

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MTL Course Topics
WALKING
Just as others get an impression about us from the way we
sit and stand, so we can also send different signals to others
by the manner, pace and rhythm of the way we walk.
Learning to make the right impression can be important in
situations such as job interviews.
1. Walking with a big step indicates decisiveness, ambition
and action.
2. Walking with a little step shows hesitancy, caution and a
desire to adapt.
3. Walking without rhythm expresses anxiety.
4. Walking with a relaxed step suggests lack of
commitment.
5. Walking with a swinging step with the shoulders over
the hips suggests a selfish character.
6. Walking with a dragged step means you are burdened.
7. Walking with a stiff step makes you seem restrained.

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LIES
It is important in some professions to use deception, in
others to detect it. Nurses for example who may need to
keep the seriousness of illness from their patients score high
on their use of deceptive signals. Others may attempt to
hide the truth for personal reasons.
Generally, when someone is lying they show signs of stress
such as sweaty palms, uneven breathing and blushing. They
reduce their hand and arm movements so as not to give too
much away. Because they are concentrating on what they
are saying they are less conscious of parts of the body
furthest away from their face, such as the feet and legs,
which may become awkward.
An increase in gestures to the head often accompanies
lying, as if to hide oneself. These include: nose and eye
touching; collar-pulling; a hand in front of the mouth.

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THE PINOCCHIO EFFECT
There are a range of non-verbal signals that suggest
someone may not be telling the truth.
These include:
1. A low level of hand gestures.
2. An increase in comfort gestures such as face touching.
3. Shifty eye movements. When children tell lies, they
tend not to look you in the face.
4. Excessive squirming as if you don't want to be there
5. An increase in stuttering, slurring and Freudian slips
6. A loss of resonance in the voice which becomes flatter
and more monotonous.
Dr Alan Hirsh of the University of Illinois has suggested that
when someone lies, blood rushes into the face and is felt
particularly in the nose where it inflames the erectile
tissues. This causes a desire to scratch the nose, an effect of
lying also known as "the Pinocchio effect".

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LIE DETECTORS
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.
response latency. Liars take longer to reply to questions as
their brains have to sift truth from fiction.
1. Linguistic Distance. Liars tend to distance themselves
from what they say. "I" is used less and phrases like "you
might say..." are used more.
2. Uneven Speech. Liars tend to use uneven speech,
sometimes slow, sometimes quick, as they battle to
create the right impression with their words.
3. Gap-filling. Liars don't like too many silences.
4. 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.
5. Micro-expressions. Liars may show flickers of surprise,
hurt or anger on their face which are usually difficult to
detect.

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MTL Course Topics
THAT’S
IT!
WELL DONE!

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MTL Course Topics
THANK YOU
This has been a Slide Topic from Manage Train Learn

Non-Verbal Communication

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