What are 4 examples of nonverbal communication?
There’s a skill to nonverbal communication: Can you tell what someone is thinking just by looking at them? Have you lost their attention, or are they utterly rapt by what you’re saying? Show Sometimes nonverbal communication says more than your words do or ever can. This is why it’s so important to understand it, whether you’re the speaker or you’re in the audience. Key Takeaways:
Nonverbal communication is a way of transmitting a message without words. Typically, nonverbal communication includes things like eye contact, facial expressions, gestures, posture, and the distance between the speaker and the person listening. They’re integral parts of your communication skills toolkit and worthy of examining. It can be as obvious and as intentional as holding up two fingers when you want two tickets at the theater. Or your nonverbal communication can be totally unintended, like an eye roll when someone says something stupid. Nonverbal communication has five roles that it performs when you’re listening and when you’re speaking. It adds to the words from both sides of a conversation or takes away from those words. Let’s look at the five roles of nonverbal communication and consider some examples of each:
You can see how your nonverbals can make you a more effective speaker and even a better listener. Or they can work against you and contradict what you’re saying and make the listener believe you’re lying. That’s some pretty powerful stuff. Understanding the power of your own nonverbal communication and body language is just as important as reading it in others. Let’s dive into the types of nonverbal communication:
So how do you work on your nonverbal communication skills? First, we need to address the two obvious categories that those skills fall under.
These nonverbal skills can be adapted and improved for both situations, the givers and receivers:
How to Read Body LanguageLet’s talk a minute about body language because that’s one form of nonverbal communication that’s been heavily studied. Some people are naturally better at reading this than others. Don’t worry if you’re not one of those intuitively gifted people; you can learn how. Here are some common body language positions and motions that you need to understand.
If you’re lacking in the nonverbal department, whether reading it or displaying it, you should work on the skills listed above to improve. You don’t need to overact or act at all. But being more in touch with how you look when you respond to things can help you see what other people see. Spend some time in the mirror and understand how your expressions can give you away. Then practice doing things that add value to what you say. You’ll find you’re understood more often and more clearly. On the flip side, look at what actors do with their bodies and their faces when they’re portraying an emotion. That’s an excellent place to start because it’s so obvious. Take what you learn there and begin watching people in your everyday life. Notice how they emphasize or take away from their words with gestures, facial expressions, how they appear, etc. When you start noticing how people respond to nonverbals, you can begin pulling them into your repertoire to get a better reaction. For a job interview, nonverbal communication can say a whole lot. We’re willing to go out on a limb and say that they could even cost you the job. Imagine a hiring manager explaining the job dues and an interviewee rolling their eyes or refusing to make eye contact at all. If you’ve already been working on using the appropriate nonverbals to show that you’re engaged and listening, you’re on the right track. This will go over really well with any prospective employer. You might also want to start mimicking the interviewer’s movements (but not in an obvious way). This creates a bond and a rapport that can make them like you more than they would have if you sat back with your arms crossed. Know that they probably know a bit about nonverbal communication, too. Try to keep it natural and don’t go overboard with anything. Also, don’t think about it too much, or you’ll miss what’s verbally happening in the interview.
|