Download Elements of Nonverbal Communication - PFISDHHS

Elements of Nonverbal Communication
Posture and Stance - Your posture and stance affect both you and your
audience.
 For you, an erect posture (standing or sitting) can make you a better
communicator. It can improve breathing and keep you alert.
 For your audience, posture and stance communicate a general attitude.
For example, if you slouch in a chair or desk (even if you think it’s because
you’re tired), others will likely see your posture as communicating apathy
or boredom. On the other hand, sitting or standing with good posture
creates a favorable impression. You will appear to be more a part of the
communication.
Appearance – When you communicate a message, it really isn’t possible to
separate the message from the communicator. The way a communicator looks
will usually help or hurt the message.
 Dress is one of the most important factors in appearance. Remember that
different communication situations call for different levels of formality.
Planning for effective communication means dressing in a way that will
both put others at ease and fit the occasion.
 Cleanliness and grooming are also part of appearance. Not only do most
people respond positively to others who are neat and clean, good
grooming con make a speaker more expressive. For example, wearing
hair out of the eyes allows for better eye contact.
Movement - Moving the entire body from one spot to another can also
communicate. It can also make you feel more at ease.
 Movement helps you control distance. The distance between two people
can communicate the level of familiarity, the degree of privacy, and other
important messages.
 Too much movement can distract from a message and make a
communicator look scattered, disorganized, or inattentive.
Gestures - Gestures are movement, too. But instead of movement of the body
from one place to another, gestures are the movements of the limbs, body, or
head. Gestures typically come in two types:
 Emphatic gestures allow a speaker to provide emphasis for the spoken
word. Such gestures include shrugging, nodding, enumerating, pointing,
etc.
 Descriptive gestures allow a speaker to describe something. Imagine
using a flat hand in a palm-down position to show that something is flat or
smooth. These gestures help a listener visualize what the speaker is
talking about.
Eye Contact - Eye contact is looking at someone; more than that, it is two
people looking at each other simultaneously. When two people look at each
other, they acknowledge each other’s importance.
 Eye contact is invaluable for interpreting feedback. A communicator who
sees his or her audience sees the nonverbal communication that the
audience exhibits.
 Most people feel that direct eye contact indicates honesty and
earnestness.
 Eye contact also shows that you are not relying on notes to speak. Too
great a reliance on notes can be interpreted as lock of sincerity or lack of
confidence.
 Eye contact should include all listeners. For a large audience, eye contact
might not include individuals as much as parts of the audience.
Facial Expressions - The expression on a person’s face can be very
communicative. You need only to look at someone whom you cannot hear to
know how much a facial expression can communicate. You can often tell how a
person feels by noting a raised eyebrow, a wrinkled brow, or a tight-lipped smile.
Facial expressions add dimension to communication and can turn a very plain
message into on interesting or entertaining message.
 A smile is an important part of facial expression. Of course, smiling is not
appropriate in all communication situations, but smiling puts people at
ease and indicates the pleasure you take in communicating with others.
 Often, you know little of your own facial expressions. Since many of these
expressions are natural responses to the communication context, it is
difficult to be conscious of all your facial communication. Since the
naturalness of facial expression is important, too much facial expression
can be seen as “mugging.”
 Make-up is part of grooming, but it can also be part of facial expression.
Use of make-up should be appropriate to the situation and should draw
attention to the face in a positive way.