Have you ever noticed how much we rely on words to communicate?
Yet, we also know before those words are spoken what type of message we’re about to receive – why is that?
Sadly, spoken words aren’t the most salient part of communication, about 93% of communication is non-verbal.
Take a moment to absorb that information.
ONLY 7% of communication are the words we speak, listen, or read.
No wonder, we have more tension and anxiety about communicating. When we text, email, call, we miss a significant portion of communication. This is alway why it’s become easier to miscommunicate.
What type of messages are we communicating before we speak?
Non-verbal communication—the silent language of facial expressions, body posture, gestures, eye contact, and even how we use space and time—plays a massive role in how we connect, collaborate, and are seen by others.
What is non-verbal communication?
Simply put, non-verbal communication is all the ways we send and receive messages without words. We usually think non-verbals are our body language, although that makes a significant of non-verbals, there are several more non-verbal cues to consider:
- Body Language (Kinesics): Your posture, gestures, and movements all send messages.
- Facial Expressions: A smile or frown can convey a wealth of emotions.
- Eye Contact (Oculesics): Eye contact shows engagement, confidence, or respect, depending on cultural norms.
- Tone (Para-language): Your tone of voice, pitch, volume, and speech rate. They add layers to your words.
- Proxemics (Use of Space): Your distance from someone can affect communication and perceptions of comfort or dominance.
- Haptics (Touch): A handshake or pat on the back can convey confidence, warmth, or support.
- Use of Time (Chronemics): Use and perception of time – like punctuality or response speed – signals respect, interest, or urgency.
These elements work together, reinforcing or sometimes contradicting what we say. Understanding and effectively using non-verbal cues can significantly enhance trust, clarity, and engagement within teams.
Sharpening your non-verbal communication skills
The BEST thing you can do for your communication style is to practice your non-verbal communication skills. Sharpening them will help you project confidence, where you’ll find an inner calm, and influence others with your words. Here are 10 ways to improve your non-verbal communication skills:
- Be Aware of Your Body Language: Pay attention to your posture, gestures, and movements. Stand or sit up straight, face your audience openly, and avoid defensive postures.
- Master Eye Contact: Maintain appropriate eye contact to show engagement. In virtual meetings, look directly into the camera to simulate eye contact. Stay culturally informed so you’re familiar with eye contact etiquette.
- Control Your Facial Expressions: Practice relaxing your facial muscles and aim for an open, engaged expression.
- Use Your Tone of Voice Effectively: Vary your tone to convey emotion and emphasis and avoid speaking too fast or too slowly
- Respect Personal Space: Be mindful of cultural and individual preferences regarding proximity.
- Practice Active Listening Cues: Show you’re engaged by nodding and maintaining an open posture.
- Observe and Learn: Pay attention to the non-verbal cues of effective communicators.
- Seek Feedback: Ask trusted friends or colleagues for feedback on your non-verbal communication.
- Be Mindful of Cultural Differences: Educate yourself about non-verbal cues in different cultures.
- Ensure Consistency: Make sure your non-verbal signals match your verbal messages.
Now, why are we focused so much on non-verbals? Because…
The impact of non-verbal communication
The impact of our non-verbal have a ripple effects, we know that 93% of communication occurs prior to our words. Like the saying, “a smile is contagious”, and even when you’re on the phone if you’re smiling it can have a positive effect on your phone interaction, because a smile can be heard in your non-verbals. That’s the power for non-verbal helps you convey your message willingly or unwillingly. We are always communicating something, and here is how your non-verbal cues impact the workplace:
- Building Trust and Rapport: Positive non-verbal signals like nodding and maintaining appropriate eye contact foster trust and cooperation. People believe (85%) eye contact is crucial in business communication!
- Enhancing Understanding and Clarity: Non-verbal cues reinforce verbal messages, leading to better understanding and clear communication. A mismatch between words and body language can lead to confusion too, thus supporting our authentic communication.
- Shaping Perceptions and First Impressions: A firm handshake and confident posture can create strong positive first impressions.
- Facilitating Feedback and Engagement: During presentations or meetings, audience body language provides immediate feedback – adjusting your approach based on these cues can boost engagement.
- Influencing Team Dynamics and Morale: An encouraging nod or smile can improve interactions among employees, creating a relaxed work environment, encouraging a nervous colleague, showing confidence in others, and removing barriers to connecting with each other.
- Leadership Perception: Leaders who use non-verbal cues effectively can shape a culture of openness, leading to better team cohesion.
- Negotiation and Sales: In business deals, non-verbal cues can be the difference between success and failure. Clients observe how movements and expressions align with your words.
Additionally, strong non-verbal communication can boost employee retention significantly because it promotes a healthy work environment, team cohesion, openness to differences, creating a psychologically safe space for people to be and communicate authentically.
Seeking support
Mastering non-verbal communication is an ongoing journey. By becoming more aware of your own signals and more adept at reading others’, you can build stronger relationships, foster clearer understanding, and create a more positive and productive workplace environment. Remember, the silence speaks volumes. As our reliance on technology increases, the opportunities for miscommunication also increases, thus the utilization of emoji’s soften and add to the non-verbal cues during a conversation. Nearly, 38% of people find deciphering the tone behind digital messages stressful. Yet, it’s not replacement for in-person, face-to-face conversations, specially when it’s a crucial conversation.
We can read the same text differently depending on our temperament during that time, we we’re stressed, anxious, nervous than the text can be read with a negative tone. If we’re in a positive headspace, that same text can be read more positively. It’s important to pay attention to our non-verbal cues because they help us interpret our word. Developing your non-verbal cues starts with self-reflection, and assessment, and it’s ideal to work with a trusted partner in building your non-verbal cues.
Schedule a free consultation and let’s talk about how we can fast charge your non-verbal communication skills.
