MBA - MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION (MC)
NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
BODY LANGUAGE AND FACIAL EXPRESSIONS
"People's actions often speak louder than their words"
Defining Non-verbal Communication
Non-verbal communication is communication transmitted without the use of words. While written communication is expressed in terms of words, oral communication involves both verbal and non-verbal elements. What is said is not what is communicated. Only when the meaning of what is said has been suitably endorsed, intensified, diluted or negated does the actual meaning of the communication get clarified. Words carry the stated meaning; non-verbal signals transmit the implied meaning. When the stated meaning and the implied meaning are put together, we get the actual or the total meaning.
According to Ray Birdwhistell,
'...in face-to-face interaction, spoken words account for only 35% of total meaning produced while the remaining 65% is obtained from non-verbal cues'
Non-verbal communication consists of all the impressions that we receive about a speaker through his gestures, postures, clothing, appearance, hand movements, eye movements etc.
The old proverb – “People's actions often speak louder than their words” – is very true. In most people can deceive or cheat others much more easily with words than they can with their bodies. Words are relatively easy to control; body language, facial expressions and vocal characteristics are not easily controllable. By paying attention to such non-verbal clues, one can find out whether the speaker is trying to cheat or is genuinely honest.
Since non-verbal communication is so reliable, people generally have more faith in non-verbal clues than verbal messages. If a person says one thing but gives a contradictory signal non-verbally, listeners almost always believe the non-verbal signal. Most often, if you can read other people's non-verbal messages correctly, you can interpret their attitudes and intentions that are hidden, and can thus respond appropriately.
Non-verbal communication is also important because it is efficient. A non-verbal message can be transmitted instantly - like a wave of the hand, a pat on the back, a wink - and the listeners too will register it instantly. However, non-verbal communication usually blends with speech to carry part of the message – to enlarge, increase, reinforce and clarify that message.
Kinesics: Body Language
Kinesics- the study of body language, is the most important aspect of non-verbal communication. In negotiating and bargaining, marketing, formal meetings and even informal interactions, body language plays a very significant role. Cricket commentators often refer to the body language of the players on the field. When people stand in the court to get their evidence recorded, judges closely observe their body language. Often when they try to camouflage the truth with carefully selected words, their body language betrays them and what their words are trying to conceal is fully expressed by their facial expressions and gestures. Astute interviewers give greater weightage to the body language than their answers. It would be a serious mistake to overlook the contribution of body language to the complete communication process. To take just one more example, would you believe a person who says 'glad to meet you' unless his face glows with warmth and his voice quivers with a joyous thrill?
Body language is very suitable for expressing feelings and emotions like joy, grief, anger, fear, nervousness, concern, anxiety, tension, frustration, perplexity, astonishment, etc. The non-verbal expression of these feelings is mostly an unconscious process and the communicator is not able to manipulate them. However, seasoned politicians, orators, artists and hardened criminals are quite adept in affecting certain postures and easily succeed in deceiving the world.
Body language includes facial expressions, gestures, body movements, posture, eye contact and touch.
1. Facial Expressions
Face, they say, is the index of the mind. Psychologists are experts in reading faces. A glance at someone's face is enough to give them clues about the subject's mental state. Expert communicators are also masters of this art.
As Suggested earlier, facial expressions can convey a wide range of responses like acceptance, rejection, satisfaction, dissatisfaction, friendship, hostility, interest, indifference, confidence, nervousness, determination, fickleness, optimism, dejection, ease, discomfort, pain, pleasure, joy, grief, surprise, shock, boredom, etc. A subordinate completes an assignment and takes it to the boss. The boss glances at the work and gives a smile. The smile expresses the boss's satisfaction and approval. A frown would have suggested dissatisfaction, and maybe anger. Wrinkles on the face suggest worrying. Raised eye-Drows, wide-open eyes, gaping mouth show surprise and even shock.
2. Gestures
A gesture is a movement of the head, hands or legs to express an idea, feeling or emotion. Speakers often use gestures to underscore their words. Gestures may either accompany spoken words or stand-alone. Head-nod suggests 'yes'; shaking of the head sideways suggests no'. Thumbs-up suggests approval. Hands crammed into the trouser pockets can suggest a lack of confidence, indifference or superior status, depending upon the situation. These gestures can stand alone.
Other gestures like hands sawing the air, both hands folded on the chest, fingers running through the hair, or drumming on a tabletop or clenched into a fist, feet or toes tapping the floor, indicate the speaker's mood or attitude and suitably modify the spoken words.
Gestures can be both involuntary and conscious movements. Often when we speak, we move our hands without being conscious of the movement. Even while talking on the phone, some people keep moving their hands as if they were engaged in a face-to-face conversation. But gestures can be conscious movements and can be learnt. Theatre and cine artists are trained in using gestures effectively.
Gestures are often culture-specific, so it is important to make judicious use of gestures in intercultural communication.
3. Body Movements
Body movements refer to the positioning or movement of the body when one is engaged in interpersonal communication. They cannot be as subtle or meaningful as facial expressions or gestures. Nevertheless, they do express a few significant attitudinal postures. For example, when people are involved and interested, they tend to lean towards the speaker, and they hold themşelves back when they are not interested.
4. Posture
Posture means the way in which someone usually stands or sits or holds his shoulders, neck and back. Posture can suggest whether one is relaxed or tensed up, whether one is enthused or feeling low, whether one is sanguine or dejected. Sitting or standing with head erect suggests self-confidence, dignity and determination; slouching suggests timidness and insecurity. Leaning along the back of the chair with head thrown backwards suggests weariness or even passivity induced by grief. At interviews, the candidates posture while entering the room, sitting in the chair and responding to the posture suggests our perception of a person's status. One tends to relax around people of equal or lower status and get tensed up around people of higher status. If a person stands in front of us or talks to us in a more relaxed manner than we think is appropriate, we feel that the person is being disrespectful.
5. Eye Contact
Eve contact is a very subtle aspect of body language. It regulates interaction. We like to maintain eye contact with the speaker if the topic of discussion is pleasant, but in unpleasant situations, we lower our eyes or look sideways. Influential and high-status people maintain high levels of eye contact. Eye contact indicates our willingness to interact while its absence suggests the desire to withdraw. A prolonged stare or glare suggests defiance or threat, particularly if it is accompanied by a clenched fist or a threatening posture. In short, we can say that
Eye contact is a cultural phenomenon also. It can suggest both arrogance and openness, depending upon the cultural environment in which an interaction takes place.
6. Touch (Haptics)
Like gestures, touching is also one of the earliest methods of communication among human beings. How a person touches someone sends important messages about their relationship and the situation in which they are placed. It can reveal whether someone is caring, friendly, patronising, indifferent or likely to intrude into others' personal space. A gentle pat on the back, a warm hand-shake, or simply holding hands can express more than a lengthy speech. Mothers and teachers use touch very effectively.
Kinds of Kinesics
Paul Ekman and Friesen have described five types of body movements:
1. Emblems
Emblems represent ideas or icons through visual images. Putting a finger on your lips is a signal to the other person to be quiet. Gestures to signify victory (V) and o.k. (O) are emblems. Emblems often carry cultural orientations.
2. Illustrators
The movements of hands and arms to suggest the size or shape of something or to suggest frequency or speed are called illustrators. For example, widely stretched arms suggest the enormity of size.
3. Affect displays
These are indicators of inner emotions. For example, a clenched fist suggests hostility. Head resting on palms may suggest thoughtfulness or something depressed.
4. Regulators
These are non-verbal clues that control the flow of conversation between individuals. For example, one person finishes speaking and nods towards another.
5. Adaptors
Some members of a bored audience start tapping the floor with their feet. Actually, they would have liked to leave the place and go away, but the situation does not permit them. So they have displayed only a fragment of their actual behaviour that would have taken place, had they been free to do so. Such clues fall into the category of adaptors.
conclusion
Hence, we can say that the study of body motion as related to speech is called Kinesics, which plays a major role in the process of communication.
Reference
Essentials of Business Communication. (2011). India: Sultan Chand & Sons.
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