Explore the unwritten:
body language
Are you aware of your own body language and the messages you send through non-verbal communication? Do you know in which way your posture, gestures and facial expressions influence on your classmates and your teacher?! Unconsciously, we are sending messages all the time and influencing our environment.
In this interconnected digital century the focus lies on online forms of communication, instead of face-to-face communication. We as students couldn't live without our phones, whatsapp, twitter, facebook or instagram. And also in companies digitized forms of communication play a major role to provide interaction without limitations of distance and time.
So is face-to-face communication overrated in this modern world? The answer is no! Let's get to know more information about non-verbal communication and some useful tips and trips!
In this interconnected digital century the focus lies on online forms of communication, instead of face-to-face communication. We as students couldn't live without our phones, whatsapp, twitter, facebook or instagram. And also in companies digitized forms of communication play a major role to provide interaction without limitations of distance and time.
So is face-to-face communication overrated in this modern world? The answer is no! Let's get to know more information about non-verbal communication and some useful tips and trips!
What do we mean by body language/ non-verbal communication?
We divided body language in four aspects: eye contact, posture and position, gestures, facial expressions and tone of voice. Through these different aspects of body language we can send signs and perceive feedback at the same time.
Eye contact
Nonverbal communication starts with eye contact. Eyes are important for connecting with someone and for detecting emotions.
Did you know:
Nonverbal communication starts with eye contact. Eyes are important for connecting with someone and for detecting emotions.
Did you know:
- That everyone has an imaginary personal space, and eyes can easily penetrate this territory. The saying is that long lasting eye contact can either lead to a romance or a fight.
Posture and position
Your posture and position are very important for making an impression. They reflect your inner spirit.
Did you know:
Your posture and position are very important for making an impression. They reflect your inner spirit.
Did you know:
- That you can also turn it around? Scientific research has shown that you can change your inner spirit by consciously adopting a certain posture and position. The so called Power position.
- Professor Cuddy from Harvard and Professor Carney from the University of California showed that taking a power position for several minutes before having a job interview positively influences your emotions, cognitions and increases your chances to be chosen for hire.
Gestures
Hand gestures are very useful to emphasize the importance of certain words, they can contribute to the understandability of verbal information and they can convince your public that you are sincere.
Did you know:
Hand gestures are very useful to emphasize the importance of certain words, they can contribute to the understandability of verbal information and they can convince your public that you are sincere.
Did you know:
- That since antiquity open hand palms are associated with honesty and sincerity. On important moments religious leaders used to show their hand palms to convince people of their sincerity. It's a signal surrender: think about "Hands up!" to show that you have no weapons in your possessions.
Facial expressions
Smiling is healthy! A genuine laughter positively influences yourself and the people around you!
Did you know
Smiling is healthy! A genuine laughter positively influences yourself and the people around you!
Did you know
- That the genuine laughter stimulates the production natural painkillers such as endorphins, a substance that promotes healing and decreases stress. Furthermore laughing trains various body muscles, increases the amount of oxygen in the blood and strengthens your immune system.
- However in 15% of the time you don't show your genuine laugh. Most of the time you don't smile because you're happy, but because of other reasons: embarrassment, to greet, because of recognition, courtesy, out of love, because of hesitation, to hide or to apologize.
- That there are more than 10.000 possibilities to give signals with your face with only 44 muscles?
Tone of voice
'C'est la tone qui fait la musique'. The tone of voice influences your environment unconsciously.
'C'est la tone qui fait la musique'. The tone of voice influences your environment unconsciously.
- Did you know that people with low voices achieve the most success? They are perceived as more powerful and persuasive. High voices are normally associated with insecurity.
The importance of non-verbal communication on internal communication
What does this non-verbal communication have to do with internal communication?
The answer is: Everything!
In companies body language is very important for understanding how your colleagues feel and in that way it can help to improve teamwork. If the knowledge about body language is improved among coworkers, they will communicate easier, which will save time and lead to less conflicts at the working place.
For example eye contact and smiling to each other can be used to relieve tension in a situation which normally would have been a serious business situation.
Coworkers can exchange a lot of feedback just by paying attention to non-verbal behaviour, such as the eyes, facial expressions and tone of voice.
The answer is: Everything!
In companies body language is very important for understanding how your colleagues feel and in that way it can help to improve teamwork. If the knowledge about body language is improved among coworkers, they will communicate easier, which will save time and lead to less conflicts at the working place.
For example eye contact and smiling to each other can be used to relieve tension in a situation which normally would have been a serious business situation.
Coworkers can exchange a lot of feedback just by paying attention to non-verbal behaviour, such as the eyes, facial expressions and tone of voice.
In this digital age we shouldn't underestimate the value of face to face communication. According to the media richness theory, the old fashion face-to-face communication is still the richest media for effective interaction.
1
The ability to handle multiple information cues simultaneously
2
The ability to facilitate rapid feedback
3
The ability to establish a personal focus
4
The ability to utilize natural language
Tips and tricks
If you want to make the impression of being a good student to your teacher (without necessarily being one) you should take a look at the following do's and don'ts
DO
Lean forward slightly
Raise your eyebrows
Make eye contact
Keep the trunk of your body open and exposed
Raise your eyebrows
Make eye contact
Keep the trunk of your body open and exposed
DON'T
Fold your arms
Lean your head on your hands
Playing with objects such as your pen
Lean your head on your hands
Playing with objects such as your pen
By perfoming the behaviours in the 'do' column, you will look interested in what the teacher is telling you and well participating in class. The behaviors in the 'don't' column indicate a bored, uninteresed and closed attitude, which will give the teacher the feeling that you actually don't want to be in class.
SIDENOTE: of course it is most effective to show an interested attitude when this attitude comes from a sincere interested feeling. When you force an interested attitude without feeling this way, it will come off as artificial.
SIDENOTE: of course it is most effective to show an interested attitude when this attitude comes from a sincere interested feeling. When you force an interested attitude without feeling this way, it will come off as artificial.
Nonverbal skills related to emotional intelligence
There are individual differences in people's skills to communicate nonverbally. Non-verbal skills form a big aspect of emotional intelligence. Certain people are very skilled at clearly expressing themselves nonverbally – sending clear messages of emotions. Others are very good at reading nonverbal cues. AND, these two abilities are correlated: a good sender is more likely to be a good receiver. However, even for experts in non-verbal behaviour it's hard to get a 100 percent score in reading faces and giving meaning to certain emotions.
Overview
There are individual differences in people's abilities to communicate nonverbally. This is a big part of the construct of emotional intelligence. Certain people are very skilled at clearly expressing themselves nonverbally – sending clear messages of emotions, liking, dominance, etc. Others are very good at reading, or "decoding," others' nonverbal cues. AND, these two abilities are correlated, such that a good sender is more likely to be a good receiver.
