Nonverbal Communication Communication-Impacts on Small Business - Research Paper Example

Nonverbal Communication Communication-Impacts on Small Business ABSTRACT This report discusses the impact of non verbal communication on small businesses. The impact it has on the people working in the organization as well as the success of the business. It shows how people can make a difference in their working environment by understanding and learning the effects of nonverbal communication. It also explains how a business can grow well and retain its existing customers, if the employees have the knowledge of what a customer really thinks, which he may not express by words but by his gestures and expressions. It is not the words that is important, but also how these words are uttered. Words can have no or insignificant effect if they are not supported by nonverbal communication. By learning how to interpret the nonverbal communication and practicing the tactics, the business would not only create good communicators but also be having good businesspersons, which is essential for a business to reach its goals. INTRODUCTION People in organizations typically spend over 75% of their time in an interpersonal situation; thus it is no surprise to find that at the root of a large number of organizational problems is poor communications. Effective communication is an essential component of organizational success whether it is at the interpersonal, intergroup, intragroup, organizational, or external levels. Non-verbal communication consists of all the messages other than words that are used in communication. In oral communication, these symbolic messages are transferred by means of intonation, tone of voice, vocally produced noises, body posture, body gestures, facial expressions or pauses. Small business owners should possess the ability to read the many nonverbal cues employees, customers, and suppliers may communicate. If you observe gestures, facial expressions, tone variation, etc., the probability of effective communications is significantly increased. IMPACT OF NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION According to A. Barbour, author of Louder than Words: Nonverbal Communication, the total impact of a message breaks down like this: 7 percent verbal (words) 38 percent vocal (volume, pitch, rhythm, etc) 55 percent body movements (mostly facial expressions) This breakdown indicates that effective nonverbal communication skills are essential. There is nothing worse than delivering a speech about how well your organization is doing while at the same time, shrugging, frowning and turning away from the audience. You would be sending mixed messages and based on the above scale no one in the audience will believe that the company is actually performing well. Effective communication is the combined harmony of verbal and nonverbal actions. Nonverbal communication consists of body movement, facial expressions and eye movement. Body Movement indicates attitude, conveys feelings serves as illustrators and regulators. Illustrators are nonverbal movements that accompany and illustrate verbal communication. Regulators are nonverbal cues that monitor or control the speaking of another individual. While listening to a person you nod you head to indicate that you understand and are in agreement with the speaker. You look away or yawn to indicate that you are bored or would like for the speaker to stop talking. You frown or raise your eyebrows to indicate to the speaker that you either don't believe them are that you don't understand. Non-verbal behavior predates verbal communication because individuals, since birth, rely first on non-verbal means to express themselves. This innate character of non-verbal behavior is important in communication. Even before a sentence is uttered, the hearer observes the body gestures and facial expressions of the speaker, trying to make sense of these symbolic messages. They seem to be trustable because they are mostly unconscious and part of every-day behavior. People assume that non-verbal actions do not lie and therefore they tend to believe the non-verbal message when a verbal message contradicts it. Heintzman, Leather, Parrott, and Bennett-Cairns (1993) found that supervisors who exhibited certain nonverbal, rapport-building behaviors (namely touching, smiling, affirmative nodding, direct eye contact, open posture) were perceived by subordinates to have more expertise and to be more trustworthy and persuasive than those who did not exhibit such behaviors. They also found that respondents perceived that subordinates would be more likely to comply with these supervisors and be more satisfied in their jobs. Nonverbal communication is made up of the following parts: Visual: This often called body language and includes facial expression, eye movement, posture, and gestures. The face is the biggest part of this. All of us "read" people's faces for ways to interpret what they say and feel. This fact becomes very apparent when we deal with someone with dark sunglasses. We also look to posture to provide cues about the communicator; posture can indicate self-confidence, aggressiveness, fear, guilt, or anxiety. Similarly, we look at gestures such as how we hold our hands, or a handshake. Many gestures are culture bound and susceptible to misinterpretation Tactile: This involves the use of touch to impart meaning as in a handshake, a pat on the back, an arm around the shoulder, a kiss, or a hug. Vocal: The meaning of words can be altered significantly by changing the intonation of one's voice. Think of how many ways you can say "no"-you could express mild doubt, terror, amazement, anger among other emotions. Vocal meanings vary across cultures. Intonation in one culture can mean support; another anger Use of Time as Nonverbal Communication: Use of time can communicate how we view our own status and power in relation to others. Think about how a subordinate and his/her boss would view arriving at a place for an agreed upon meeting. Physical Space: For most of us, someone standing very close to us makes us uncomfortable. We feel our "space" has been invaded. People seek to extend their territory in many ways to attain power and intimacy. We tend to mark our territory either with permanent walls, or in a classroom with our coat, pen, paper, etc. We like to protect and control our territory. For Americans, the "intimate zone" is about two feet; this can vary from culture to culture. This zone is reserved for our closest friends. The "personal zone" from about 2-4 feet usually is reserved for family and friends. The social zone (4-12 feet) is where most business transactions take place. The "public zone" (over 12 feet) is used for lectures. A "majority" of the meaning we attribute to words comes not from the words themselves, but from nonverbal factors such as gestures, facial expressions, tone, body language, etc. Nonverbal cues can play five roles: Repetition: they can repeat the message the person is making verbally Contradiction: they can contradict a message the individual is trying to convey Substitution: they can substitute for a verbal message. For example, a person's eyes can often convey a far more vivid message than words and often do Complementing: they may add to or complement a verbal message. A boss who pats a person on the back in addition to giving praise can increase the impact of the message. Accenting: non-verbal communication may accept or underline a verbal message. Pounding the table, for example, can underline a message. Skillful communicators understand the importance of nonverbal communication and use it to increase their effectiveness, as well as use it to understand more clearly what someone else is really saying. For instance, it’s not always just what you say. It’s also how you “say” it – taking into account your eyes, your posture, your overall body language, even your appearance at the time the communication is exchanged, and the voice in which you offer the exchange. In verbal communication, an active dialogue is engaged with the use of words. At the same time, however, non-verbal communication takes place, relying on nonverbal cues, such as gestures, eye contact, facial expressions, even clothing and personal space. Nonverbal cues are very powerful, making it crucial that you pay attention to your actions, as well as the nonverbal cues of those around you. If, during your meeting, participants begin to doodle or chat amongst themselves, they are no longer paying attention to you: Your message has become boring or your delivery is no longer engaging. Therefore, it is crucial to improve the understanding of nonverbal communication within the organization. No only it is required in dealing with the customers but also it is important in handling the competitors. This is so because: Because gestures can both compliment and contradict your message, be mindful of these. Eye contact is an important step in sending and receiving messages. Eye contact can be a signal of interest, a signal of recognition, even a sign of honesty and credibility. Closely linked to eye contact are facial expressions, which can reflect attitudes and emotions. Posture can also be used to more effectively communicate your message. Clothing is important. By dressing for your job, you show respect for the values and conventions of your organization. Be mindful of people’s personal space when communicating. Do not invade their personal space by getting too close and do not confuse communications by trying to exchange messages from too far away. To ensure successful communications within your organization, it is best to start with the very basics: your knowledge of verbal and non-verbal communications. In the workplace, these types of communications are continually exchanged, oftentimes without much planning or even the thought that such communications are taking place. Nonverbal communication takes place at an unconscious level. It involves all the little subtleties we take for granted. Usually, we communicate nonverbally without even knowing it. But nonverbal communication can be learned. So, the organization needs to teach its people how to remember these tactics while communicating within the organization as well as communicating with customers. That will not only create better communicators in the organization but also would help a small business to grow well. Reference: Fowler Kellie, “Communication In Your Organization”, retrieved September 22, 2005 from: http://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/CommunicatingInAnOrganization.htm Heintzman, M., Leather, D., Parrott, R., & Bennett-Cairns, A. (1993), “Nonverbal rapport-building behaviors' effect on perceptions of a supervisor”, Management Communication Quarterly, 7(2), 181-208 OSBDC at NWOSU (2005).” BUSINESS BASICS: Business Communication”. 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