Concept of Non-verbal Communication - Example

Running Header: Non—Verbal Communication Name: Course: Institution: Tutor Executive Summary The report that follows is based on case study about non-verbal communication in the workplace. The report is divided into three main sections. The first section is a though literature review of the concept of nonverbal communication. This section discusses among other things the nature and significance of nonverbal communication in the modern workplace. The second section is an analysis of survey findings about communication in the workplace. The last section is a discussion of nonverbal communication as relates to the case study. The report ends with a recommendation that organizations should take initiatives to inform their employees of the significance of nonverbal communication. Table of Contents Name: 1 Course: 1 Institution: 1 Executive Summary 2 Table of Contents 3 3.1 Case Study Findings 12 3.2 Organization Conclusion 13 4.0 Conclusion 14 5.0 Recommendations 15 6.0 References 16 1.0 Introduction The following report is based on a case study about nonverbal communication in the workplace. The purpose of the report is to investigate how nonverbal communication influences employee’s effectiveness in the workplace and how it affects their relationships with fellow employees and with supervisors. The report finds that nonverbal communication is an important aspect of workplace communication and cannot be overlooked as a minor issue. Although people may be unaware of what they convey through their nonverbal gestures, it is important for everybody to be conscious of how they behave and relate with one another. 2.0 Literature Review: Significance On Non-Verbal Communication Communication is an important aspect in the workplace. Whether communication is internal or involves external stakeholders such as clients, it is vital to understand that there is more to communication that just what is spoken. Thatcher (2006) has defined nonverbal communication as any form of communication that des not involve use of spoken words or written messages. Here, messages are conveyed through body movements, facial expressions or the paralanguage. In fact, the most powerful forms of communication in the workplace do not involve words at all. Nonverbal communication plays an important role in office and the workplace in general. According to Fowlie (2004) about four fifths of the impact of communication in the workplace is conveyed thorough non-verbal channels. It is therefore important for individuals to be aware of what information they communicate through non-verbal signals as this may be misinterpreted and bring misunderstanding in the workplace. According to Craig (2008), there are four elements of nonverbal communication which can be regarded as the most important to understand in the workplace. These are: eye contact; body language; tone and time. Eye contact means looking at another person directly in the eyes while talking with them. This is often considered the ultimate form of respect. Essentially, maintaining a steady eye contact or lack of it is the first telltale sign whether the person is worthy one’s attention. By looking at somebody straight in their eyes, one communicates that what they are talking about is important and has been understood (Myres, 2006). Just like eye contact, body language communicates a lot and is considered an important factor in formal communications. For instant, slouching in the chair with arms folded communicates that the person is bored, discouraged or not interested and may not be paying any attention to what is being told (even if this might be untrue). Folding arms conveys the impression that one is not open to what they are being told (Jorfi & Jorfi, 2012). Tone refers to the volume, pitch and inflection of spoken words. It provides powerful clues to one’s true feelings about the other person or the subject matter of the discussion. Tone can be an indicator of confidence, sarcasm, agreement or frustration. Lastly, showing respect for the time of co-workers can be the most important aspect of non-verbal communication in the workplace. Being on time implies respect for another person’s time and commitment (Fowlie, 2004). 3.0 Findings of the Survey Two surveys were conducted: one involved 100 members from the general staff and the other involved 20 members from the management staff. The survey participants were asked questions which they rated using the scale: 1: Completely Disagree 2: Mostly Disagree 3. Mostly Agree 4. Completely Agree In the survey, 40% of the general staff participants disagreed completely that their supervisors gave clear information about set tasks. 35% disagreed mostly, 25% agreed mostly while none agreed that agreed completely that their supervisors gave clear information. This shows that supervisors were the major contributors of misunderstanding and poor communication in the office. This information is shown in the figure below. Figure 1: General staff rating of whether supervisors gave clear information on set tasks The pie chart below shows respondent ratings of whether their managers listened to them well. 85% of the respondents felt that their mangers did not listen to them well. Only five percent agree that their mangers paid them the right attention. This underscores the importance of managers being attentive when communicating with their juniors in the office. Figure 2: General staff ratings on the attentiveness of managers Asked whether they felt that their managers valued their contribution at work, almost ninety percent of the junior staff respondents felt that their contribution was not appreciated. As shown in Figure3 below, only a small percentage of the general staff felt that their contribution was appreciated. It is important that managers appreciate the contribution of their employees as a way of motivating and encouraging them to be more productive and loyal. Figure 3: Appreciation of employee contribution Figure 4 below indicates general staff feelings of whether they fitted well with their colleagues. Three-quarters of the respondents were comfortable with their colleagues and a quarter was not. This illustrates the importance of harmony and understanding in the workplace. When some employees do not fit well with their colleagues, it can be difficult to work as a team. Figure 4: Interpersonal relationships 85% of the general staff participants agreed that the way a person dresses communicates their commitment to work. This information is captured in the graph below. Figure 5: Importance of dressing The graph above underscores the importance of non-verbal communication in the office. Essentially, the mode of dressing projects one’s image to others. Different occasions demand different dressing styles and generally, in office workers are supposed top be neatly and formally dressed unlike they are doing technical jobs (Thatcher, 2006). All managers who were interviewed admitted that they were very approachable to their junior staff and that they carefully chose what they communicated. This is an essential consideration in office communication because what managers communicate can be easily misunderstood and hence convey wrong signals. 10% of the managers who were interviewee said that they could leave their office doors open when in. the remaining 90% said they could not leave their office door open when in. This information is shown in the pie chart below. Although leaving a door closed can be a sign of confidentiality, it can also convey the impression that one is not ready to engage in any conversation with others. All the managers said they disliked people who do not express their opinions clearly, indicating the essence of communication in office. With clear communication, it is easy to judge situations, make decisions and solve problems. Generally, majority of the respondents preferred open and clear communication and were conscious of their non-verbal communication gestures. 3.1 Case Study Findings The case study revolves around Stella, the newly hired employee and demonstrates the importance of having an organizational culture that promotes effective communication in the workplace. In this case study, communication is given a central importance as can be evidenced by the fact that what Stella does communicates a lot about her commitment to work and how she relates with fellow workers. Right from the first day, Stella was poorly dressed, at least not up to the standards of a law firm nor the position she was acting. In the case study, it is established that when Stella talks to her seniors or fellow employees, she does not maintain a steady eye contact, meaning that she does not them the respect they deserve. By avoiding eye contact, one sends the message that the information they are getting is irrelevant or not worthy their attention. In the contrary, maintaining eye contact promotes honesty and understanding (Nydegger & Nydegger, 2010). By constantly slouching in the chair, Stella showed that she is a person who may not care about the message that she was being told. Although it might not be true, such a sloppy posture says that she did not to pay attention and purposely wanted to distract the speaker. It also indicates boredom and a deliberate lack of interest in the message delivered. Failure to report to work in time was also another form of nonverbal communication through which Stella showed her lack of commitment to job. Although Stella could work till late to make up for reporting late, it could have been a good gesture to report in time and do the assigned work within the stipulated time (Kim, 2004). 3.2 Organization Conclusion From the foregoing discussion, it is apparent that nonverbal communication is an important aspect of organizational culture. Just like other forms of communication, nonverbal communication is a powerful tool that says a lot about people’s feelings, attitudes and state of mind. It can show one’s employee’s commitment to their jobs, their relationships with fellow employees and the senior staff and what their long term plans are. When employees are able to communicate effective and send the right message through nonverbal communication, they can handle customers in the most effective way. This in turn creates a good image for the organization. As part of ongoing employee training and development, organizations should provide opportunities for their employees to perfect their communication styles including nonverbal communication. This can be enhanced through regular seminars and other means such as leaflets and electronic media. It is, however, important to acknowledge that dealing with non-verbal communication can be a challenging task as it requires one to learn and understand how to behave and respond professionally. It is therefore important for employees to pay attention on how things are done or said, the way they stand, look and maneuver around the office and to understand how fellow workers relate to them. 4.0 Conclusion Through her body gestures, facial expressions and general behavior in the workplace, Stella communicated a lot about her commitment to the job. Essentially, Stella’s career is one that underscores the importance of good communication in the office. Although the root cause of the problem could be that Stella received poor and inefficient induction, it was appropriate for her to behave in a manner that could have at least matched fairly well with the general behaviours of her colleagues. Essentially, an employee who wants to excel in the workplace should observe the behaviours of other people in the work place and make efforts to emulate them or conform to their behaviours. In this regard, it could have been a good think for Stella to observe how fellow workers in the office dress, how they display their emotions and what they considered appropriate in the workplace. It was also important for Stella to maintain good relationships with other people in order for her career to be successful. Regarding clients, the key to good non-verbal communication is having a keen interest in what the clients wants and says. It is also important to consider the fact that friendliness and politeness are essential behaviors in business interaction. Normally, clients get satisfied when one is able to perceive what they want through their unsaid communication such as posture, voice, body position, and tone of voice. Understanding these tips could have enabled Stella to achieve immensely in her career and to relate well with everybody. 5.0 Recommendations Nonverbal messages are a powerful tool that communicates one’s inner feelings. These messages are likely to be more genuine since the corresponding behaviours cannot be controlled as easily as spoken words. In this regard, the following recommendations can help improve communication at the Pardoe law firm. i. Employees should be encouraged to keenly note the other employees’ behavior and emulate what is considered appropriate behavior. Employees should keenly watch for changes in response to their communications. ii. Employees should be careful in what they do and how they relate to fellow employees and with their supervisors. iii. Considering that Stella is an excellent achiever, it is imperative that she continues working in the firm. However, she will have to change her behaviors, interpersonal relationships and dressing styles to conform to the expectations of her career. 6.0 References Craig, T 2008, "How to communicate effectively with staff", Personnel Today, vol. 1, pp. 27-27. Fowlie, L 2004, “Let staff know you care: A busy executive learns to communicate with employees and customers Series”, Spring Training, Don Mills, Ont., Canada, Don Mills, Ont. Jorfi, H. & Jorfi, M 2012, "Management: A Study of Organizational Culture and the Relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Communication Effectiveness (Case Study in Organizations of Iran)", Journal of Management Research, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 1- 14. Kim, T 2004, “Collaboration fights the e-mail epidemic: With billions of messages clogging companies arteries, software developers are offering healthier ways to communicate”, writes Kim Thomas, London (UK). Myres, K 2006, "Communicate, Communicate, Communicate", Franchising World, vol. 38, no. 11, p. 80-82. Nydegger, R & Nydegger, L 2010, "Challenges In Managing Virtual Teams", Journal of Business & Economics Research, vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 69-82. Thatcher, M 2006, "Segmenting the workforce to improve communication", Strategic Communication Management, vol. 10, no. 6, pp. 26-29. Read More