Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Comm 1080-501
Jennifer Mejia
Overview
Peter Drunker eloquently states, “The most important thing in communication is hearing what
isn’t said”. This is also a great way to describe nonverbal behaviors as it accounts for more than 60% of
communication! The concept of nonverbal communication will be explained in the following sections
including; what types of nonverbal communication exists, best practices to link verbal and nonverbal
communication, and how to improve nonverbal skills. Real life examples will serve to analyze how
prevalent the concept of nonverbal communication is in our day-to-day lives and how those skills can be
Theory/Concept
Nonverbal behavior is defined as message components other than words that generate meaning
(Engleberg, pg. 110). There are various types of nonverbal behavior including physical appearance, body
movement and gestures, facial expression, silence, space and distance, time, and even environment.
Have you ever gone to a mall and done “people watching” or even walked into a party to ‘read a room’?
Without ever hearing anyone talk you can witness awkward first dates, the social butterfly that is in
their natural element, or the introvert that is out of their comfort zone. The practice of simply
observing allows for an interesting chance to look at types of nonverbal expression in action.
Paul Ekman details that many nonverbal behaviors follow a set of guidelines whether it’s to
repeat, complement, accent, regulate, substitute, or contradict (Engleberg, pg. 113). Repetitive
behaviors visually repeat the same action. When your words match your nonverbal behaviors is when
you complement. You can accent a behavior by making a point to emphasize a certain feeling.
Regulation allows for easy back and forth conversations. Substitution is the use of gestures that don’t
require words, like raising your hand in school to signal that you have something to say. Contradictory
behaviors occur when your words don’t match your nonverbal cues.
With so many ways that communication can get misconstrued, it becomes necessary to rethink
our own approach. It takes a good level of emotional intelligence to recognize how others are perceiving
their interactions with you. The best tip is to be mindful of others feelings and sensitivities. This
immediacy can help to build relationships if you come across as someone who is willing to acknowledge
Analysis
When I consider nonverbal communication, the first thing that comes to mind is my work in
Talent Acquisition. My role is to recognize talent and identify who would be the best fit for an open
position. The layer of complexity that arises is when a phone interview is conducted versus an in-person
interview. Assessing a candidate’s skill fit and culture fit over the phone is a challenge because you are
already cutting out a majority of what makes them able to communicate effectively (especially body
language and facial expressions). Instead I need to rely on vocal expressiveness and even moments of
silence to read in between the lines of what someone is thinking as opposed to what they want me to
hear. I find in-person interviews to be a better indicator of fit because you get to evaluate someone as a
whole.
Reflection
nonverbal communication increases. It has become easier to send a text message or shoot over an
instant message or even hop on the phone. Although it may take more time – the act of meeting
someone in-person and having a one-on-one chat is one of the most effective ways to build rapport and
References