Through body language, people can consciously and unconsciously communicate and express emotions without saying a word. Understanding common cues can help you present yourself positively as well as read how others respond.

What is body language?

Wikipedia says this is a type of communication which focuses more on physical observations than words. Body language shows expression that humans do not to say. This includes gestures, eye movement, facial expressions, and body posture. This is an important way of communicating as well, despite it happening without awareness. Remember that body language is different from sign language as this has to be interpreted roughly.

What is non-verbal communication?

This usually specifies and includes facial expression, tone of voice, gestures, and the physical distance between people who talk. This can show additional information and meaning behind verbal communication. Interpreting nonverbal communication can be tricky. This is technically not a language with a fixed meaning. This focus is more on context and the people concerned. This type of communication can be both conscious and unconscious, where expressions are hard to control and may complicate sending a message consciously and unconsciously. This type of communication can usually be seen in introverts which are common in the workplace.

What is the importance of non-verbal communication?

By the way you react, move, listen, or look tells a lot to a person who you are talking to whether or not you care or even how you listen to them. When your nonverbal signals match what you’re saying or doing, they can increase clarity, trust and understanding. If not, they only create confusion and misunderstanding. It is important but you have to be cautious and sensitive about your own body language and nonverbal signals and others.

Characteristics of non-verbal communication

Uses multiple channels. With nonverbal communication A lot can happen at the same time simultaneous. This is how they communicate and it requires your full attention to better understand what they’re trying to say.

Continuous and Ongoing. This way of communication cannot be disabled. Whether it is done accidentally or on purpose, the way our bodies react like our facial expressions will always say something about us.

Conscious or Unconscious: As mentioned previously, this can be done in both ways. Conscious Communication is what we consider and intentionally choose. This is what we learn growing up. Well, unconscious communication refers to talking without planning or thinking on what to say, like out of nowhere and without realizing it.

What plays non-verbal communication

• Contradiction
• Repetition
• Substitution.
• Complementing
• Accenting

Contradiction: You may contradict the message we’re trying to try to tell people, which makes the person you’re talking to feel like you’re not being truthful in the workplace. When speakers are contradicting themselves, they create a confusion and cause their audience do not pay attention as they feel like you as a speaker do not know what you’re saying, this makes your presentation feel useless and a waste of time.

Repetition: You repeat yourself; this may lead to making your message stronger verbally but not exactly something that your audience would like to hear from you. In the workplace, this can seem as you’re losing your train of thought, and makes your colleagues think that you do not know your presentation that well, when it’s the opposite.

Substitution: although this can be a substitute for conveying a verbal message, your facial expressions tell a different story.

Complementing:  it’s not always negative and this can result in getting compliments from your colleagues. A simple clap, or pat on the back from your peers can show as giving praise and impact from your presentation performance.

Assenting: this can gain being positive and making sure to give a proper and strong message to your audience.

What are types of nonverbal communication?

1. Facial Expressions: This is a universal type of communication. This consists of expressing emotions without saying a word. Expressions like excitement, fear happiness and sadness are usually common in this area.

2. Body movement and Posture : Much like body language, this is affected by the way you move sit, stand, walk or hold something. The way you carry yourself can also be a way of communicating information.

3.Gestures: This is also one of the universal types of communication. It is important to carefully know how to use gestures to avoid any confusion and misinterpretation. Gestures include waving, pointing or doing something with your hands.

4. Eye Contact: The way you look at your audience is how you will always communicate. This may express interest, affection, hostility or even attraction. This allows you to maintain a flowing conversation engaging your audience’s interest and make them want to participate.

5. Voice: How you say it makes a difference. By the tone of your voice. People may read into you. Your voice can project confidence, fear or nervousness. Your audience may pay attention to how loud you speak for tone as an intonation.

What are disadvantages of non-verbal communication at work?

1.Lack of Formality– We cannot deny that nonverbal communication is not formal. There is no proper way to tell if an employee is being serious or sarcastic. It is difficult to read and understand people this way as they have to closing pay attention to what words the speaker chooses to use.

2. Contradiction with verbal statement– As mentioned previously, this can cause confusion to a speaker’s audience and may not send their message accurately to their audience.

3. Ambiguity– This may cause the audience to fail to comprehend and understand a speaker’s presentation.

4. Lack of Explanation– This makes it difficult for a speaker to properly explain the message they wish to present to their audience and again may cause confusion.

5. Distortion of information– Since verbal and nonverbal communication differ from culture to culture, Speakers may show this and leave the audience to wrongly interpret the message and make communication ineffective.

In summary, understanding nonverbal communication helps employees and leaders to better enhance their interpersonal interactions these indicators help employees communicate more effectively and reach a goal developing