GESTURES: How to add power to your words.
As the saying goes, “Actions speak louder than
words.” Research figures support this
idea and suggest that managers, during most of their speaking time, use non-verbal communication techniques to
strengthen their oral messages.
A study in Management World magazine showed
that only a small fraction of all messages communicated by managers are spoken
with only words.
To be clear,
non-verbal communication is defined as gestures and body movements; changes in
loudness, tone, speed or emphasis of voice; and facial expressions.
VERBAL & NON-VERBAL WORK TOGETHER
However, remember that verbal and non-verbal cannot
be evaluated individually. They work
well and effectively when combined.
The following five skills will assist you in
communicating by using non-verbal tactics.
1) EMPHASIZING. Adding emphasis or stress to your spoken
words gives the same effect as making written words boldfaced, italicized or
underlined.
Examples are pointing at a
visual and gesturing towards a person during a presentation; tapping on the
table as you make a point; or, saying one word louder or softer than the others
to convey a special importance.
CAUTION:
do not overuse this, because it will weaken the tactic’s power.
2) REPEATING. Moving you head up and down as you say “yes”
or shaking your finger at someone as you blame him are classic examples of
using physical actions to repeat the meaning of words.
This visible connection
between verbal and non-verbal communication illustrates the power of Repeating
in a most natural way. It is so natural, that repeating can be done with little
effort and virtually no practice.
3) REPLACING. Facial expressions frequently replace or
substitute indirectly for verbal communication that may not be socially
acceptable or is not easy to talk about.
For example, if you are
displeased with the actions or speech of a friend you work with, you may not
like to tell him directly. So you lack
of eye contact or frowning expression will “say” it for you without words.
4) SUPPLEMENTING. The non-verbal signals come from the RECEIVER (audience) rather than you, the
sender/communicator in this one.
For example, when a
manager rewards an employee and his face beams with a smile; or, when it is
necessary to reprimand (punish), the difference in facial expression indicates
the listener’s change in attitude toward the manager (communicator).
Importance
for the communicator: A good manager or supervisor must notice these
changes, especially the negative ones, and deal intelligently and effectively
with them to quickly eliminate an uncomfortable situation for the
employee. In this way, bad feelings
will not interfere with productivity.
5) RESPONDING &
ADJUSTING. Non-verbal responses are
vitally important when Responding to verbal messages from others.
When you speak with
someone, surely you look for positive feedback from them such as nodding of the
head, eye contact and facial expressions which communicate “I understand you”
or “I agree.”
Particularly
in the local environment, eye contact is most important, because it is linked closely
with listening itself. [Example: how many times have you seen, or have you done
this yourself? You are talking with
someone and he turns away for a moment.
You touch his shoulder or grab his hand to get his attention so he will
“listen” to you. Or, while driving (and
this is dangerous) looking directly into the eyes of the listener and speaking,
rather than looking at the road.]
In these examples, the
words seem to have more power because the speaker and listener are maintaining eye
contact, a powerful non-verbal tactic.
CONCLUSION.
By adopting these
strategies, you will be taking your first steps toward actively understanding
and using both verbal and non-verbal communication to increase the power of
your words.