10. Non-verbal communication

Communication=1) is an interaction of mind of 2 or more people by sense organs (sight, hearing, taste, sense of touch, sense of smell) and speech.

2) is an exchange of information and ideas from one person to another.

There are 2 types of communication based on channels: verbal and non-verbal.

Nonverbal communication is usually understood as the process of communication through sending and receiving wordless (mostly visual) messages between people. 

There are 6 types of non-verbal communication: body language, physical appearance, voice, space, environment, time.

Body language:

Body language is the way that we communicate by the use of the body. The parts of the body associated with body language are the face and part of the face, the whole head, hands/fingers/arms/touching, legs, feet and sitting position.

The face is the most commonly used channel of communication. A raised eyebrow means surprise, lips pursed means anger. The face is used to encourage or discourage feedback.

The whole head can be used to communicate. A nod means agreement, moving the head up and down communicates interest to the speaker.

Legs are often crossed to communicated discomfort, feet may act as pointers to the person we are communicating with.

Physical appearance:

Body shape and size have influence on the way people are perceived by others and can be inaccurate. Hair, clothing and personal style also send a message about who we are and what we are.

Voice:

The way words are said contribute to the message being sent. There are four vocal cues:

• qualifiers – tone, rate, pitch, volume of speech

• fillers – words used to fill conversations( okay, well, um, ah)

• differentiators – vocal sounds that help us communicate(giggles, yawn, sighs)

• qualities – the way the voice is used(husky, firm, questioning)

Space:

The way people control space around them, send messages to others. There are 4 distances within which communication can take place:

• public – distance in a public meeting

• social – distance when speaking to strangers including work colleagues

• personal – distance when speaking to someone of equal status

• intimate – distance when allowing personal contact and closeness

Environment:

The environment affects the way communication is undertaken. The way the room is organized, the colour, temperature, ventilation and smells affects communication both positively and negatively.

Time:

The use of time affects the way communication is undertaken. In business ‘time is money’. People are not expected to waste time and are expected to meet deadlines. An individual’s treatment of time communicated attitudes. If a worker is constantly late for work they may communicate lack of commitment to the organization.

Silence can also be a type of non-verbal communication.

3.Communication barriers

Communication is the process of sharing our ideas, thoughts, and feelings with other people and having those ideas, thoughts, and feelings

understood by the people we are talking with. When we communicate we

speak, listen, and observe.

The way we communicate is a learned style. As children we learn from

watching our parents and other adults communicate. As an adult we can

learn to improve the way we communicate by observing others who communicate effectively, learning new skills, and practicing those skills.

But even if some people think that communicating is easy there are some basic problems of communication process. They are called barriers.

Types of barriers:

1.Physical barriers

Physical barriers are easy to spot – doors that are closed, walls that are erected, and distance between people all work against the goal of effective communication. While most agree that people need their own personal areas in the workplace, setting up an office to remove physical barriers is the first step towards opening communication.

2. Perceptual barriers

The problem with communicating with others is that we all see the world differently.

3. Emotional barriers

The emotional barrier consist of fear, mistrust and suspicion. The roots of our emotional mistrust of others lie in our childhood and infancy when we were taught to be careful what we said to others. We are often taught to fear the words coming out of our own mouths, as in the phrase “anything you say can and will be used against you.” Overcoming this fear is difficult, but necessary.

4. Cultural barriers

Cultural barriers are a result of living in an ever shrinking world. Different cultures, whether they be a societal culture of a race or simply the work culture of a company, can hinder developed communication if two different cultures clash. In these cases, it is important to find a common ground to work from.

5. Language barriers

Language that describes what we want to say in our terms may present barriers to others who are not familiar with our expressions, buzz-words and jargon. When we communicate in such language, it is a way of excluding others. In a global market place the greatest compliment we can pay another person is to talk in their language.

6. Gender barriers

There are distinct differences between the speech patterns in a man and those in a woman. The reason for this lies in the wiring of a man's and woman's brains. When a man talks, his speech is located in the left side of the brain but in no specific area. When a woman talks, the speech is located in both hemispheres and in two specific locations.

This means that a man talks in a linear, logical and compared way, features of left-brain thinking; whereas a woman talks more freely mixing logic and emotion, features of both sides of the brain.  Men and women tend to form their thoughts differently, and this must be taken into account when communicating.

7 Interpersonal barriers

Interpersonal barriers are what ultimately keep us from reaching out to each other and opening ourselves up, not just to be heard, but to hear others.

There are six levels at which people can distance themselves from one another:

1. Withdrawal is an absence of interpersonal contact. It is both refusal to be in touch and time alone.

2. Rituals are meaningless, repetitive routines devoid of real contact.

3. Pastimes fill up time with others in social but superficial activities.

4. Working activities are those tasks which follow the rules and procedures of contact but no more.

5. Games are subtle, manipulative interactions which are about winning and losing. They include "rackets" and "stamps".

6. Closeness is the aim of interpersonal contact where there is a high level of honesty and acceptance of yourself and others.

Working on improving your communications is a broad-brush activity. You have to change your thoughts, your feelings, and your physical connections.

That way, you can break down the barriers that get in your way and start building relationships that really work.

To sum up, communication is not a one-way street. To have others open up to you, you must be open yourself. By overcoming these barriers to communication, you can ensure that the statement you are making is not just heard, but also understood, by the person you are speaking with. In this way, you can be confident that your point has been expressed.