Non Verbal Communications

1. Non Verbal Communications Dr. Lloyd D. Brooks, Professor Management Information Systems The University of Memphis

2. Human Face • Face – Organ of Emotion • Face – Offers Powerful Clues • Face – Reveals Important Truths • Face – Provides Clues to Feelings • Face – Shows Age, Humor, Likes, Dislikes • Face – Shows Attention or Lack of Attention With Eye Contact • Face – Most Important Human Art Object

3. TEARS • Sadness/Grief • Happiness/Joy • Fear/Anxiety • Embarrassment/Surprise • Anger/Frustration • Nervousness • Laughter • Loneliness • Winning/Losing • Pain • Shame

4. Message Clues • Verbal Clues – 7 percent of message meaning • Vocal Clues – 38 percent • Facial Expression Clues – 55 percent • Facial clues provide a better and more reliable indicator of the meaning of the message

5. Space Clues • Closeness – Everyone has a bubble. Business distance is about 18 inches. • Position in Meetings – Indicate order of importance • Standing Too Close – Invades the space of others • Elevators – Where do you stand in an elevator?

6. Distracting Gestures and Hair • Repeating Too Often – Such as clearing the throat • Fidgeting • Playing With Hair • Playing With Money or Loose Change • Playing With Car Keys • Do you have distracting gestures?

7. Handshake • Hands Not Damp or Clammy • Firm Grip, But Not Bone Crusher or Wimp • Thumb and Forefinger Web Touches the Other Person’s Web Area • Maintain Eye Contact During Handshake • Give a Couple of Shakes – Then Let Go • Stand Up When Handshaking • How is your handshake?

8. Table Manners • Use side plate to your left • Bread knife is smaller and on your right • Leave bread knife on side plate after use • Do not use butter directly from its source • Do not cut bread or roll • Put the knife with the serrated edge facing you • Ignore the crumbs • Use outer cutlery first and work toward you

9. Non Verbal Power • 90 Percent of Communications comes from face-to-face interaction • Erect Posture – Send energy and attentiveness signals • Touching, Holding, Embracing, or Back Patting – Can be favorable or unfavorable • Eye Contact – Strong and Powerful. You are always communicating with your eyes.

10. Non Verbal Communications • 700,000 Different Physical Signs • 250,000 Different Facial Expressions • 5,000 Different Hand Gestures • 1,000 Different Postures • Smile – Universal Gesture • Hiding Face – Universal Gesture • Only two universal gestures

11. International Gestures • Southeast Asia – Showing the bottom of the foot is a grievous insult • Kenya – Victory signal can lead to getting the fingers chopped off • Saudi Arabia – Kissing in public can lead to being placed in jail • Winston Churchill – V for victory signal became a symbol during World War II • South America – Cheek kissing is a casual greeting gesture

12. International Gestures • O.K. Symbol in America considered as giving a curse in Saudi Arabia and an extreme insult in Germany • Closing the eyes and nodding the head is sign of attentiveness in Japan • Yielding right of way in a doorway is a sign of respect in China • Clapping and whistling is considered approval (whistling is considered disapproval in much of Europe)

13. Greetings • Firm Handshake – 200 years old • Hug – Informal greetings only. Asian countries do not like it. • Bowing – Many Asian countries • One-Pump Handshake in Europe • Islamic countries – No male/female touching allowed for greetings • South America – Handshake and Back Slap

14. Beckoning Someone • America – Raise hand with index finger extended. Considered rude in Japan. Used only for calling animals in Malaysia. • Columbia – Clap your hand • China – Turn your cup down • Spain – Snap your fingers (locals only)

15. Facial Gestures • Face can show anger, pain, joy, shock, confidence, exhaustion, surprise, suspicion, boredom, doubt, etc. • Face can pout, grimace, snarl, wince, blush, gape, smirk, glare, frown, etc. • Face can nod, shake, jerk, tilt, duck, turn. • Nodding the head up and down means Yes. It means No in Iran and Turkey.

16. Eye Gestures • Eye contact indicates attention in America • Staring is rude in Korea, Japan, and Thailand • Eyebrow flash is a sign of flirtation • Wink is a sign of flirtation or shared secret • Dilated eyes indicates fear or anger • Rolling the eyes shows amazement

17. Hands • Clapping to indicate applause • Hand Shaking to greet in some countries • Hand Holding for affection and respect • Hand Waving for greeting • High Five to indicate approval • Fist Pounding to indicate anger • Touching Wood indicates good luck

18. Arms • Folded Arms indicates a defensive position • Arms on Hips indicates anger or aggression • Arms Behind Back indicates ease and control

19. Classroom Sitting Dynamics • Front – Like the action and grade conscious • Back – Observers, slackers, dislike attention, like security of the back wall • By Window – Daydreamers • By Door – Often in a rush and want a quick way out • Middle – Like to blend into the crowd and are possibly shy

20. What is depicted here?

21. What does this depict?

22. What does this mean?

23. What does this communicate?

24. What do you think this indicates?

25. What does this mean?

26. What do you think about each of these persons?

27. What is the relation between these two persons?

28. What does this signify?

29. What does this signify?

30. What does this signify?

31. What is being communicated here?

32. What type of person is this lady?

33. What does this signify?

34. What is being expressed here?

35. What emotion is being expressed here?

36. What is the relationship here?

37. What kind of person is this?

38. What is her personality?

39. What are his thoughts?

40. What does each face express?

41. What does this pose portray?

42. What is the relationship here?

43. What is being communicated here?

44. Non Verbal Expression Exercise • Each person will give a non verbal signal to indicate how he/she is feeling today. • This will take the pulse of the group’s feelings for the day.

45. Non Verbal Story Exercise • Group of 4 to 20 persons create a story, one word at a time. Review the dominant themes, struggles, emotions, strategies, organization, qualities and actions of participants.

46. Non Verbal Mirror Exercise • This is a mirror exercise. The audience divides into pairs. One person is the leader and the other one is a follower. • The leader may use body language and/or facial expressions. The follower will mirror the leader. After a few minutes, the roles will be switched. After a few more minutes, they will mirror in unison with neither one being the leader.

47. Non Verbal Role Play Exercise • The audience will divide into small groups. Each group will create a play that involves ONLY body language and NO talking. The group can pick any scene and characters it wants. • Each group will then improvise before the other group(s) and let them guess what is happening. Examples: It’s the end of the party and you are the last people left. You are family members on the way back from a vacation and had a big fight.

48. You have been a great audience Thank you for your attention.