Watch What You Don`t Say!
by Patricia Ball, CSP, CPAE

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In recent years, there has been a dispute surrounding the veracity of the Albert Mehrabian studies that suggest that fifty-five percent of our communication is visual, thirty-eight percent how we say what we say, and seven percent the words only. However, if you take into consideration everything connected to a person visually, as well as their vocal nuances, most would agree that nonverbal communication is a powerful tool indeed. Understanding how to "read" other people and how to make correct countermoves will help you to create a desired outcome.

If you are unaware of what`s happening and how to respond, you can muddle the communications and miss a straight talk opportunity. There are three major categories of nonverbal communication:

1. PARALANGUAGE or the vocal part of speech and its nuances,

2. KINESICS or the study of the body`s physical movements, and

3. PROXEMICS or a person`s perception of space.

For this article, we will explore only one of these categories, kinesics. I can`t promise you that understanding body language or kinesics will make you rich, sexy or charming, but I guarantee you that correctly reading silent signals will make you a better communicator and a more understanding human being. However, be aware that while some body language is clearly understandable, there are many gray areas where there could be several interpretations.

You cannot not communicate. Each of us is a transmitter that can`t be shut off. We are all constantly sending nonverbal clues. This fact means there is a constant source of information available about ourselves and other people. If you can detect these signals, you`ll be more aware of how others think and feel, and you`ll be better able to respond to their behavior. According to legend, President Roosevelt, a firm believer in nonverbal communication, decided to have some fun one evening. Each person came up and shook hands with him and said, "Good evening, Mr. President, and how are you, sir?" He responded warmly with a pleasant smile and a firm handshake, "I`m fine, thank you, I just murdered my mother-in-law." Not one person reacted to his comment! It`s doubtful they even heard it. People believe body language even when the words contradict it. Because body language is unconscious for the most part, it`s the most honest form of communication we use.

Body language transmits feelings; verbal communication transmits words and thoughts. At times understanding the wants and feelings of others is far more important than understanding their words. For example, did you know that the pupils of our eyes communicate? When we are excited or particularly interested in something, the pupils of our eyes increase in size. A good salesperson can increase profits by being aware of pupil dilation!

Edward Hall, a teacher of nonverbal communication, tells of being in a Middle East bazaar where he noted that an Arab merchant insisted that a customer buy a piece of jewelry to which the shopper had been paying very little attention. However, the vendor had been watching the pupils of the buyer`s eyes, had noticed them becoming larger on seeing a particular bracelet and had known which piece of jewelry the buyer really wanted. The customer bought the bracelet! People don`t usually pay attention to body language until a speaker and his/her body start sending different messages. One of the strongest power signals you can use is to be consistently congruent with your body language cues and what you are saying.

• Posture communicates emotion. Actors are taught that there are two body postures: rising/approaching and sinking/withdrawing. Rising energy is reflected in a lift of the body, ebbing energy in a drooping body. Upward movement is associated with life: a growing plant, a young child, a person of vigor. Downward movement is related to death, the sick, the weary, the discouraged. This fundamental rising/sinking action is usually motivated by our inner feelings and emotions. However, it`s possible to change an inner feeling by changing our outward bodily appearance. On a day when you`re feeling depressed, put a spring in your gait, quicken your step, lift your stomach, chest and rib cage, hold your head erect and smile. This positive physical action will most likely help you feel less dejected. Excellent posture suggests power. Even from a wheelchair, President Roosevelt projected power with his erect carriage and jutting chin. Generally speaking, people who walk rapidly and swing their arms freely tend to be goal oriented. When people habitually walk with hands in pockets, they tend to be critical and secretive. When people feel depressed, they shuffle along with their hands in their pockets and seldom look where they are going, making it difficult for them to be goal-oriented. Stooped or bowed shoulders usually mean something negative. One could be afraid, submissive, guilty or self-conscious. Raised shoulders denote fear or tension. Squared shoulders suggest strength or responsibility. When two people adopt similar sitting positions, mirror images, the nonverbal message communicates harmony and agreement. The nonverbal statement is, "I think like you" or "I`m with you." Any abrupt postural shift during the encounter means that the communication flow has altered and a change in thinking has occurred.

Leaning forward shows intensity, interest in the other person and confidence in yourself. This is a particularly important nonverbal cue for straight talk.

• Gestures are fascinating and have many different meanings depending on the circumstances surrounding the situation. It is unwise to base a decision on a person`s personality by interpreting just one of his or her gestures. The hand-to-hairline gesture often means "you`re getting in my hair" or "I`m getting hot under the collar!"

As you can see, many phrases in the English language are associated with body-language situations. However, the hand-to-hairline gesture can also represent a flirtatious, preening signal, a nervous gesture or a self-repair sign. It is only when a number of gestures fit together that a complete picture evolves. Gestures are often lumped together in what is called clusters. Each gesture is like a word in a language. It`s only when those words fit together to form sentences that accurate interpretations can be made. The hand gesture is the basic form of human expression and a true index of the mind. Hand-gesture meanings vary tremendously from culture to culture. One American salesperson traveling in a distant land used the "thumb-touching-index-finger" sign known in the United States to mean "Everything is O.K.!" He was in for a surprise. In that country this particular signal had an obscene meaning.

Here are a few other gestures and their usual meanings. Resting your hand on your chin suggests contemplation. A common sign of anxiety is hand-wringing, as in the diagram titled MEEKNESS - ANXIETY. The well-known character Uriah Heep from Dicken`s David Copperfield shows meekness with this gesture. Making a steeple of your fingers communicates confidence — even smugness, egotism or pride. Many authority figures like doctors, managers and religious leaders use the steepling gesture. Clasping your hands behind your head also suggests authority. Again, this gesture is seen frequently in managers and bosses. Hands on hips with feet spread apart indicates defiance or aggression. It also can be seen by someone making a power play. The movement most readily associated with sincerity and openness is open hands. Straight talkers use this gesture frequently. People often assume that crossing your arms in front of your chest is a defensive gesture. It often is . . . but it can have many other meanings. Making a judgment based on a single gesture can be hazardous. Standing with the arms crossed is more comfortable than many other attitudes. It can mean "I`m cold!" and that the person is trying to hold in warmth. It can be an attempt to respect another`s personal space.

Beware of judging anyone`s movements based on a single gesture. Look for clusters of gestures when reading body language.

• Handshaking is an art. According to C. A. Bartol in a nineteenth century sermon, The Rising Faith, "There is a hand that hath not heart in it; there is a claw or paw, a flipper or fin, a bit of wet cloth to take hold of, a piece of unbaked dough, a cold clammy thing we recoil from or greedily clutch with the heat of sin, which we drop as a burning coal." A person who extends only the four fingers of the hand to be shaken is often reticent and standoffish. Then there is the handshake in which the other person`s hand is on top, palm down, forcing you to turn your palm upwards. The person on top has a very dominant handshake; he or she may be out for your job — or your wife or husband. On the other hand, if the dominant position handshaker is a woman, it might simply be a feminine gesture left over from the days when a man kissed a woman`s extended hand. The handshake in which the shaker envelopes both of your hands with both of his or hers is known as the politician`s shake. It is meant to show warmth and friendliness. It can be sincere or convey great insincerity. Only further in-depth observation will tell the truth.

Be careful about judging someone based on their flaccid, dead-fish handshake. There may be mitigating circumstances. Maybe he has arthritis. Perhaps she is an athlete or very strong person who is concerned about hurting your hand. Musicians, surgeons and artists may be protective of their hands. As a rule, match the pressure used by the other handshaker. Also, as you shake hands with someone, look into her eyes and try to remember their color. This direct eye contact occurring simultaneously with the handshake communicates an honest desire to meet the person. A proper handshake can make a person much more willing to listen to you. Learn all the nuances of this powerful straight talk tool.

• Facial Expressions are important tools for straight talk. When trying to persuade someone, pay particular attention to his or her eyes. Casting a glance upward and rapidly blinking eyelids can mean the person is considering your proposition seriously. If he looks you straight in the eye in a pleasant manner without trying to stare you down, then he is most probably interested. If the person refuses to look at you directly or drops her eyes, hence the expression shifty-eyed, beware — it is possible they will be shifty in their verbal communications as well. Of course, they may be shy or hard of hearing — there could be any number of other explanations. Make judgments only after observing a number of nonverbal clues that all point in the same direction.

Body language varies greatly from culture to culture. In many cultures direct eye contact is offensive; it is often read as a sign of respect to drop one`s eyes. Take all of this into consideration when making judgments based on nonverbal cues. When a person is trying to remember something, she will raise her brows, as if trying to see it. When an individual rejects an idea, he will close his eyes. Once the idea is accepted or understood, the head will nod affirmatively and then the eyes will open wide.

• Smiling is one of the most universally-understood pieces of body language. A smile usually says, "I like you." A smile can be a wonderful source of communication, or it can be a mask that prevents communication. If someone smiles in response to any and every occasion, that smile is likely a mask that hides true feelings and gives that person a chance to collect her thoughts and gain control. Smile when pleased, not to please. Smiling inappropriately or continuously can result in not being taken seriously.

• Head tilting can be significant. Rotating your head upward can be an attempt to claim superiority. Rotating your head downward suggests submission or "hanging your head in shame." Tilting your head away during a discussion can indicate disagreement. Tilting your head toward the speaker communicates careful attention and thus agreement.

Is nonverbal communication important? You bet it is! An in-depth understanding of nonverbal behavior will give you an edge in your communications with others. This knowledge will help you to better understand hidden messages. It will add clarity to your communications. Finally, it will enable you to be more persuasive in general by responding appropriately to what others tell you nonverbally.