Nonverbal
Cues and their Meanings
During
my observation I noted the use of various nonverbal cues by different people. One
of the cues I came across was use of various forms of facial expressions. Human
face usually expresses personal emotions without saying a single word. Some of the facial expression clues I came
across were surprise, fear, happiness, anger, and disgust. The facial
expression of surprise meant that the person showing it was astonished by
something unexpected. The anger expression meant that someone was not happy
with something happing around, while the expression of happiness indicate that
the individual expressing it, was trying to show to the word that he or she was
in jovial mood due to something good happing to her or him. On the other hand,
the sadness expression was used as a way of showing grieves because of
something bad happing to those communicating using it.
The
second form of nonverbal cues that were widely used by the observed individuals
is body posture and movements. People used holding of their head as a form of
communication, trying to show either being astonished or sad or in deep thoughts
that are somehow disturbing. The another form of body movement as well as
posture communication was walking, where some walked slowly indicating and in
deep thought, and this did show that they were being disturbed by something
that needed solution. Furthermore, the
use of gestures was a popular form of nonverbal cues used widely by the
observed individuals. Waving was widely used trying to mean someone was either
calling someone or trying to tell him or her to wait for something. Also,
pointing was used, a communication sign used as a way of directing people
toward a certain direction. Beckoning
was also used as a communication tool, where it was utilized in trying to
encourage people to continue doing a certain thing.
Additionally,
eye contact was largely used type of nonverbal cue by the college students.
Staring at someone was a common communication tool, which indicated the person
using it was admiring something or someone. Also, maintaining of direct eye
contact was used by individuals during conversations, and it meant that they
tried to ascertain whether what was being told is true or false. The last form
of eye contact communication tool observed was people looking at others while
their eyes wide, meaning they were angry or hostile towards someone.
Touch
was another form of nonverbal cue largely used by the individuals around the
college. Warm hug was used and it meant the person involved were happy to see
each other or were just saying hello to one another. Weak handshakes were also
widely used in communication signaling the involved parties were not in
agreement on something or not in good terms. Also, slapping of somebody’s back
in a reassuring way was a widely used form of nonverbal communication, and it
signaled that the person slapping the other on the back was giving some
consolation or encouragement.
The
last form of nonverbal cue observed among the people in the college was body
space. Some of the individual maintained a close space, signaling they were
comfortable with one another company. On the other hand, some maintained a
distance from each other, a sign that they were trying to say that they are not
comfortable with being too close with each other.
Importance
of Nonverbal Cues in the Workplace
The
various forms of nonverbal cues discussed in the above section play a critical
role when it comes to communication in the workplace. First, they help in
showing that people understand a particular concept being discussed. For
example, when beckoning one head, it is an indication that he or she is an
agreement with what is being communicated. Second, the aid in reinforcing
verbal communication, whereby, individuals can express their attitudes or
perceptions towards a particular concept using various forms of nonverbal cues (Riggio and Feldman, 2005).
Also, they are used in allowing stakeholders, such as employees to show their
feelings concerning various situations, for example, the expression of sadness,
show that they are not happy with a given policy or situation due to its impact
on them
(Riggio and Feldman, 2005). Finally, nonverbal cues aid in the
process of individuals in the workplace expressing happiness due to a
particular issue.
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