Facial Expression

The facial expression on communicator’s face is almost as revealing of emotion as the communicator’s eyes. A facial expression conveys meaning which is determined by circumstances and relationships. Researchers have estimated that the human face displays more than 250,000 expressions! How much expression do you think that you could make? A large portion of people display their emotions openly whereas some people tend to hide their true feelings in order to keep up a 'poker face'. The interpretation of facial expressions often differs in various cultures. For instance, in American society the grin is typically an expression of pleasure. Yet it also has additional functions. The meaning associated with a woman's smile towards a police officer will carry a different meaning from the smile she would give to a young child. A smile may display affection, convey politeness, or even camouflage genuine sentiments. For example many people in Russia consider smiling at outsiders in broad daylight to be unordinary and even suspicious while in cultures from Southeast Asia, a smile is every now and again used to cover emotional pain or awkwardness. Vietnamese people may tell the sad story about how they had to leave their country but they always end the story with a smile.

 Smile is just one of the several facial statements an individual’s use. Raising or bringing down of eyebrows, squinting, clenching the jaw and swallowing anxiously are some more types of facial expressions. Remember, you may be judged by other people on the bases of your facial expressions and also be misinterpreted but never make the mistake of judging other people especially from distinctive societies on their expressions as the degree of facial expressions one exhibits varies among people and societies.

 Here is an interesting video illustrating the different facial expressions that people use in their daily life to showcase their emotions.

References: 

VolaFriends. (2011, february 23). 75 expressions in less than a minute! VolaFriends! Retrieved from Youtube.com: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypqQ_mJIU3M

Guffey, M.E., Rhodes, K., Rogin, P.(2011). Business Communication: Processes and product(4th brief Canadian edition).Scarborough,Canada:Nelson.

Eye Contact

The most accurate predictor of a person's true attitudes as well as feelings is considered to be the eyes. Ask yourself a question- Could you lie to another person while looking straight into his or her eyes? A brief eye contact signifies stress or fear; continued eye contact suggests trust and admiration whereas a prolonged eye contact can often be considered as intrusive or intimidating. The message sender can determine whether the receiver is paying attention, showing respect or feeling distress by good eye contact.

Patterns of eye contact may differ across different cultures. Some Americans often feel uncomfortable while "gaze" that is generally associated with Arab or Indian communication patterns. For Americans, this style of eye contact can be considered as too intense. It works both ways as too little eye contact can also be viewed negatively, because what it conveys is a lack of interest, inattention, or even mistrust. The relationship between mistrust and the lack of eye contact in the American culture is clearly mentioned in the expression "Never trust a person who doesn't look you in the eyes." In contrast, there are many other parts of the world (especially in Asian countries), where a person’s lack of eye contact toward an authority figure signifies respect.

References:

Guffey, M.E., Rhodes, K., Rogin, P.(2011). Business Communication: Processes and product(4th brief Canadian edition).Scarborough,Canada:Nelson.

Skills Converged, (2013, March). Body Language of Good First Impressions. Retrieved from: http://www.skillsconverged.com/TrainingTutorials/BodyLanguage/BodyLanguageofGoodFirstImpressions.aspx

Image Source :Google Images(http://content.artofmanliness.com/uploads//2012/02/eyecontact1.jpg)

Introduction

Often Understanding messages involves more than merely listening to the spoken word. Non-Verbal communication does not involve the use of words but it speaks louder than words! Every individual sends thousands of non-verbal messages in their business as well as personal lives. Non Verbal Communication is the process of communicating through sending and receiving wordless cues between people. It is also perceived as a non-linguistic transmission of information through visual, tactile, as well as kinesthetic channels.

It is fittingly said that Communication is an art. Many people are born as natural communicators, while others just not. Non-verbal cues are often used my communicators to complement and to illustrate, to reinforce and to emphasize, to replace and to substitute, as well as to control and to regulate.  To be an effective communicator one must be certain that all his/her non-verbal messages reinforce their spoken words as well as their professional goals. Non-verbal communication can take place in various forms. To make sure you're on the right track of nonverbal communication competency, let's look carefully at the specific forms of non-verbal communication.

References:

 Jones, M.(2013, March 29) Business and Employment. Retrieved from: http://misslong123.hubpages.com/hub/Leadership-Communication-Skill-The-Art-of-Listening-Part-2

Image Source :Google Images ( http://blog.epsenfuller.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/nonverbalcommunication12.jpg)