The Importance of Nonverbal Communication in Workplace Settings

Albert Mehrabian, born in 1939 to an Armenian family in Iran, is a pioneer on the understanding of verbal and nonverbal communication. His study concluded that 93% of communication is actually nonverbal. He developed a communication model in which he demonstrated that only 7% of what we communicate comprise of the literal content of the message.

Now, just as how verbal communication must be appropriate and professional in the workplace, how can we ensure that what we communicate nonverbally in the workplace is appropriate and professional as well? How can we improve on our nonverbal skills? First, we must recognise what entails nonverbal communication. The several types of nonverbal communication include – facial expressions, body movements and posture, gestures, eye contact, touch, space, and voice. All these elements, communicate to others our communication style – and it can have a huge impact in our work setting and the relationship we form with our bosses and fellow colleagues.

That being said, we must set the stage for effective nonverbal communication in order to create a more positive environment to increase employee morale and job performance. One of the ways to improve our nonverbal communication is to learn to manage stress and to have better emotional awareness. When we are stressed out, we tend to misread or send confusing, off-putting nonverbal signals to others. In other situations where our emotional awareness is at its peak, our nonverbal communication enables us to accurately read other people, create trust in relationships and respond in ways that show other people we understand and care.

Creator Academy offers a wide range of training courses to help you achieve job success and career fulfilment. Our course is aimed at helping you improve the way you engage with others professionally and to help craft your basic soft skills. Start leaving a memorable and lasting impression on everyone you meet from today!