Analysis of Non-Verbal Communications
Jimmy DeVito
Professor D'Aloisio
COM 229 03
October 6, 2012
Analysis of Non-Verbal Communications Everyday in the workplace, especially in the relationship between supervisors and non-managerial employees, verbal instructions will be given multiple times throughout the workday. But what happens if those instructions aren’t verbal? These “non-verbals” aren’t always clear and sometimes may not even reflect the verbal actions of the supervisor so it can cause confusion and other conflicts in the workplace. Throughout my past several work shifts I took notice of my supervisor Mike’s non-verbal actions and how they reflect other aspects of his personality, leadership style, etc. Before you meet someone you often judge them based on the physical aspects of him or her such as how they dress and their gestures. In the case of my supervisor Mike, the first thing I noticed was that he is very well dressed which conveyed to me that he is very professional and holds a higher than entry level position. Following the same point he also stands very tall and straight giving a sense of superiority. Along with showing superiority of positional status Mike also shows signs of displaying physical superiority. Usually he wears a shirt that seems to be tight and as a result his upper body and arm muscle definition is more noticeable, and throughout the day he can be seen drinking protein shakes. Coinciding with the aspects of superiority Mike also has a tendency to be undermining to many of the lower employees, including myself. After completing a task I returned to the front where Mike was working at a desk and I asked him what I could work on next. He kept his back turned to me and kept doing paperwork. After about 30 seconds he turned around pointed to the returns, rolled his eyes and continued his paperwork, all the while never making eye contact. Another key point during the workday in which a supervisor may use a variety of non-verbals is when they are evaluating your
Professor D'Aloisio
COM 229 03
October 6, 2012
Analysis of Non-Verbal Communications Everyday in the workplace, especially in the relationship between supervisors and non-managerial employees, verbal instructions will be given multiple times throughout the workday. But what happens if those instructions aren’t verbal? These “non-verbals” aren’t always clear and sometimes may not even reflect the verbal actions of the supervisor so it can cause confusion and other conflicts in the workplace. Throughout my past several work shifts I took notice of my supervisor Mike’s non-verbal actions and how they reflect other aspects of his personality, leadership style, etc. Before you meet someone you often judge them based on the physical aspects of him or her such as how they dress and their gestures. In the case of my supervisor Mike, the first thing I noticed was that he is very well dressed which conveyed to me that he is very professional and holds a higher than entry level position. Following the same point he also stands very tall and straight giving a sense of superiority. Along with showing superiority of positional status Mike also shows signs of displaying physical superiority. Usually he wears a shirt that seems to be tight and as a result his upper body and arm muscle definition is more noticeable, and throughout the day he can be seen drinking protein shakes. Coinciding with the aspects of superiority Mike also has a tendency to be undermining to many of the lower employees, including myself. After completing a task I returned to the front where Mike was working at a desk and I asked him what I could work on next. He kept his back turned to me and kept doing paperwork. After about 30 seconds he turned around pointed to the returns, rolled his eyes and continued his paperwork, all the while never making eye contact. Another key point during the workday in which a supervisor may use a variety of non-verbals is when they are evaluating your