The Intricacies of Communication
Melvin Johnson
BCOM/275
May 9, 2015
Communication can be defined as the exchange of a message between two or more parties. For communication to be effective there must be a shared understanding between the parties. Not all communication is verbal. People don’t only communicate using words. In fact, it is estimated that 93 percent of communication is demonstrative and only 7 percent is verbal (Manero, 2014). Demonstrative communication can be combined into three categories: body, physiology, and nonverbal.
You communicate with your body through eye contact, gestures, or facial expressions. Sometimes your communication can be conflicting between verbal and nonverbal. You may be saying one thing but your body is saying another thing. For example, during conversation you may take a step away from the speaker. You are communicating to the speaker, “hey you’re in my space” or “I’m not comfortable with you that close”. In other words, they are invading your personal space. This could have a negative impact on the conversation. They may interpret your body language as a negative response to the conversation. On the other hand, maybe you take a step towards the speaker. You are trying to convey your interest in the subject being discussed.
We communicate physiologically with body language through posture, gestures, and facial expressions. How you sit or stand communicates how you feel about the other party. For example, during a conversation with a client you start to fidget or cross and uncross your arms. Your body language might be interpreted by the other party as your impatience to end the conversation or your disagreement with the ideas or thoughts being communicated. This could be a case of “Actions speak louder than words”. Facial expressions are also a form of physiology. A smile or frown is the most common form of demonstrative communication (Manero, 2014). These indicate either agreement or disagreement with the sender. Facial expressions
BCOM/275
May 9, 2015
Communication can be defined as the exchange of a message between two or more parties. For communication to be effective there must be a shared understanding between the parties. Not all communication is verbal. People don’t only communicate using words. In fact, it is estimated that 93 percent of communication is demonstrative and only 7 percent is verbal (Manero, 2014). Demonstrative communication can be combined into three categories: body, physiology, and nonverbal.
You communicate with your body through eye contact, gestures, or facial expressions. Sometimes your communication can be conflicting between verbal and nonverbal. You may be saying one thing but your body is saying another thing. For example, during conversation you may take a step away from the speaker. You are communicating to the speaker, “hey you’re in my space” or “I’m not comfortable with you that close”. In other words, they are invading your personal space. This could have a negative impact on the conversation. They may interpret your body language as a negative response to the conversation. On the other hand, maybe you take a step towards the speaker. You are trying to convey your interest in the subject being discussed.
We communicate physiologically with body language through posture, gestures, and facial expressions. How you sit or stand communicates how you feel about the other party. For example, during a conversation with a client you start to fidget or cross and uncross your arms. Your body language might be interpreted by the other party as your impatience to end the conversation or your disagreement with the ideas or thoughts being communicated. This could be a case of “Actions speak louder than words”. Facial expressions are also a form of physiology. A smile or frown is the most common form of demonstrative communication (Manero, 2014). These indicate either agreement or disagreement with the sender. Facial expressions