MGMT100 - Week 3 Essay (Feedback - 100)
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Communications
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Feb 20, 2024
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Discussion of Non-verbal Areas of Interest
First Last
American Public University MGMT100: Human Relations
Instructor: Jillian Cook
June 21, 2020
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Discussion of Non-verbal Areas of Interest
Non-verbal communication is defined as “the process of transferring meaning without the
use of words” (Rutsohn, 2004). Non-verbal communication is a critical part of the listening process. When you use just your ears to hear, it’s tough to actually comprehend what was said without the non-verbal aspect. Sometimes the non-verbal communication is more important than
the voice because it can either enhance or hinder the conversation. This discussion of non-verbal
areas of interests will include gestures, postures, and environment. All three of these areas are interesting and vital to the communication process.
Gestures are a key part of the body language and is often concluded as the most powerful form of nonverbal communication because it’s the most open to interpretation (Rutsohn, 2004). This is probably the most interesting aspect of non-verbal communication because a gesture in one country or culture may mean something completely different in another culture. That is the main reason that in the Air Force, we are required to complete a culture specific course prior to deploying or visiting a foreign country. We don’t want to disrespect someone’s culture by doing
the wrong thing, especially when we are seen as a representation of the Air Force, American, and
even the President of the United States. A good example of this is the gesture of wiggling or pulling your earlobe in Turkish culture. In my culture, that doesn’t mean much to me. However,
in Turkish culture this is a sign of appreciation or describing how beautiful something is (Rutsohn, 2004). Hands are another common gesture and can have different actions for different
cultures. My own personal experience takes me back to Basic Military Training almost sixteen years ago. Hand gestures for Military Training Instructors is crucial to enforcing their power over trainees and getting their point across. My Instructor would always make this pointing dagger gesture by keeping all of his fingers together and point with all of them straight in your
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face, almost touching your nose. He would combine this gesture with a loud voice or command. Sometimes I think it was beneficial because I knew he was serious and other times it was very distracting to what he was trying to tell us.
Posture is another key aspect of non-verbal communication and is also something that is open to interpretation. Additionally, posture often is a big contributor to first impressions. For example, if someone has a sloppy posture then you may interpret that they have a sloppy attitude or behavior, which may or may not be the case. This is interesting to me because posture is something that is also instilled in Basic Military Training for Air Force members. We must always walk with a purpose, keep our head up, chest out, shoulders back, and swing our arms…’six to the front, three to the rear; that’s the way we do it here’. That was the cadence I will never forget when the Instructors were teaching us how to march. Posture is good for any conversation and any environment, if used appropriately to enhance the communication. According to Hayes (2002), “posture can be a good indicator of feelings” (p. 86). An example of
this would be someone who is slouched in a chair at table may not be feeling that great. Or, someone who is sitting on the edge of the chair, leaned in toward the table is probably feeling more alert or energized than the person that is slouched. Posture is also culturally diverse. In fact, it’s so unique to cultures that an article was published in Interacting with Computers to show how postured images generated a different response among three different cultures (Kleinsmith et al., 2006).
I am also a true believe in how the environment affects communication and is often a forgot about aspect. The environment includes time and arrangement perspective (Rutsohn, 2004). During my time in the Air Force, I have always been told to make sure the environment is appropriate for the communication and to always keep your office organization and open. For
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example, I wouldn’t have a feedback session with my subordinate in the middle of our office area where everyone can hear and see. That type of communication needs to be more personal, behind closed doors. Moreover, ‘my door is always open’ policy has been very successful for me regarding communication with my team. If I am working on something and someone walks in the room, then my attention is immediately on them and his or her concern. No matter how long it takes to finish the communication, they will have my undivided attention then entire time.
If I have an appointment or something else scheduled, then I will let that person know as it gets closure that I have to leave if I can’t reschedule; I always make sure I conduct a follow-up. I used to have a boss that would keep looking at his computer or continue typing an email while I was trying to communicate with him. That was always very distracting and I felt less important than those emails. Therefore, that is why I always try to keep an open door, and an organized office. Mokhtari describes unpleasant work environment as a vicious circle where it makes people unhappy, which in turn leads to an even more unpleasant environment (2013).
In summary, non-verbal communication is just as important as verbal communication. In
fact, in some instances and areas it’s more important such as gestures, postures, and environment. If you’re pulling your earlobe or pointing dagger fingers at someone, just remember that it may mean something completely different to someone from another country or culture. Furthermore, just because someone is standing slouchy doesn’t mean they are a lazy person. Be careful when you are communicating with someone because first impressions are usually lasting impressions.
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References
Hayes, J. (2002). Interpersonal skills at work. Retrieved June 21, 2020, from https://ebookcentral.proquest.com
Kleinsmith, A., De Silva, P., & Bianchi-Berthouze, N. (2006). Cross-cultural differences in recognizing affect from body posture. Retrieved June 22, 2020, from https://academic.oup.com/iwc/article-abstract/18/6/1371/684132
Mokhtari, M. (2013). The puzzle of non verbal communication: Towards a new aspect of leadership. Retrieved June 21, 2020, from https://edge.apus.edu/access/content/group/management-common/Management/
MGMT100/Non_Verbal_Article.pdf
Rutsohn, P. (Director), & Rutsohn, P. (Producer). (2004). Nonverbal Communication in a Global
Marketplace [Video file]. D.E. Visuals. Retrieved from Academic Video Online: Premium database.