MGMT 100 AMU Week 3 lesson Non-Verbal Communication Human Relations American Military University
- Week Three
Lesson Overview -
Welcome to Week 3. This week we will look at non-verbal communication and the differences among different cultures in regards to nonverbal cues. As we continue to progress through the book, we’ll be reading Chapters 5 and 6. The forum is a good one too, we’ll explore facial expressions and some South American Jungles! We are becoming more of a global economy and it is important for each of us to be more aware of all the differences in communication in this wonderful world we call home.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:- Identify effective interpersonal skills and specific features of cognition, personality and intelligence, necessary for understanding human behavior in a work setting.
- Examine motivational climate in work situations and apply appropriate motivation strategies.
- Apply tactics for improving relations with coworkers and customers
In this lesson, we will discuss:
- Facial expressions and non-verbal communication
- Cultural differences in communication
- Non-Verbal Communication
- Information Getting
The following activities and assessments need to be completed this week: Week 3 Paper Week 3 Forum
What is non-verbal communication? Quite naturally it is any communication that is not spoken, and here is the tricky part, it can even be space and silence. Think about it, have you ever come in from a night out on the town and your significant other did not say anything, nothing at all? Did he or she ask you if you had a good time? Probably not, more than likely you got the “silent treatment” which is an excellent example of non-verbal communication.
Non-verbal communication is defined as behavior other than written or spoken communication that creates meaning for someone. (Beebe, Beebe, and Redmond)
Introduction
What is non-verbal communication? Quite naturally it is any communication that is not spoken, and here is the tricky part, it can even be space and silence. Think about it, have you ever come in from a night out on the town and your significant other did not say anything, nothing at all? Did he or she ask you if you had a good time? Probably not, more than likely you got the “silent treatment” which is an excellent example of non-verbal communication.
Non-verbal communication is defined as behavior other than written or spoken communication that creates meaning for someone. (Beebe, Beebe, and Redmond)
Let’s Look at the Numbers
Psychologist Albert Mehrabian has brought some interesting facts about non-verbal communication showing that a huge portion of our communication is non-verbal in nature.
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Facial Expressions
Your face has a tremendous capability for transmission. Two researchers, Ekman, and Friesen have determined that your face is capable of producing over 250,000 different expressions. From this research, it as been found that women are more capable of variety in their expressions and spend more time smiling than men! Does that mean women are happier than men? Or, are women better at acting happy than men are…maybe you can ask your significant other or a good friend for an opinion on that, I’m not getting involved!
The Emotions of Facial Communication
Even with all the variety of facial expressions available (by the way, your face has more muscles that any other part of your body), there are generally only six primary emotional categories for your face that most non-verbal experts agree on.THE SIX PRIMARY FACIAL EMOTIONS (BEEBE, BEEBE, AND REDMOND)‹ 1/6 ›
- SURPRISEWide-open eyes, with wrinkled and raised forehead and mouth open
Space
Now that we have examined the face closer than a Hollywood makeup artist let’s explore space, the final frontier, hold it, not that space! Space as in who is around you, are they too close to you (think about your last elevator ride). Has any ever said to you, “Give me some space” yes this a verbal request for them let you know that you are too close! Personal space is made up of 4 zones for most people.
INTIMATE ZONE
PERSONAL ZONE
SOCIAL ZONE
PUBLIC ZONE
When you move towards someone or away from someone you are sending a non-verbal signal of where they fit in your “comfort zone.” Even with these generalities and personal zones how do all of these facial expressions and other non-verbal communications translate over culture and gender? Ekman and Friese discuss several below.
Cultural Differences
Facial expressions–in one study it was found that some facial expressions were the same in 68 to 92 percent of cultures. We all share the same facial muscles for showing emotion, however, in some cultures, different rules are learned. In Japan, it is important to “save face” and not show negative emotions and help others not to show them.
- EYE
- GESTURE
- SPACE
- TOUCH
EYE CONTACT
More eye contact can be found among Arabs, South American, and Greeks than other cultures. Some African Americans look at others less than White Americans when speaking or listening. However, the “eyebrow flash” (sudden raising of the eyebrow when meeting someone) is almost universal across cultures.
Gender Differences
Eye contact
Women will usually gaze longer than men. However, they will also break the contact more than men.
Space
Men like more room around them than women. When in a conversation, women stand closer to the ones they are communicating with than men do.
Facial Expressions
Women smile more than men do. They are more emotionally expressive than men and are better at interpreting non-verbal signals than men.
Gesture and posture
Women use fewer gestures than men, and even on the positioning of their legs and feet there are differences. Women will sit with their knees crossed or feet crossed whereas men will sit with their legs extended and spread out.
Touch
Men are more likely to initiate contact than women, and this means women are touched more than men (it’s simple math if you think about it…smile).
Vocal Cues
Can be related to more biological differences than other forms of non-verbal communication. However, women employ more pitch and softer tones than men.
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The Interview
There are two types of interviews: The questioning and the information-getting interview.
An interview is nothing more than a conversation with a purpose. Think back to a job interview you had, what was its purpose? Quite naturally, it was to see if you were a good fit and qualified for an organization or position. Even though resumes’ are important, don’t you think that a face-to-face interview is the best way to evaluate someone? In this next section, we are going to discuss some the parts of an interview process, the dos and don’ts and some of the most overlooked and frequently made mistakes.
How do you conduct and interview (or guided discussion) and what to expect in an interview? If you have ever had any training in counseling (or maybe received a lot if it), you will see that both processes are very similar).
The Interview Process
INTRODUCTION
MIDDLE OR MAIN
CLOSURE
END
The DOs and DON’Ts of Interviews
- DON’T
- DO
DONT
- Don’t be late, really, what kind of signal does that send to a potential employer if you can’t even be on time for the interview?
- Don’t be rude and don’t forget to thank everyone one you meet. Even if it is the worst day of your life, be nice to everyone you encounter at the place of business, from the parking lot attendant to the CEO. Everyone wants to work with someone who is upbeat and fun. No one wants to get stuck in the cube with a grouch.
- Don’t be ill prepared – Take some time to find out about the company and the position. Know as much as you possibly can about the job. Know what duties you will be expected to perform. Know the history of the company and their “culture”.
- Don’t be nervous (even though you are, the interviewer is also, so they cancel each other out!) be yourself!