CHAPTER 5 Verbal and Nonverbal Skills Chapter Objectives

CHAPTER 5 Verbal and Nonverbal Skills Chapter Objectives 1. Identify the importance of verbal and nonverbal communication in the business context. 2. Understand the relationship among power, status, and nonverbal communication. 3. Evaluate messages sent through clothing choice. 4. Improve your use of language. 5. Respect gender and cultural differences. 6. Employ and interpret nonverbal cues. 7. Manage anxiety in informal contexts. This Multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law: Any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network; Preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images; Any rental, lease, or lending of the program.

Goal Setting for Effective Messages Message can have three purposes: n Task messages have the intent to make others accomplish specific goals. n Maintenance messages keep the organization in working order so that tasks can be performed. n Human relations messages help employees fully recognize their potential in the organization.

Situational Knowledge: Personal and Environmental Factors Messages have two parts: n Content element ¨ What you are trying to communicate? n Relational element ¨ How do you feel about the person with whom you are communicating? It is important to anticipate the relational consequences of your message.

Personal Space Hall’s Zones: ¨ Intimate Zone: Zero to 18 inches ¨ Personal Zone: 18 inches to 4 feet ¨ Social Zone: 4 feet to 12 feet ¨ Public Zone: 12 feet and beyond

Personal Space and Touch Culture affects the way we use and interpret personal space. n Americans need some private space in professional settings while other cultures made need far less. n Culture affects the way we use and interpret touch. n Context and relationship must be considered in using touch. n

Court-Upheld Dress-Code Regulations Males to wear hair at collar length. n Different standard by gender for acceptable tattoos. n Males/Females limited on number of facial/tongue piercings. n Females to wear skirts n Women allowed to wear religious head coverings (Muslim) in business but not in public schools n

Communication Competence: Verbal and Nonverbal Skills Choosing the Setting for Communication n What is the likelihood that bystanders will receive the message unintentionally? n What are the physical characteristics of the setting? (noise level, temperature, etc. ) n Is the formality of the situation dictated by social or company norms? n Is the timing of the message important?

Communication Competence: Verbal and Nonverbal Skills Language Usage: ¨ Jargon is the specialized language professionals use to communicate efficiently. ¨ Euphemisms are agreeable, neutral, or indirect phrases used to describe unpleasant events in a more palatable format. ¨ Tag questions reduce the certainty of a statement and undercut the effectiveness of the message, isn’t that correct?

Avoid Racist and Sexist Language Possibly Offensive Terms Neutral Alternatives n Fireman n Firefighter n Chairman n Chair, Chairperson n Secretary n Assistant, Associate n Woman doctor n Doctor n Male nurse n Nurse

Interpreting Nonverbal Cues n Paralanguage: refers to voice qualities, or characteristics of speech, such as: Pitch (how high or low the voice is) n Tempo (rate of speaking) n Volume (loudness of voice) n Rhythm (timing and emphasis on words) n Articulation (how clearly words are pronounced) n n Facial and Eye Expressions

Gestures and Body Movement n Emblems are movements that substitute for words. n Illustrators are body movements that amplify, accent, or supplement what is being said verbally. n Regulators are nonverbal, usually automatic acts, that help to maintain the flow of conversation.

Message Strategies Conversational Turns ¨ Nonverbal cues ¨ Interruptions Conversational Differences Between Men & Women ¨ Men interrupt more often than women ¨ Women are less comfortable with hierarchy Intercultural Conversations ¨ Open-mindedness, equal treatment, avoidance, interaction management, other orientation Conversational Ethics ¨ Include background information, honesty, and clarity

Four Combinations of Understanding and Agreement n Mutual understanding with agreement. n Mutual understanding with disagreement. n Mutual misunderstanding with disagreement.