A 1972 study performed by Albert Mehrabian concluded that 53 percent of the information transmitted during communication was from studying facial expressions, 38 percent was from the tone of voice and only 7 percent was conveyed from the actual spoken word.
Although there is much discussion about whether non-verbal communication indeed accounts for 93 percent of the information being received, no one doubts its importance.
Body language and other forms non-verbal communication can make a big difference when considering the way colleagues and friends view you. For example, if you cross your arms in conversation you may be perceived as guarded, insecure and closed off to open discussion. Here are 15 ways you can improve your non-verbal communication, backed by science:
If you are experiencing a disconnect when communicating with colleagues, friends or even complete strangers, you may want to consider how your non-verbal signals are impacting your communication. Navigating the political landscape of the workplace can be difficult enough without a strong network of friends. Just like there are semantics in linguistics, there are subtle differences in the way you compose yourself that can change the meaning of the message being conveyed. The subtleties of body language include:
- Posture
- Gestures
- Attire
- Facial expressions
- Mimicry
- Eye contact
Sources
- Psychology Today | 2 | 3 | 4
- Harvard
- Association of Psychological Science
- Psychological Bulletin
- NY Times
- MIT Press
- Forbes
- Inquisitive Mind
- Emerald Insight
- Wisconsin
- ABC News
- Lumin
