Talking without talking

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Session 2

• Talking without talking

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(No Transcript)
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Try to figure out what the picture is about

• Discuss in your team what the thoughts of the
  people on the picture might be

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Try to figure out what the picture is about
Discuss in your team what the thoughts of the
people on the picture might be
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Try to figure out what the picture is about

• Discuss in your team what the thoughts of the
  people on the picture might be

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Body language

• Although language is the single most important
  element in communication, it is by no means the
  only one.
• It has been said that communication is only 20
  verbal while the rest is intonation, body
  language, etc.

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What does this mean?
In Europe? In other places?
In the USA ? In Nigeria ?
Anglo-Saxon? Central-Europe and Scandinavia?
Mediterranean countries?
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How men react when they see a pretty girl

• The American lifts his eyebrows
• The Italian presses his forefinger into his
  cheeck and whistles
• The Greek strokes his cheek
• The Brazilian puts an imaginary telescope to his
  eye
• The Frenchman kisses his fingertips
• The Arab grasps his beard.

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Seven main elements of body language

• Facial expressions
• Gaze and eye-contact
• Posture
• Gestures
• Proximity
• Touching
• Appearance

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Facial expressions

• Facial expressions are the most important aspect
  of body language. Your face is highly visible, it
  is mobile and flexible, and is capable of
  indicating your innermost feelings to other
  people.
• E.g. your face can communicate your likes and
  dislikes, or a subtle happy face can display
  your joy at a rivals misfortune even if you are
  expressing your deepest sympathy.
• Emotions are also often displayed in facial
  expressions even when you would prefer to hide
  them.
• Therefore your face can be a spontaneous
  communicator of messages!

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Gaze and eye-contact

• In many Western countries, particularly in the
  business culture, direct eye contact is standard
  procedure. While eye contact can imply sincerity
  and honesty in other cultures just as it does in
  e.g. the US, in many Asian countries, including
  Japan, looking straight into someones eyes could
  be considered intimidating or a sign of
  aggression.

For each situation indicate if you would use
direct, casual, indirect, sideways glances, or
none.
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Posture

• How you move your body,
• how you stand or sit and the position of your
  limbs,
• all reflect your attitudes and feelings about
  yourself and towards others.

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Gestures

• In certain circumstances you can use gestures to
  replace the need for words. Indeed, it might be
  the only way of communicating is by gestures,
  especially if you are trying to communicate with
  someone who does not speak your own language or
  any other language you know.

It is quite often the subconscious gestures, of
which you are unaware, that reveal a great deal
about your innermost thoughts. Reading and
interpreting these unintended gestures can
provide a greater understanding of the
communication that is taking place.
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Gestures

• These five gestures are common in many countries
  throughout the world. This exercise is designed
  to give you some practice at recognizing
  nonverbal behaviour in your home cultures.
• What might the gestures mean in your own country?

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Proximity

• Think about how much personal distance you
  generally prefer and then think about the
  different situations listed below. For each
  situation indicate whether you would prefer to
  keep the normal amount of distance, greater than
  normal, or less than normal.

Do your team members have the same answers? If
there are differences, is this culturally related
or rather individual? What influences your degree
of proximity to other people?
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Touching

• Think about how much touching behaviour is
  appropriate in your culture, under what
  circumstances, and with whom.
• Then consider the different situations mentioned
  below.
• For each situation indicate whether some kind of
  touching would be appropriate.

Do your team members have the same answers? If
there are differences, is this culturally related
or rather individual?
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Shaking hands

• Germany and the United States have firm
  handshakes, with the German being very brief and
  the US being about three to four secondsFrance,
  Guatemala, and Japan have more limp
  handshakesSingapore has a longer handshake (10
  seconds)Women should be the first to offer a
  hand for a handshake in New Zealand, Singapore,
  South Korea, or Taiwan
• In South Korea, more respect is shown by cupping
  your left hand under your right forearm, as if
  supporting your right forearm during the hand
  shakeA traditional bow may be used in China,
  Hong Kong, or Japan

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Shaking hands

• Traditional greeting in India is namaste -place
  the hands in a praying position, palms together
  with the fingers just beneath the chin, bow and
  say namasteTraditional greeting in Thailand
  places the hands, palms together, in front of the
  chin, bow the head to touch the top of the
  fingers, and say WaiWomen may greet other women
  by patting the right forearm or shoulder in
  Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico,
  Nicaragua, or Panama
• Countries with Hindu and Muslim religions forbid
  public contact between men and women. When in
  these countries, follow your hosts cue to
  determine if religious tradition will be
  followed.Women should wait for a man to offer
  his hand first in a Hindu or Muslim country, if a
  western handshake is going to be used

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Appearance

• Your self- image is reflected through your
  appearance, dress and grooming whether you have
  neat well-cut hair, or straggly unkempt hair,
  whether the clothes that you wear are appropriate
  for the occasion or inappropriate. Your personal
  appearance often creates an initial impression
  that sometimes is very difficult to change. Your
  personal appearance is of importance when you
  consider body language because it is an aspect
  over which you have considerable control.
• Although very little can be done about the shape,
  features and size of your body, much can be done
  about what you wear.