University of Alberta

Soft Skills for Project Managers

ENG M 657- Fall, 2008

Lecture No. 4
Understanding
Nonverbal Communication
Sami Fahmy, PhD, P. Eng. PMP

AGENDA

Caveat and warning

Types of non-verbal communication

Exercise

Why nonverbal communication

5 key areas for body language

Improving the nonverbal skills

Application areas

Exercise

Personal improvement plan 2

1
 Caveat and Warning

Not an expert in nonverbal (only 10 years)

First exposure, you are not an expert

Do not jump to conclusions

You must consider several signs in the
same time

Opening Group Exercise

Examine the individuals in the picture

and tell us:

What kind of person is he/she?

Would you like to have this individual
as a boss ?

As one of your subordinates

If Yes, why

If No, why NOT

2
 Nonverbal Communication

Messages expressed by other

than linguistic means (words)

No control over it

Ways We Communicate
With the World

Personal and Symbolic Expressions

Non-verbal messages you give away

(your style)

Verbal (your choice of words)

3
 Characteristics of non verbal
Communication

Always communicating

Non verbal communication is powerful

It is ambiguous

It is more eloquent

It reveal the inner thoughts and feeling

It is more spontaneous

It expresses attitude

Watch for cultural differences
7

Mixed Massages

Verbal (word) express ideas

Non verbal expresses attitude and
emotions

Watch for mixed messages

It is easy to lie wit word much more
difficult with non-verbal communication

4
Why non-
non-verbal communication
skills are critically important

Improve your understanding of people

Empowers you to read people

Enables you to come across the way
you want to be perceived

Raises awareness of how people
move and gesture

Allows you to consciously use body
language to help put the speaker at
ease

Class Discussion

Nonverbal communication
gives us
clues
that are enough to tell us things
that

words do not or cannot express

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5
 Types of Nonverbal Communication

Appearance Personal Personal

Time
and dress environment space

Body
Language Voice

Facial. Gest. Post. Eyes Paralang. Emphasis

Exp.

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1. Body language

• Eyes
• Facial expression
• Gesture (body, arms and legs)
• Posture

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6
 A . Eyes

The most powerful and most expressive

part of the body.

Maintain good eye contact with others, says
I am interested and I respect you

Be careful of cultural differences

No eye contact indicates lack of interest in
even what they are doing

Do not stare at people

Eyes are the windows to the soul
13

What can you tell

from some
body’s
eyes?

14

7
 B. Facial expression

Our face communicate emotion

Understanding

Ambiguous at times

Can be deceptive

15

C. Hand and Arm Gestures

• Further away from body

• Hands are the most sensitive
• Legs gives away a great deal of
information
• Openess

16

8
 D. Posture

Culture dependent

No universal language (meaning)

Consider the context (the
circumstances that form the setting for
an event, statement or idea, it helps
make it fully understood)

Concurrence

Body angle

17

2. Voice (Vocal Characteristics)

Look around you and you will learn a lot

Feeling of excitement, delight, exhaustion,
boredom, grief are all convey through voice

Paralanguage reflects feeling

Emphasis on certain words change the
meaning

• I need this job done right away

• He stole the money

18

9
 Qualities of a Good Voice

Alert, awake and interested

Pleasant, give a smile in your voice

Natural, straightforward language
without jargon

Enthusiastic, glad the person called or
came to visit

Distinct, easy to understand with
moderate volume and rate

Expressive, well modulated, varied tone
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Voice Characteristics

Speaking loudly, quickly Anger

Monotone and downward
Boredom
inflection
High pitch, fast rate, loud
volume, and upward Joy
Inflection

20

10
 What can you tell
from some
body’s
Voice?

21

3. Appearance

Body shape

Clothing

Dressing up and dressing down

Attractive look

22

11
 4 . Space

• Maintain the appropriate distance

• Be careful of the height impact
• Remove any object between the
speaker/listener
• Lean forward to express connection

23

Physical Space

Intimate up to 18 inches

Personal space 18 inches to 4 feet

Social space 4 feet to 8 feet

Public space 8 feet outward

24

12
 Personal Space

At work

At home

In the class room

On the bus

Invading other’s space

Special unwritten rules

Space and culture

25

5. Physical Environment

Own cubical (open space) / office

Suggest how we feel

Shapes how we communicate

Space allocation

Temperature / moisture

Proximity (other group / team)

26

13
 6. Time (Unspoken Messages)

Arrive early & leave late!

Clock watcher

Amount of time spend on certain tasks or
meeting

Punctuality

Use of time

Take time to build relationships (basis for
business)

27

Improving Non Verbal effectiveness

Monitor your non verbal behavior

Demonstrate interest in others

Be positive

Observe conventions
(personal/business)
• Dress
• Appearance
• ..

28

14
 Make sure
your body and your mind
speak the same
language

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Application Areas

Listening

Meetings

Negotiation and conflict management

Men/women von verbal communications

Office environment dealing with colleagues

Dealing with customer/client

Home environment dealing with family
members
30

15
 Improve Listening skills

 Smile, it will make a difference

 Eye contact, I am interested
 Match the speaker’s position
 Give approval signals

31

Active Listen

S Smile
O Open Posture
F Forward Lean
T Touch
E Eye Contact
N Nodding
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16
 Interviews

First moment – most critical

Getting into the interview room

Who talks first

Read the interviewers for feed back

Watch for signs of stress or tension

33

Meetings

Meeting chair

Presenter

Participant

34

17
 Negotiation

Space set up choices

Space arrangement

Express emphasis or importance by
using body language

Watch for signs of agreement and
disagreement

35

Men/Women Nonverbal
Communications

Words

Interruptions

Space

Smiles

Touching

Interaction at work

Other cultures

36

18
 Watch for Cultural
Differences

Head shaking

OK sign

?????

????

???

??

?

37

Individual Journal Excercise

Chose an individual from your office or class that is

not a member of your culture

Conduct an interview to learn about three to five
nonverbal codes that are different from yours and
make a note of them and then explain them

Together with the other individual decide on how
you could violate codes that are important to
him/her and will create misunderstanding for one of
you

Suggest what you could do to reduce
misunderstanding?

38

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Non-Verbal Action Plan

39

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