Hello all! The two nonverbal communication principles I would like to discuss are the second and sixth ones.
The second principle simply states: “when what we do and what we say are inconsistent, nonverbal communication is more likely to be believed.” (Harris/Sherblom 114) I like to think of this concept as the common saying “your actions speak louder than words”. I have seen this principle apply to many different group or team meetings; however I will discuss just one. At my job, we had a new hire. She asked one of my coworkers about some of the policies we had here. One of the things he told her that was strictly enforced was that cell phones were not aloud to be used, unless you are on your break. However, about twenty minutes he began text messaging, and the new hire saw that she was confused. So she now thinks it is okay to use her phone while on her shifts.
The sixth principle means: “the things we notice, or our perceptions of nonverbal cues, lead to meaning.” (Harris/Sherblom 115) The examples they gave surrounding this principle included: decreased distance, increase touching, relaxed posture, and etc. (Harris/Sherblom 115) I remember being forced into a small group project in class, where none of us knew one another. We turned our desks to face each other but everyone left significant space between the surrounding desks. Eventually though, as we all began talking and laughing we scooted our desks closer. This nonverbal communication definitely portrayed a positive message.
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Hi Pocahontas,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your blog. I also picked the second principle and mentioned about actions are louder than words. I think this principle is very significant because not only it applies to small group but also in any other communication contexts. You gave a great example about your work experience. It was very contradicted of him and also he set a bad example for the new hire. He is basically sending a message (nonverbally) that it is ok not to follow the policies. Your second example about the sixth principle was also very relatable because we see that happens a lot when we start a new semester. Towards the end of the semester, we can tell the classroom becomes more cohesive by looking at these nonverbal cues.
-Sogo