In the end, a company's biggest asset is its workforce.
In order to maximize their output, it is crucial that they are treated carefully. The significance of nonverbal communication in businesses is highlighted in the article by Emma Seppalla on "Giving Feedback." Although the author uses credible studies from other researchers to support her claims, there is very little citation of these sources. Despite this flaw, the author's high degree of experience in this field may be seen by the fact that she has a Ph.D. and serves as the Science Director for the Center of Compassion and Altruism (Seppella, 2017).
Qualitative research technique and target audience
In the article, she uses qualitative research technique to analyze findings already made in previous studies. The author's target audience is middle and top level management of an organization.
The importance of communication and non-verbal cues
According to the author, communication is an effective tool that can help reinforce a positive work culture if effectively utilized. Superiors should pay close attention to their body language when interacting with their subordinates (Pease & Barbara, 2004). In agreement with the writer, I believe that there are two major categories of communication used in every workplace; verbal and non-verbal communication. While verbal communication between people is quite easy to interpret, non-verbal communication can be quite challenging. It is therefore vital that managers and employees focus on their use of non-verbal cues since a similar expression could be interpreted differently by a group of people.
Forms of non-verbal communication
There are several forms of non-verbal communication utilized in organizations either between employees as well as employees and third parties. Seppella (2017) identifies five major ways of using non verbal communication. These include; facial expressions, breathe, eye contact, voice, attention and posture. It is important that managers exude appropriate body language when issuing instructions to employees so as to avoid conflicts in the work place.
Mismatched non-verbal cues and its impacts
On several occasions, non verbal cues do not necessarily match inner feelings and emotions. In the workplace for instance, employees are fond of masking their faces by giving facial expressions that tend to match the atmosphere within the organization (Ethos.com, n.d). While this tactic is used quite often, the overall effect is a mismatch of interests as employees are forced to undertake duties that they have very little interest on. I concur with the writer that this could eventually result into absenteeism and high employee turnover thereby impacting employee productivity and overall organizational performance. Certain forms of non-verbal cues, e.g voice and tone often times depict a person's inner emotions and might be quite hard to hide. Employees' past experience within and outside the organization always trigger emotions that inherently alter their feelings. When these emotions are not effectively interpreted, they could affect an employee's relationship with colleagues. As suggested by Seppella, it is vital that organizations adopt a culture of empathy to be able to deal effectively with different employee issues.
Bureaucratic organizations and misinterpretation of non-verbal cues
Bureaucratic organizations provide a vital example on why incorrect interpretation of non-verbal cues is hazardous not just to employees but also to those around them. In most bureaucratic institutions, employees tend to adhere to strict rules and guidelines that are issued to govern their roles in the organizations (Pease & Barbara, 2004). Managers in such organizations are often tight faced people who do not take any nonsense from employees. In a bid to please their masters, employees tend to adopt similar facial expressions so as to receive additional favors. In these environments, employees are not allowed to express their emotions as this is often associated with physical weakness. Even when assigned very challenging tasks at their lowest points, employees will attempt to handle such roles with care only to end up with poorly finished tasks. Such form of bureaucracy is evident in the police service; and the result is an increase in the number of police homicides and suicides.
The importance of empathy and understanding non-verbal cues
Organizational leaders, who are the main target audience of this article, should readily adopt the proposals made by the author. They should create an environment that encourages open communication by allowing employees to freely express to the world what is within them (Pease & Barbara, 2004). The above example indicates what a lack of empathy and failure to correctly interpret non-verbal cues could do to employees. Owing to the fact that employees are an organization's greatest resource, the author postulates that institutional leaders should adopt proper mechanisms to help understand non-verbal communication. Just like the author, I believe that a manager's top priority should be to instill confidence in his/her employees. Every communication between a person in authority and his subordinates should be built on bringing kindness and compassion to those involved (Seppella, 2017). The article provides managers with great insights on how to understand and handle non verbal cues from employees. I would also like to note that it is important for every leader to remember that the unspoken word sinks deeper into one's being than the spoken; therefore, listen more to the unspoken and respond appropriately to build trust in employees.
References
Ethos.com. (n.d). The importance of Non-verbal communication. Retrieved from https://www.ethos3.com/speaking-tips/the-importance-of-non-verbal-communication/
Pease, A. & Barbara, P. (2004). The Definitive Book of Body Language. New York, NY: Bantam.
Seppella, E. (2017). Giving Feedback: When Giving Critical Feedback, Focus on your Non-verbal Cues. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2017/01/when-giving-critical-feedback-focus-on-your-nonverbal-cues
