Question

Verbal to non verbal Read the following paragraph and prepare a tree diagram using information given in the paragraph
Quite often it is your family and friends who are the only source of solace.......... .

Answer 1

Explanation:

We communicate with much more than words: when we interact with someone, our body has a language

• of its own. The way we sit, the gestures we make, the way we talk, how much eye contact we make – all

of these are non-verbal ways of communicating that impact the messages our words are sending.

Managers who are adept at dealing with negative emotions in the workplace are mindful of how and

what they communicate verbally and non-verbally. They are also receptive to the verbal and non-verbal

• messages of others. Perceptive managers can go beyond the words to discover the fuller meaning of a

statement by observing non-verbal communication.

Our verbal messaging is communicated via the words that we use. The verbal message is of course an

important part of our communication, but the way we communicate nonverbally is equally, and

sometimes more, important.

Nonverbal communication includes the following:

- Tone of voice

- Rate and volume of speech

- How we articulate our words

- Rhythm, intonation and stress placed on words

- Facial expression

- The amount of eye contact we make

- Gestures/touch

- Body language and posturing

Research shows that when we communicate feelings and attitudes, only a small percentage of our

overall message comes from the words we use.

- 55% of our message comes from body language (especially from movements of the small

muscles around the eye which can convey shock, disbelief, doubt or disgust)

- 38% of our message comes from tone of voice

- Only 7% of our message is conveyed by the words we use (Mehrabian, 2007)

It’s not what we say, but how we say it that often matters most, especially when we communicate

feelings and attitudes. Tone of voice alone can convey anger, frustration, disappointment, sarcasm,

confidence, affection or indifference.

1. Often our verbal and non-verbal messages are consistent, but they can sometimes be inconsistent. If

someone’s words conflict with their tone of voice and/or non-verbal behaviours, we often mistrust the

words and tend to believe the non-verbal clues instead. It’s not very convincing, for example, when

someone tells you they’re not angry at you, but they avoid eye contact, have an angry expression on

their face, can barely force out the words, and slam their fist on the table while saying it.