Communication Skills – Key Points

Non-Verbal Communication

  • Meaning carried by: 7\% words | 38\% paralinguistic cues | 55\% facial expression (Mehrabian)
  • Key channels: facial expression, eye contact, interpersonal distance, touch, body orientation/posture, gestures, appearance

Facial Expressions

  • Convey emotions; six universal ones: surprise, fear, sadness, anger, happiness, disgust

Eye Contact

  • Frequent looking = interest/attraction
  • Prolonged staring ⇢ discomfort

Interpersonal Distance (Western norms)

  • Intimate: 0 \text{–} 45\text{ cm}
  • Personal: 45\text{ cm} \text{–} 1.2\text{ m} (≈ one arm)
  • Social: 1.2 \text{–} 2.4\text{ m}
  • Public: > 2.4\text{ m}
  • In forced closeness (lifts, trains) people avert gaze/turn away to recreate distance

Body Orientation & Posture

  • Turn toward ⇒ interest | Turn away ⇒ disinterest
  • Can signal aggression, defensiveness, tension, etc.

Gestures

  • Reinforce verbal message (e.g., head nods, hand movements)
  • Some universal; many culture-specific or impolite

Para-Language

  • Components: pitch, stress, timing, pauses, emotional tone, accent, speech errors, speed, interruptions
  • Fast speech ⇒ perceived anxiety; slow ⇒ perceived low intelligence
  • Interruptions normal but can be used to dominate; gender differences noted

Appearance

  • Instant judgements via Impression Formation
  • Untidy look ⇒ assumption of informality (Implicit Personality Theory)
  • Safer to overdress and relax later than the reverse

Active Listening

  • Purpose: accurately hear + visibly show attention
  • Behaviours: attentive posture, eye contact, minimal distractions, verbal nods ("mm-hmm"), summarising

Effective Questioning

  • Prefer open questions to explore and avoid assumptions
    • Who? • What? • Where? • When? • How? • Why? • Which?
  • Reflection: repeat speaker’s words as a question to encourage continuation
    ― "You went over to check it was working …?"
  • Closed questions (yes/no) useful for confirming specifics

Quick Recall

  • Think of non-verbal cues if communication stalls; adjust deliberately if needed
  • Active listeners: 70\% listening | 30\% talking