Nonverbal Communication Skills

Having the ability to communicate well with others is important to our personal growth and professional success. To communicate effectively we have to have to have not just verbal communication skills but nonverbal as well, or interpersonal communication skills. Having effective communication skills are essential to social interactions. Many people are not effective communicators due to their lack of interpersonal communication skills. Interpersonal communication skills allow us to listen, negotiate and resolve conflict, influence decisions and actions, and to be empathetic to others.
Nonverbal communication is one of the most powerful tools we can use to interpret our message. Nonverbal communication can not only reveal unspoken messages, …show more content…
The ways we move, react, look and listen tell how well we are listening. The nonverbal signals can produce a sense of interest or trust or they could send signals of disinterest, distrust, or even confusion.
When people mention the conversational clichés where the atmosphere can be cut with a knife, there is an uncomfortable silence or looks could kill, nonverbal communication is to blame. A comforting lull in conversation, excitement in the air or love at first sight prove nonverbal cues are both negative and positive. Situations like these are exceptional, but nonverbal communication as a whole makes up the majority of the message conveyed between two …show more content…
Excitement and fear can physically alter the state of the pupil. Another sometimes unconscious element of eye behavior is the movement of the eye and eye contact. When someone wants to avoid conversation, they avert their eyes. When being spoken to, people should keep eye contact for over half the conversation, but when speaking, intense eye contact can be intimidating.

Appearance is an important element in nonverbal communication, as well. Someone who cares little about their appearance will not be taken as seriously as someone who is meticulous in grooming. Though appearance is in part a personality trait, posture combined with appearance can contribute greatly to the interpretation of someone’s appearance. Space, in relation to appearance can be interpreted differently, too. Some people try to purposefully intimidate others by stepping into their personal space; others need more personal space than