“The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said”, says Peter Drucker. We agree. Your body language speaks for you even when your words don’t. Humans can be uncannily observant subconsciously. But we can’t help it, which is what makes it even more important to be able to communicate non-verbally in an efficient manner while working within a team. But how do you even do that? We’ll show you how. 

Non-Verbal Communication

As the name suggests, non-verbal communication is when you communicate through gestures, vocal tone, facial expressions, touch, and physical appearance. It mostly rides on non-verbal cues. Non-verbal cues are behaviours that indicate your emotions and such, that you are or aren’t communicating verbally. Some examples are smiling, fidgeting, raising eyebrows, and sighing. 

Using Non-Verbal Communication to Improve Teamwork

When someone is talking, don’t only listen with your ears, listen with your body too:

If you are listening, but your body language says something else, the speaker is going to think you aren’t listening even though you are. Eyes are deceiving. An open face, eye contact, body facing the speaker, patient demeanour, and square shoulders give the impression of attentiveness. Head nods, mirrored speech and gestures will give the impression that you are completely present in the moment and listening to them.

Portray receptiveness with juniors:

Be mindful of your body language while interacting with juniors. Take care to not have a dismissive or disinterested tone. A friendly, non-critical disposition will help make your junior feel comfortable with sharing their ideas with you. Keep your stance open and don’t cross your arms or legs—this will make you look approachable and will suggest that you’re open to a conversation. Using the cues mentioned in the point above, show that you are listening at all times. Show them that you care about what they are saying. “A smile is a universal welcome”, it is said. Smiles and head nods will show agreeableness. Make them comfortable enough, and you never know, you might just find your next groundbreaking idea.

Be careful when you gesture:

Gestures are used universally, but they don’t always have universal meanings. Communication can be confusing. Especially at a workplace, where your coworkers might come from different cultures, you have to be careful with what your gestures might translate into. Mistakes can happen, since it is impossible to keep a track of all signs and symbols, but it doesn’t hurt to learn more. If a new employee joins your office and he is, say, Egyptian, you can always learn a little about Egyptian culture before you call a meeting with him. 

Adjust your body language according to whom you are speaking to:

Is your team member headstrong? Or is he pensive? Your non-verbal communication should always be tailored accordingly. Understand their purpose, setting, culture, and the expectations of the situation. For someone who is nervous, you should always have an empathetic, warm and friendly disposition. Use supportive non-verbal cues—an understanding face, soft tone, calm energy, non-confrontational body language, and reduced gesturing—which will put him at ease. 

Show disagreement calmly and peacefully: 

When things get tense in team-settings, your first move should be to diffuse the situation with a calm and patient voice, and non-confrontational body language. Your tone should be understanding, steadfast and the volume should always be low. Give them physical space and keep a respectful distance. Avoid higher decibels, demeaning tones, pointed looks, finger pointing (literally, not just figuratively) and aggressive gestures. Understand how your voice can convey different emotions—anger, sarcasm, empathy, patience and so on, and use it to your benefit to keep the situation under control. Avoid strong facial expressions like raising eyebrows, frowning or furrowing brows. 

Understand that sometimes people can’t help their body language:

As you become more aware of your body language, you will become observant of others’ non-verbal cues, too. And they may not be always perfect. But we’re all humans. We’re bound to slip up sooner or later. Be forgiving with your coworker if there’s an accidental eye-roll or sigh. There are also a hundred reasons for why someone might behave a certain way, so their actions may not be a direct reaction to you. 

At the end of the day, emotional intelligence is what matters the most. You have to be sensitive to what people don’t tell you with their words. Understanding people’s non-verbal behaviour is like a superpower. Once you master this skill, you’ll be able to read people like never before, and turn your team into a high-performing unit of emotionally well-equipped people.