Successful Communication and Language Diversity (Part 2)
Do you want to keep improving your communication skills and create successful and meaningful connections with your team?
In the first part of this article, we discussed the diversity of languages and the importance of reviewing key elements such as words, tone of voice, and listening. Today, we continue with the fourth and fifth elements: body language and facial kinesics.
4. How do we work on body language?
Proxemics, according to Wikipedia, is defined as "the study of human use of space and the effects that population density has on behavior, communication, and social interaction, according to the degree of intimacy, age, gender, and social role."
Edward T. Hall, the American cultural anthropologist who coined the term proxemics, made significant contributions to the field of intercultural communication. He introduced the concept of "zones of proximity" or "zones of interpersonal distance" to describe how people manage physical space in social interactions, defining the following zones:
1.Intimate Zone: The closest distance, reserved for very intimate interactions with trusted individuals, such as family members or partners.
2.Personal Zone: This zone is for interactions with friends and acquaintances. The distance is greater than in the intimate zone but still involves a degree of closeness.
3.Social Zone: This is the distance maintained during interactions with more superficial acquaintances or people with whom there is less trust.
4.Public Zone: The greatest distance, reserved for situations where there is very superficial or no interaction, such as in a presentation before an audience.
These zones vary in terms of physical distance and the comfort people experience within them in different cultural and situational contexts.
Just as with proxemics, exploring kinesics or body language in team communication can provide valuable information about the feelings, attitudes, and relationships among team members, and can help improve collaboration and performance:
a) Pay attention to gestures and movements of hands, legs, head...
b) Try to identify recurring patterns in the body postures of team members (when standing, sitting, in group meetings...).
c) Observe if there is congruence between body language and the verbal discourse of different professionals.
d) Promote spaces for body awareness individually and collectively, with stretches, microbreaks, active breathing, massages, role-playing, physical exercise...
5. Do we encourage facial kinesics?
Smiling, facial expressions, and eye contact are part of facial kinesics.
Paul Ekman, a pioneering psychologist in the study of basic emotions, dedicated much of his work to the interpretation of "microexpressions" (automatic and difficult to disguise) and their relationship with lie detection and blockages.
Smiling is a common expression among humans that reflects pleasure, fun... although on occasions, it can occur due to distress or sarcasm. A genuine smile, known as a "Duchenne smile," brings many benefits, such as reducing tension, improving well-being, bringing people closer, and generating positive neurotransmitters for the body.
Eye contact is also a very powerful communicative element in our interactions. Observing more and better, fostering an appreciative and empowering gaze focused on one's own possibilities and those of others, can generate motivation and trust within our organization.
If you want to know how the Biopolis methodology can enhance these skills in your team and foster successful, healthy, and effective communication, contact us. We will offer you a customized proposal.
References:
- What Every BODY is Saying – Joe Navarro
- The Power of Effective Communication – Lair Ribeiro
- Facial Expressions of Emotion in Human and Animal – Paul Ekman
