How can you improve interpersonal skills with nonverbal communication?

It doesn't matter what we say if how we say it doesn't capture the audience's attention. Know the tone of the room to avoid inconsistency in message delivery. The best presenters are animated and energized. There is much to be said for interjection of humor when appropriate as well. Body posturing should be open and accepting, be mindful to avoid eye rolling or head shaking as these are dismissive gestures.

Cultural context matters here. How you grow into expressing yourself nonverbally through childhood into your adult years significantly impacts the good and not so good tendencies you’ll have to be aware of. For example, if you have grown accustomed to slouching in your chair and it has never been addressed, that may be your default posture, which could easily be interpreted as carelessness. We all must be aware of our nonverbal signals whether we agree with the interpretation or not.

Learn to be conscious of your posture and body language. This will take lots of practice. It will help if you film yourself in meetings or on calls. By watching yourself you will find areas you can improve upon. Most importantly, practice, practice, practice.

1. Be present in the moment, and by that, I mean turn-off any devices you carry with you and focus on the person physically in front of you. 2. A simple smile is a universal sign of warmth and friendliness. It creates a positive atmosphere during interactions. 3. Identify any nervous habits or gestures you may have and work on controlling them. Common examples include fidgeting, nail-biting, or playing with hair, which can be distracting to others and may convey nervousness or anxiety.

Every situation is different, and you may hear something that throws you off. Do the best you can to prepare yourself to hear something outrageous. If a client tells you something extreme, the last thing you want to do is look surprised! Try to keep your facial expressions and posture neutral.

Physical mirroring is a powerful tool to build emotional empathy. It doesn't have to be extreme actions, it's something we all subconsciously do when we feel warmth to someone but it is something to dial up if you're actively wanting to build genuine connection.

Being able to read new people from afar or close-up is NOT a talent everyone can practice or especially learn. The basics, Such as this Article, they can be practiced and learned by anyone. Practice everywhere. Use your eyes first then let all your senses assess the data. Do this before reacting, or making assumptions about anyone or any situation.

Through being Mindful, you’ll be able to raise your awareness of small signals people give to acknowledge interest in what you say. It can be a slight raise of the eye brow or squinting of the eyes and, when you reach mastery, you will be able to ride the wave of the conversation creating a memorable experience. This skill, especially if you’re working in a customer facing role or with strategic accounts, is essential for unlocking mutual value. It’s how to be a Master Conversationalist.

It’s always better to stop from time to time and check in if the conversations are clear, especially when when you pick signals of disengagement. This breaks down the person’s interpretation if any negative (in case) and paves way for clarity. More often than not it’s a lot to do with perceptions and what’s going on the day. Understanding the audience and helping them get clarity is a great skill for business and personal life.

Congruence is essential - even if they don't know why, people can sense when it isn't there, when the verbal and non-verbal messages don't match up. But unless you are an incredibly skilled poker player(!) this has to be genuine too - again people may not know or be able to articulate why they don't buy into what you are saying but they will get a sense that something doesn't ring true. That's not to say we can't choose how we convey ourselves or that we can't develop greater skills and confidence in portraying a positive non-verbal communication style, but there has to be some degree of authenticity to it.

There’s disparity in people ‘Ways of Thinking’ and much of it is tired to ‘culture’. Some people’s minds are very literal and tend to use direct communication. While others have minds that are more conceptual and tend to use colourful communication. You can achieve a complete flow state during a conversation when you pay close attention to nonverbal cues. I know myself well enough to understand that I’m conceptually minded and like to use reframe statements. And when I speak to someone who’s more literal, I am careful to use more definitive language.

Invading personal space is definitely one of the biggest mistakes to make, especially after Covid, in my opinion- I just spend the time thinking how I can move away politely rather than listening to what they are saying!

Not everyone instinctively knows how to demonstrate empathy, respect and warmth in a professional setting but it doesn't mean they don't feel those things. Some colleagues, especially those who are neurodivergent, may struggle to master what society (and this AI article) would have us believe to be 'good' interpersonal skills. There's no checklist in real life to measure someone against. Just do the work to treat others how you would like to be treated and give grace in knowing you may not always get the response you desire. Colleagues' behaviour is not a criticism of you or a failure on them, it's just a difference. Internally note it and try adapt your own communication the best you can in any context to make it positive for all involved.

I agree. I work with a very diverse group of people. I often reevaluate my own thinking when picking up on nonverbal queues. Actions can occur for any number of reasons. The meaning or significance we attach to someone else's nonverbal queues could be incorrect. Instead approach the person and say hey, when I said this, you did this, and I took that to mean xyx, was that your Intent? It will give them a chance to reevaluate their behavior, perhaps broaden their perspective or yours. Either way, if both parties are willing to hear the other out, it could create trust and growth.

Understand the culture of the person you are going to talk is very essential. Some nonverbal signals may not have the same meaning with the person we are talking with. Therefore, we have to differentiate nonverbal signals accepted in our society and non accepted one in other society.