Bahama Times

Friday, Mar 29, 2024

How 'non-verbal communication' is going digital

How 'non-verbal communication' is going digital

We’re used to reading body language and silent cues in person. With remote work, subtle ways we communicate are changing – and workers need to know how to adapt.

Your boss’s nod or grimace, a colleague’s uncomfortable shift in a chair – when working in person, most employees have a natural understanding of these non-verbal cues: all the ways in which we communicate without words.

For the most part, our learned social skills mean most of us have some level of fluency in interpreting others’ non-verbal communication; it also means we know how to tacitly communicate ourselves. Think about, say, your inherent knowledge to smile when greeting a client, make eye contact in conversation and hold confident body language during an interview.

“If you want to influence people in a positive way, then your attitude and how you are perceived using non-verbal communication is very important,” says Mi Ridell, an expert in body language based in Stockholm, Sweden. Annemieke Meurs-Karels, a non-verbal communication expert based in the Netherlands, says people often react more to what you do than what you say, “because it communicates the underlying message ­– what you really think and feel, and your intentions”.

However, while we’ve been trained on the importance of non-verbal cues in person, in the digital workspace, this kind of communication can seem less important. Many work conversations now happen via online chats, and even video meetings can go ahead with cameras off. Yet, even when remote work doesn’t seem to include tacit cues, non-verbal communication is still happening. Take that switched-off camera, for instance: a 2022 survey of 200 executives showed that 92% of managers believed that employees who turned off their cameras during meetings were less likely to have a long-term future at their company.

The change in non-verbal communication is yet another disruption to keep up with in the new workplace – yet workers can get a boost if they understand how these subtle signals are evolving.

Non-verbal communication in the now

Non-verbal communication is a two-fold concept.

Part of the equation is how others perceive you, and the other component is how you understand others through their own non-verbal messages. It is not an exact science, since there’s plenty of ambiguity in how you might interpret someone’s signal versus how another person might, says Meurs-Karels; it often depends on your own experiences and relationship to the communicator. The same can happen to you when you’re the communicator, of course.

Yet, despite these subjective discrepancies, the experts says non-verbal cues carry a lot of meaning for both parties – and it’s important to pay attention to them in any work environment, whether in-person or remote.


Your background, the way you look at a camera – all of these are important non-verbal cues for the digital world

Parts of non-verbal communication have always existed outside face-to-face interaction, of course. For instance, these subtle signals could begin with a profile picture on a CV or job-hunting site; even deciding whether or not to add an emoji in a work group chat can change the feel of the interaction. But we tend to think about non-verbal communication more in terms of our face-to-face interactions; for instance, we search for meaning in how close colleagues sit when working together, or interpret attitudes from the firmness of a handshake.

Yet the new workplace shift in where and how we work has expanded the world of non-verbal communication in unprecedented ways.

For instance, in video calls, backgrounds can give all sorts of non-verbal information about colleagues’ lifestyles, interests and even level of professionalism. An increased reliance on text communication, such as messaging programs, has also changed where these non-verbal cues live, and how much emphasis we put on them. And plenty of the components of in-person tacit communication have made their way into the digital realm, too – body language like eye-contact, posture, gestures and facial expressions; as well personal grooming, such as the hairstyles or clothes we choose to wear to work.

Yet even as we’re recalibrating and developing the ability to read into other’s non-verbal cues in the digital space, mastering our own communication online may take practice to get right. “In the digital setting we have to think about the set-up, and accept that it’s a new way to communicate,” says Ridell. Rather than coming naturally, she says, “we have to learn some new techniques”.

Why is it important now?


While we are largely trained to interpret traditional non-verbal cues, this new-for-many communication in the digital world isn’t quite second nature.

For instance, it is not unusual to be on a video call where such rules are forgotten. Yet if a colleague positions their camera below the chin, forcing others to look up at them, “we don't like them as much as if they are on the same level”, says Ridell – the same phenomenon that happens in person. Indeed, data has shown that during video calls, factors like camera angles, distance from the camera and ability to make eye contact all impact how likeable people are perceived to be.

Eye contact particularly is positively associated with likeability, social presence and interpersonal attraction. Yet making eye-contact on a video call requires us to go against our natural instincts. “The brain wants to look at the face [on the screen]” says Ridell, “but you have to learn to look in the camera when it’s your turn to speak.”

So, glossing over the importance of tacit communication in a remote environment can have ramifications – employees giving off signals of disengagement, say, or lacking the appearance of professionalism with a certain video-call background.

We wouldn’t sit in a board meeting with a bag over our heads. We have to learn new rules to avoid being rude – Mi Ridell


But there’s also an upside of considering non-verbal behaviour, just like you would in person: simple non-verbal gestures like leaning in instead of slouching back, or visibly smiling when someone makes a joke during an online meeting, can help show engagement and foster connections. Gestures such as turning the camera on can also be a question of politeness. “We wouldn’t sit in a board meeting with a bag over our heads,” says Ridell. “We have to learn new rules to avoid being rude.”

In the same way using a clear photo of your face with an open expression, instead of an empty avatar photo on a chat channel, may feel like a small gesture but can help build affinity, even with colleagues you haven’t met in person. “Seeing a picture can make you feel the person is more trustworthy,” says Ridell. That is not to say that you have to be constantly showing your own face with colleagues – a well-timed emoji or gif in a group chat can also have a powerful impact on others, and help to build a friendly, inclusive atmosphere.

In the digital landscape, maintaining strong relationships is not a given, but making an effort to engage in non-verbal communication can help. “A lot of useful contact with employees, colleagues and clients happens through non-verbal communication because it’s a way to read each other’s emotions,” says Meurs-Karels. "In the digital world where people are sitting by themselves all day, it's even more important to see what's going on with each other.”

‘The need to be able to understand each other won't go away’


Ultimately, non-verbal communication may feel like more effort in the digital world, but workers can reap rewards in terms of how well others perceive them, and help foster genuine connections.

Making a deliberate effort might mean spending a few minutes taking a professional-looking profile photo, making sure your camera is at the right height before a meeting starts or sprinkling a few positive emojis in a group chat. Seemingly small gestures can have a large impact, says Ridell, helping workers “be more alive in a digital context and to show some passion and compassion”.

In a new world where workers can struggle to decode each other, and where isolation can thrive, being willing to engage non-verbally makes it easier to understand others and to be understood.

Good non-verbal communication means being willing to share something of yourself, and paying attention to others – much as you might in real life. Developing these skills in the digital world can reap long-term rewards for teams and individuals. “Society now is moving more online and away from face-to-face communication,” says Meurs-Karels. “But the need to be able to understand each other won't go away.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

Bahama Times
0:00
0:00
Close
Paper straws found to contain long-lasting and potentially toxic chemicals - study
FTX's Bankman-Fried headed for jail after judge revokes bail
Blackrock gets half a trillion dollar deal to rebuild Ukraine
Israel: Unprecedented Civil Disobedience Looms as IDF Reservists Protest Judiciary Reform
America's First New Nuclear Reactor in Nearly Seven Years Begins Operations
Southeast Asia moves closer to economic unity with new regional payments system
Today Hunter Biden’s best friend and business associate, Devon Archer, testified that Joe Biden met in Georgetown with Russian Moscow Mayor's Wife Yelena Baturina who later paid Hunter Biden $3.5 million in so called “consulting fees”
Singapore Carries Out First Execution of a Woman in Two Decades Amid Capital Punishment Debate
Google testing journalism AI. We are doing it already 2 years, and without Google biased propoganda and manipulated censorship
Unlike illegal imigrants coming by boats - US Citizens Will Need Visa To Travel To Europe in 2024
Musk announces Twitter name and logo change to X.com
The politician and the journalist lost control and started fighting on live broadcast.
The future of sports
Unveiling the Black Hole: The Mysterious Fate of EU's Aid to Ukraine
Farewell to a Music Titan: Tony Bennett, Renowned Jazz and Pop Vocalist, Passes Away at 96
Alarming Behavior Among Florida's Sharks Raises Concerns Over Possible Cocaine Exposure
Transgender Exclusion in Miss Italy Stirs Controversy Amidst Changing Global Beauty Pageant Landscape
Joe Biden admitted, in his own words, that he delivered what he promised in exchange for the $10 million bribe he received from the Ukraine Oil Company.
TikTok Takes On Spotify And Apple, Launches Own Music Service
Global Trend: Using Anti-Fake News Laws as Censorship Tools - A Deep Dive into Tunisia's Scenario
Arresting Putin During South African Visit Would Equate to War Declaration, Asserts President Ramaphosa
Hacktivist Collective Anonymous Launches 'Project Disclosure' to Unearth Information on UFOs and ETIs
Typo sends millions of US military emails to Russian ally Mali
Server Arrested For Theft After Refusing To Pay A Table's $100 Restaurant Bill When They Dined & Dashed
The Changing Face of Europe: How Mass Migration is Reshaping the Political Landscape
China Urges EU to Clarify Strategic Partnership Amid Trade Tensions
Europe is boiling: Extreme Weather Conditions Prevail Across the Continent
The Last Pour: Anchor Brewing, America's Pioneer Craft Brewer, Closes After 127 Years
Democracy not: EU's Digital Commissioner Considers Shutting Down Social Media Platforms Amid Social Unrest
Sarah Silverman and Renowned Authors Lodge Copyright Infringement Case Against OpenAI and Meta
Italian Court's Controversial Ruling on Sexual Harassment Ignites Uproar
Why Do Tech Executives Support Kennedy Jr.?
The New York Times Announces Closure of its Sports Section in Favor of The Athletic
BBC Anchor Huw Edwards Hospitalized Amid Child Sex Abuse Allegations, Family Confirms
Florida Attorney General requests Meta CEO's testimony on company's platforms' alleged facilitation of illicit activities
The Distorted Mirror of actual approval ratings: Examining the True Threat to Democracy Beyond the Persona of Putin
40,000 child slaves in Congo are forced to work in cobalt mines so we can drive electric cars.
BBC Personalities Rebuke Accusations Amidst Scandal Involving Teen Exploitation
A Swift Disappointment: Why Is Taylor Swift Bypassing Canada on Her Global Tour?
Historic Moment: Edgars Rinkevics, EU's First Openly Gay Head of State, Takes Office as Latvia's President
Bye bye democracy, human rights, freedom: French Cops Can Now Secretly Activate Phone Cameras, Microphones And GPS To Spy On Citizens
The Poor Man With Money, Mark Zuckerberg, Unveils Twitter Replica with Heavy-Handed Censorship: A New Low in Innovation?
Unilever Plummets in a $2.5 Billion Free Fall, to begin with: A Reckoning for Misuse of Corporate Power Against National Interest
Beyond the Blame Game: The Need for Nuanced Perspectives on America's Complex Reality
Twitter Targets Meta: A Tangle of Trade Secrets and Copycat Culture
The Double-Edged Sword of AI: AI is linked to layoffs in industry that created it
US Sanctions on China's Chip Industry Backfire, Prompting Self-Inflicted Blowback
Meta Copy Twitter with New App, Threads
The New French Revolution
BlackRock Bitcoin ETF Application Refiled, Naming Coinbase as ‘Surveillance-Sharing’ Partner
×