Nonverbal communication can be more telling sometime of our actual thoughts that the words we speak. It is a crucial part of the way we communicate yet it is often neglected. Nonverbal communication includes such things as eye contact, facial expressions, posture, and hand gestures. Even though, we primarily focus on our verbal message our nonverbal message is the first thing other see. In Communicating in the Workplace it states that “nonverbal messages are sent in advance of verbal messages. Before you even open your mouth, your facial expressions, your clothes, your walk, your body posture, your skin color, your hairstyle, etc. are communicating much about you” (Cheesebro, O'Connor, & Rios, 2010, p. 89). When we speak we are also nonverbally communicating whether we want to or not. That is why it is so important that our nonverbal message is aligned with what we are actually saying. If the two do not match then our message can be misinterpreted or lost completely to our audience.
Your message can come across as negative or positive depending on how it is communicated. For it to come across as needed it must be presented in a way that is easy to understand for your listeners. It seems that as we technologically advance our communications skills have declined. According to Cheesebro, O'Connor, and Rios (2010), “a more common concern is our lack of clarity and purposefulness when we speak rather than our inability to communicate both verbally and nonverbally”(p. 80). Today not only are most young children not able to verbally communicate but their writing skills are atrocious. Shorthand communication used in texting is becoming the norm. This form of nonverbal communication is promoting ignorance in basic writing skills and promoting things like bad spelling and grammar.
A very important part of nonverbal communication is eye contact. Not only can