Why Non-verbal Communication is Important? Especially for a business organisation, non-verbal cues add to the meaning of a verbal message. The ability to touch, hug, pat on the shoulder, smile and nod during face-to-face interaction add more weight to the messages that participants share. This is especially true during conflict resolution, signing of contracts and promotion meetings.
Non-verbal cues are also used to regulate verbal communication. During business meetings, nodding, raising of hands and silence are employed in regulating turn-taking. Furthermore, shifted attention, getting out of the chair and packing papers or folders can signal end of a conversation. In some cases, they can substitute for verbal messages. This is usually in an office where people have developed and successfully internalised some non- verbal codes for sending and receiving messages without talking or writing.
Non-verbal Communication have meaningful effect on communication in any business environment. For example, the dressing of a worker, his or her facial expression, attitude, posture, hairstyles and tone (voice) can influence the perception of the customers or clients, their decision to do business with the organisation and loyalty after the first meeting.
Therefore, it is important that managers and workers in general learn to use and manage their non-verbal cues effectively. Because these non- verbal signals are usually culture-specific, their interpretations and meanings can create conflicts and misunderstanding in a business environment. In the light of this, everybody in an organisation must identify the major sub-cultures in such an organisation, learn their non-verbal signals and use them appropriately when communication.
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