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BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

PROJECT REPORT
ISSUES OF VERBAL AND NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

GROUP NO. 6
M V ROOPA DATTA 398
MADHAV MAHAJAN 399
MANAS VASHISTHA 400
MAYUR DHURVE 401
MOHAMMED OWAIS 402
TABLE OF CONTENTS

S.No Topic of Discussion Page Number

1 Acknowledgement 2

2 Executive Summary: Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication 3

3 Purpose and Scope 4

4 Introduction to the Project 5

5 Literature Review 6

6 Methodology 7

7 Data Analysis and Findings (with Relevant Examples) 8

8 Conclusion 12

9 Recommendations 13

10 Limitations 14

11 Appendix 15

12 References 21

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to Prof. Archana Parashar for guiding us through
our project. Her pedagogy through lectures, videos, and interactive sessions made the classes
exciting, and we were able to decipher the minute differences between Verbal and Non-Verbal
Communication. She showed us the right path of learning and helped us take and work with a
pragmatic approach on this project. Her constant support and motivation led to the successful
completion of this project.

Also, we would thank the Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode for devising a beautiful
course through which we could learn and simultaneously apply the learnings starting with the
class itself. Besides, we are grateful to our parents for motivating us at every juncture. And
special thanks to the people surveyed for taking some time from their precious schedule and
supporting us in carrying out the project.

- GROUP 6

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Verbal communication refers to anything conveyed through words, and non-verbal


communication refers to communication without using words. Verbal communication
generally involves communicating orally or in written, whereas non-verbal communication
includes facial expression, body language, haptics and whatnot. As evident through the
Mehrabian study that a person communicates 65% non-verbally. But, are people aware of this
fact?

With a purpose to have an understanding of this topic, we designed an online survey of 100+
people and interviewed around 50+ people either face to face, or via standard calling, or
through video calls. The project doesn’t restrict to the findings itself but has insight from
various research, including but not limited to the Mehrabian study.

An online survey conducted in this project shows that 63.9% of the people are moderately
aware of this subject. Still, we can’t rely on this as human behaviour doesn’t allow one to show
themselves as less educated. As per the findings of interviews and noting their expressions, it
could be inferred that around 26% of the people are moderate on this. But evidently, people
prefer face-to-face interaction followed by standard calling, then video calling, and lastly,
Mailing/Texting. This proves the comfort level people find in face-to-face interaction because
non-verbal communication plays a massive role. A person’s body language, eye contact, hand
gestures, etc., plays a crucial role while defining one’s personality.

The project even talks about various incidents where Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication
has played a significant role in framing an image of the brand.

• One such incident is of Monkey Gate which talks about the India-Australia Test series in
Sydney 2008, wherein off spinner Harbhajan Singh called Andrew Symonds a monkey. It took
a disastrous turn due to the body language of Harbhajan, which Symonds misinterpreted.

• Another such incident is Idea Internet Network, which displayed an ad of a boy learning via
the internet and termed that as a university, namely IIN. Idea had to face a tremendous
backlash due to this advertisement as it was depicted incorrectly. Here, verbal communication
played a role major role. So, these incidents are tried to show how verbal and non-verbal
communication can lead to serious repercussions.

There are a bit of limitation as well of both the modes of communication. To mention a few,
verbal communications can be irrelevant at times, might take longer to convey a message,
written communication has some expenses involved with it such as paper costing, and no
rectification can be made once words are delivered through mouth or after mail is sent.
Similarly, non-verbal communication even has certain limitations, such as it is ambiguous, i.e.,
different gestures have different meanings in different cultures; it is vague and not precise; also,
it can’t be stored.

Having noted all the research, studied our own survey, and going through the limitations, we
can conclude that communication involves the words spoken through the mouth, but 65% is
communicated through body language and non-verbal. A person should balance everything
while communicating, be it their words, tone of speech, body language, hand gestures, or
whatnot. All this comprises to form one’s personality.

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PURPOSE AND SCOPE
The project's primary aim is to ensure the successful development of the understanding of
Verbal and Non Verbal communication. The task will involve:

(a) designing a structure including but not limited to reviewing the information related to
the factors relevant to understand verbal and non-verbal communication,

(b) conducting primary market research for the project, developing a suitable analytical
model, structuring a feasible methodology, conducting scenario analysis, and presenting
conclusions concerning critical factors related to the communication; and

(c) implementing the literature review about the assigned topic, including but not limited
to the research papers of verbal and non-verbal communications. We anticipate that the
process will include building a concrete database that will lead to a clear understanding of the
differentiation and importance which will help form a long-term improvement base.

The scope of the assignment is the analysis of Verbal and non-verbal communication.
Generally, there are a large number of different verbal communication skills. They range from
the obvious, i.e., speaking clearly, or listening, to the more subtle such as reflecting and
clarifying. While we typically focus on the speech while talking about verbal communication,
it is crucial to remember, writing is also a form of verbal communication. Effective speaking
involves three main areas: the words you choose, how you say them, and how you reinforce
them with other non-verbal communication. When we are communicating out loud, we usually
can address misunderstandings as they arise because we are there in person, participating in a
conversation.

When we talk about 'communication,' we often mean ‘what we say: the words we use’.
However, interpersonal communication is more than the explicit meaning of words and the
information or message. It also includes the implicit messages, whether intentional or not,
expressed through non-verbal behaviours. We have already employed a little bit of nonverbal
communication with the active listening skills, we have previously discussed: nodding, facial
expressions, leaning toward the speaker to show interest—all of those are forms of nonverbal
communication. Body language can reinforce our spoken message, or it can contradict it
entirely. Non-verbal communication has facial expressions, gestures displayed through body
language (kinesics), the tone and pitch of the voice, and physical distance between the
communicators (proxemics). These non-verbal signals can give clues, additional information,
and meaning over and above spoken (verbal) communication.

Additionally, it involves touching, like shaking an audience member's hand and putting a hand
on their shoulder. These are nonverbal cues that may affect the success of our message. Touch
communicates affection, but it also displays power. Making and maintaining eye contact with
the listeners when we are verbally speaking or listening to sounds to the other party interested
in and engaged in conversation.

Good eye contact conveys the trait of honesty to the other party. Appearance includes our
clothing, hair, and jewellery are also a part of nonverbal communication. If someone puts a
dachshund pin on their lapel each morning (because they have a pet dachshund), that says
something about them as a person. Similarly, the quality and condition of their clothing, how
it fits, if it's appropriate for the season—all of these things speak nonverbally about them as a
communicator. Indeed, estimates suggest that around 70 to 80% of communication is non-
verbal! Nonverbal communication reveals a lot about us as a communicator and how we relate
to the other people. It is fruitful to be aware of the elements of our nonverbal communication
so we can maximize the impact of our message.
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INTRODUCTION

Verbal communication is arguably the most apparent and well-understood method of


communication, and it is unquestionably a powerful weapon in your arsenal. Simply put, verbal
communication is the exchange of information between two people via the use of words. Oral
communication is a breath of fresh air in a world where we communicate primarily through
email and text. We can use the power of verbal communication to build relationships with our
audience. When you interact with them, you can generate a rapport and a sense of trust. Spoken
communication helps you to connect with your audience on a deeper emotional level.

By addressing concerns and clarifying misconceptions, spoken communication makes it


simpler to assure comprehension. Further, based on the response you receive from your
audience, you may change your message as you deliver it. You may leave a conversation with
a better degree of assurance that your message was heard if you use spoken communication.
With the active listening skills we previously mentioned, we've already used some nonverbal
communication: nodding, facial expressions, and leaning toward the speaker to demonstrate
attention are all examples of nonverbal communication. Your body language can support as
well as contradict your verbal statement. There's a misconception that just 35 percent of your
communication is vocal, and 65 percent is nonverbal when you talk. That isn't entirely
accurate because so much relies on the situation and context.

This project aims to identify the issues that arise in the corporate structure within verbal and
non-verbal communication. We conducted primary research of over 100+ respondents through
the online medium of questionnaires and 50+ respondents through the offline medium of
personal interviews and face to face interactions to determine which mode of communication
they would prefer based on different situations. The main objective of our project would be to
derive a conclusion as to what the future and aspiring managers and the already established
professionals prefer in terms of their communication mediums and how they think it will
impact the corporate scenario. Furthermore, we have also incorporated data visualization
techniques for the responses received and depicted the results further.

To explore every aspect of these two modes, we asked questions from our respondents through
the following channels:

• Questionnaire
• Video Calling
• Personal Meeting
• Normal Calling
• Personal Messaging

Due to the restrictions offered by the pandemic, we tried exploring the above options to gain
an insight into the issues raised by the respondents. Conducting personal interviews with the
respondents enabled us to have a face-to-face interaction with them and interpret their
behaviour and facial expressions when they responded to our questions. These non-verbal
expressions proved that every individual has a subconscious reaction to everything, usually
expressed through such modes of unspoken communication. Going further, we researched
various instances of the past that indicate the outcomes of failed verbal/non-verbal
communication and how it impacted the corporations and the people involved. We have
discussed some of these instances further in our project report under the Data Analysis and
Findings Section and our Group Presentation.

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LITERATURE REVIEW

In 1507, Leonardo da Vinci uncovered his now unique artistic creation, Mona Lisa.
Concentrated by numerous and known by all, this artwork was the principal study to take a
gander at non-verbal communication. It interests countless individuals because the composition
is so unpredictable, actually like non-verbal communication. The fascinating part of this work
of art is Mona's grin. This grin depicts something beyond one feeling. Likewise, Mona's look
follows the watcher regardless of the point she is seen from. There are numerous implications
and feelings stowed away in this image, which is why it is ostensibly the most famous painting
on the planet (Riding, 2005, lines 4-6).

In his book, The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, Charles Darwin (1872)
took a gander at how our feelings express our sentiments and considerations. Through his many
investigations, Darwin had the option to demonstrate that our demeanours of feelings depict
more than words. Darwin contemplated the eyes, nose, arms, voice, and numerous body
highlights to check a connection between non-verbal communication and others' insights.
Regularly, our facial highlights connect with our manner of speaking to communicate a specific
inclination, "The pitch of the voice bears some connection to specific conditions of feeling is
decently clear" (Darwin, 1872, p. 303). This being valid, one can, without much of a stretch,
since another's feeling, like cheerful moods, by just zeroing in on the implicit word:

An upbeat person, however may not grin, generally shows some inclination to withdraw the
sides of his mouth. From the energy of joy, the dissemination turns out to be faster; the eyes
are splendid, and the shade of the face rises. The cerebrum, being animated by the expanded
progression of blood, responds to the psychological forces; exuberant thoughts pass even more
quickly through the brain. The expressions of warmth are warmed (Darwin, 1872, p. 696-697).

Darwin guarantees that our feelings are unpredictably interwoven with our entire body. Our
feelings, psyche, and body function as one to convey messages to others. Individuals use non-
verbal communication to assist with driving cooperation and keep others locked in. In any case,
what happens when our non-verbal communication isn't something similar to "language" as
somebody from another country? This represents an issue in the public eye as well as in
homerooms too. Educators are being asked increasingly more to make an environment of
inclusivity to oblige for different populaces, including sex, identity, religion, and capacity.
Debra Piton et al. (1993) expressed instructors must give the ideal instructive experience every
day, and this experience should incorporate non-verbal communication for some reasons:

By fusing the investigation of nonverbal messages into pre-administration examines,


instructors can all the more promptly assist understudies with becoming conscious of culture,
identity, and sexual orientation as significant factors in regular daily existence. This will
likewise help understudies, as they will profit with an expanded enthusiasm for variety when
they accept their future jobs as guardians, educators, local area pioneers, associates,
managers, and residents. Comprehensive schooling should work with the progressions in the
environment essential to guarantee continuous change, and information on socially explicit
nonverbal correspondence examples can improve this cycle.

Educators will likely assist their understudies with being dynamic members locally and in the
public arena. To do as such, understudies should have the option to comprehend verbal and
nonverbal correspondence signals as they relate, starting with one individual and one set then
onto the next.

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METHODOLOGY
This project has been carried out after thorough understandings of classroom lectures, books,
etc., and then further applying those learnings. Existing researches on the topic were taken into
consideration while working on the project. An extensive study of these existing research and
material from books opened our horizons to understand the subject better and aided us in
conducting surveys.

We performed an online survey through Google Forms and covered a diversity of people based
on their gender, age, experience in the corporate industry to gauge their knowledge on the
subject. People were asked their preferred mode of communication to know their preference
amongst face-to-face interaction, standard calling, video calling, or mailing/texting. People
were even asked to rate themselves based on usage of various factors of non-verbal
communication, including body language, eye contact, hand gestures, facial expression,
proxemics, and voice modulation.

As it is a human tendency to judge others, a question was put there regarding the factors people
use to evaluate others; these included Confidence in Speech (Delivery), Clear and Concise
Communication, Being a Good Listener, and Clarity of Thought. And situational analysis
can be better in understanding one's perspective clearly, so a situation was given to them to
judge whether they would prefer verbal or non-verbal communication in that scenario. This
situation was such that "you are the Recruiter of a big MNC and your nephew has applied for
a Job Role in the firm but has been rejected by the Senior Management. How would you like to
respond to him?" People were to choose whether they would personally inform him about the
rejection or ask one of the colleagues in the recruitment team to inform him.

In addition to this online survey, few interviews were conducted using different modes of
communication such as offline interviews, standard calls, and video calls. The questions were
on similar lines, but it had a great experience. Like in the online survey, it was noted that 63.9%
of the people rated themselves as moderate in the knowledge of verbal and non-verbal
communication. But, on asking further questions, we could judge their facial expressions and
body language, which helped us gauge their understanding of the topic. We ourselves got a
better understanding of the topic with the help of this survey. The consolidated data of online
and offline survey was used to draw some inferences.

Some real-life incidents are even quoted in the project. To quote them, one was of Monkey
Gate in Harbhajan Singh had said 'monkey' to Andrew Simonds during the India-Australia
test series in 2008. It took a disastrous turn due to the non-verbal behaviour of off-spinner
Harbhajan Singh. Another such incident quoted is that of IIN wherein a boy is shown to study
through the internet and thus has termed it as Idea Internet Network. The idea had to face a
huge backlash from the advertising agency because it depicted wrong information; this
incidence signifies how verbal communication can take a drastic turn.

The existing researches, surveys conducted, and incidents quoted were analysed properly to
draw some conclusions out of it. It was observed that a person has to be smart enough with
their looks, body language, hand gestures, words, etc., to have a good personality. Verbal and
non-verbal communication are both important in one's life and have to be taken care of
everything while communicating.

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DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS

ANALYSIS OF THE RESPONSES RECEIVED

1. Awareness of Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication, Annexure 1.3

Purpose:
This question aimed to understand the actual level of awareness among people about types of
communication.

Result:
Out of the total participants following data was obtained –

1. 26.9 Percent of the total participants were highly aware of Verbal and Non-Verbal
Communication.
2. 63.9 Percent of the total participants were moderately aware of Verbal and Non-Verbal
Communication.
3. 6.7 Percent of the total participants were aware but weren’t able to completely distinguish the
difference between Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication.
4. 2.5 Percent of the total participants were poorly aware of the types of Communication.

Inference:
According to the data collected majority of the participants were moderately aware of verbal and non-
verbal communication, but through the observation, during interviews, we can put forth the fact that
people generally rate them higher when asked about a set of qualities or knowledge they actually possess
so there is a possibility that moderately aware people might be less than 63.9 Percent.

2. Preferable Mode of Communication, Annexure 1.4

Purpose:
With the various existing mode of communication our aim to include this question was to gauge the
preferences of the modes of communication. The answers of the questions were option based.

Result:
The Table represents Percentage (%) of participants who votes for the particular categories according
to their 1st ,2nd ,3rd and 4th choices respectively.

Inference:
Due to pandemic the dependence on video calls has increased massively through our surveys
and interviews we deduced that majority of the people now prefer to have face to face
interactions. The Covid norms might be a contributing factor in majority decision. Further, a
Decent number of participants prefer voice calling thus we can conclude that even in verbal
communication people prefer spoken communication over written.

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3. Most Frequently Used Factors of Non-Verbal Communication, Annexure 1.5

Purpose:
The questions attempt to generate data on how frequent factors of non-verbal communication
are used. Following are the factors of non-verbal communication on which ratings were
recorded from 1 to 6 (1 being the Most Frequent).

Result:
The Table represents 6 major factors of non-verbal communication and the rating of how
frequently they are used on a scale of 1 to 6. The data given is in percentage (%) of participants
who voted according to their personal preferences.

Inference:
It's critical to have not only good speaking abilities, but also an acute comprehension of non-
verbal clues that accompany discussion, if someone want to build a successful relationship.
Nonverbal communication is mostly emotional in nature, which means it is spontaneous and
impossible to imitate. One will gain an edge if you are aware of, and even control, the even
some of nonverbal communication.

4. Factors of Verbal Communication Used to Comprehend the Speaker’s Personality,


Annexure 1.6

Purpose:
The question tried to get an idea of the traits possessed by an effective speaker. The survey
asked the participants to choose the most important personality traits out of 4 given options.

Result:
• Most Important Factor based on Responses: Clarity of Thought ~ 69.7%
• 2nd Most Important Factor based on Responses: Confidence in Speech Delivery ~ 68.1
• 3rd Most Important Factor based on Responses: Clear and Concise Communication ~ 63.9%
• Lowest Rated Factor based on Responses: Being a Good Listener ~ 56.3%

Inference:
In the results of the survey it was observed that listening was comparatively considered a less
important trait of a good communicator whereas listening is as important as any other trait of
an effective communicator. There are various benefits to learning how to listen well. First and
foremost, effective listening can assist you in becoming a better student. Second, good listening
can help you improve your interpersonal interactions. Third, effective listening can make others
think you're smarter. Finally, good listening can help you become a better public speaker.

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5. Preferred Mode of Communication in Times of Crisis/Discomfort, Annexure 1.7

Purpose:
Through the last question of our questionnaire, we have aimed to find out which particular
mode of communication does a person prefer in times of crisis or discomfort. With this we can
establish how an uneasy situation can impact the preferred way of conveying one’s message
and up to what extent.

Result:
Through our research we infer that 65.5% of the respondents would prefer responding to the
situation by taking a personal communication route. Considering the closeness of the relation
with the candidate, more than 50% of the people personally interviewed also preferred
informing the candidate about his/her rejection by taking a verbal and direct communication
route instead of bringing in a third person. This is indeed contrary to our expectations.

Inference:
While conducting the research, we were of the view that a majority of people might not be
comfortable in coming face to face with the ugly side of such a situation. However, the
responses that came our way have ensured that as the awareness of verbal and non-verbal
communication rises and people become more responsive to its limitations, they are able to
take an informed decision and thus, are able to understand that which type of situation demands
what type of communication method.

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RELEVANT EXAMPLES FROM THE PAST

1. Monkey-Gate Scandal 2008, Annexure 1.8

Issue:
The 'Monkey Gate Scandal' refers to a verbal confrontation between Andrew Symonds and
Harbhajan Singh during an India-Australia Test Series in Sydney in 2008, during which the
off-spinner allegedly called Symonds, a 'Monkey.' Harbhajan moved all the way over to the
other side of the wicket and exchanged a few words with Symonds, which appeared to be
perfectly normal in real-time. Chaos ensued quickly, and within seconds of the duo's verbal
altercation, on-field umpire Mark Benson had some harsh words for Harbhajan, who appeared
baffled on camera.
Outcome:
In the immediate aftermath of the match, match referee Mike Procter concluded after a four-
hour hearing that Harbhajan had broken Level 3 of the ICC's Code of Conduct and imposed a
three-test suspension on the Indian off-spinner. However, the Indian team management, clearly
unhappy with the verdict, initially threatened to pull out of the tour before appealing against
the ban. Following that, an official court hearing was held in Adelaide's Federal Court building
and the three-match suspension was overturned, and the off-spinner was instead given a one-
match suspension.
Inference:
The incident goes on to show how non-verbal communication can have a huge impact on the
receiver. Even though the speaker did not intend to convey any racist remark to the receiver,
the speaker's facial expressions and body language convinced the receiver to interpret the
same in the opposite direction. One's body language significantly impacts the way others
interpret what you say.

2. Idea IIN (Idea Internet Network) Controversy 2014, Annexure 1.9

Issue:
The IDEA Cellular Network had rolled out an advertisement in 2014 which featured its
network promoting IIN - Idea Internet Network. However, a close look at the advertisement
reveals that the full form of IIN was only revealed at the end of the advertisement. During the
advertisement, IIN was drawn parallel to an IIM or an IIT, and the protagonist of the
advertisement was shown being offered IIN as an alternative to the institutes mentioned above.
Outcome:
125 complaints against misleading advertising efforts by big corporations such as Idea Cellular
were upheld by the Advertising Standard Council of India (ASCI) in February 2015. These
businesses are hell-bent on deceiving consumers with deceptive advertising. Idea Cellular's
Idea Internet Network (IIN) earned the most complaints from ASCI, implying that the
product/service is an alternative to higher education. According to ASCI's latest findings, the
Customer Complaints Council (CCC) received 167 complaints in February and March.
Inference:
Through this mix of Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication, we infer what impact misleading
advertising can have on the consumers of the product. The effectiveness of Verbal
Communication largely depends on the content being clear, concise, and crisp. As seen above,
it is clear how the concept of IIN was misinterpreted by the end users and led to many people
getting influenced by the advertisement. We infer that such misinterpretation was largely based
on how the message was incorrectly conveyed and partially received.

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CONCLUSION

The motive of our project was to explore the medium, i.e., the mutually agreed mode of
communication either through signs, signals, voice modulation, or gestures between the
sender and the receiver. As we already saw, communication is bifurcated into the verbal and
non-verbal modes of communication. Through the project, we tried to emphasize the
importance of efficient and clear communication as well as shed light on various mishaps that
occurred due to constraints in the medium between the sender and receiver.

Real-time surveys and interviews were conducted to increase the credibility of the report,
generate concrete data, and have an in-depth analysis of awareness among the people regarding
various factors involved in effective communication. On the basis of the collected database, a
well-defined analysis was conducted incorporating mentioned literature, and an attempt was
made to gauge the idea of coming up with an appropriate model and methodology which can
be implemented to present critical factors pertaining to effective communication.

To obtain good communication skills through verbal and nonverbal techniques, one must be
capable of identifying the combination of communication functions that will result in success
in the communication strategy or plan being implemented. They interrelate to transmit
information by taking into account both verbal and nonverbal communication. Nonverbal
communication can sometimes take precedence over verbal communication, although it hasn't
been thoroughly debated to determine which method is more effective.

As a result, both modes of communication are concerned with replicating, harmonizing,


replacing, articulating, regulating, and assuring the message. In today's world, job selection
is based on strong communication skills. This is because efficient communication is a critical
component of an organization's and an individual's professional success, whether the group is
internal or external.

Therefore, to increase communication efficacy, one must gain an understanding of the


importance of the sender's and receiver's duties, as well as practice active listening skills.

Being aware of different ways of communication allows a person to feel more at ease with
himself, allowing him to relate to others with genuine confidence and kindness. It helps you to
communicate with others on a deeper level because you make them feel valued and important
and enables you to adapt to make more impactful and precise communication. One of the results
of the survey showed that listening was the least preferred trait in a compelling speaker, which
contradicts with the various studies which state that listening is as imperative as other qualities
that an effective speaker possesses. Listening refers to the ability to hear and comprehend
information in the communication process appropriately. All good communication begins with
listening. Messages might be easily misread if you don't know how to listen well.

Listening skills are so critical; many top companies provide training to their employees. This
isn't unexpected, given that effective listening skills can lead to higher customer satisfaction,
enhanced productivity with fewer errors, and increased information exchange, all of which can
lead to more creative and imaginative work. For the most part, enhancing our communication
abilities is a never-ending effort. It is unlikely to ever be a day when any of us can honestly
state that we have mastered every existing aspect of communication: that we are now experts
who have never made a mistake.

However, just because we will never be "experts" doesn't mean we shouldn't begin the
process of improvement. Enhancing overall communication abilities will most likely make
all of your interpersonal relationships, both at home and at work, more accessible and better.
It's a time investment that will undoubtedly pay off.
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RECOMMENDATIONS

Simplifying, listening while explaining, and paying attention to the tone and inflection will
significantly impact the effectiveness of speaking and the value that the person brings to the
corporate team, paying high attention to what the other person says, sit alongside and angled
toward the person rather than directly opposite them, maintain comfortable eye contact,
maintain an open body position, avoid fidgeting.

Simplifying:
Effective speaking is not just about getting everything the speaker wants to say into the words
leaving his mouth. It is about doing it in a way that cuts out all the fluff, all the irrelevancies,
and all the distractions, giving the listener the most straightforward path to understanding. In
writing, this process is an iteration of writing and revision. Speaker has to do it in real-time
between the moment the idea enters the speaker's mind and when it leaves his mouth speaking,
this is hard and requires practice — people who can cut the fluff and talk and concisely
amplify their value within teams.

Listening While Explaining:


Communication is explaining — moving understanding from one person to another. It can be
a technical approach, implementation choices, or a strategic directive. Too many people assume
explaining is one-way communication. Explaining requires listening. To explain something
effectively, the speaker must first understand what the other person knows, what they don't
know, where they might have incorrect assumptions, where their confusion is, etc. If the
speaker is explaining something complex, he should be listening as much as speaking. Possibly
more. Listening is the core component of explaining anything. Most people in professional
teams seem oblivious to this. The skill of effectively explaining complex ideas is precious, but
this skill is woefully rare. Listening is a crucial part of explaining anything, and without it,
the speaker will be an ineffective communicator.

Proper Presentation of the Idea:


Small changes in tone, volume, cadence, and inflection have a similar effect on perceiving the
speaking. What is said is essential; how it is said is equally so. The difference between the
passionate and exasperated or the confident and condescending is often minimal in tone. The
person may be saying all the right words, but how he is saying it can be a turn-off to those
listening that they have dismissed him and are no longer processing anything leaving our
mouth.

Paying High Attention to What the Other Person Says:


Listening to what the other person is telling us is crucial to being a helpful listener. When we
reply, it can be helpful to repeat some of what the other person told us, using the same language.
This attention to detail demonstrates that we care.

Maintain Comfortable Eye Contact:


Do not avoid eye contact, do avoid staring instead. It is essential to meet someone’s gaze. It
shows we are interested and that our focus is on them – quite literally! Sit alongside and angled
toward the person rather than directly opposite them. It allows the conversation to feel friendly,
and nonconfrontational. Nobody wants to feel like they’re being interviewed.

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LIMITATIONS

LIMITATIONS OF NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

1. Lack of Formality:
Nonverbal communication differs from written and vocal communication in that it is less
formal and structured. The majority of the time, people participate in nonverbal communication
by moving different portions of their bodies. As a result, it can't be useful in any formal setting.

2. Expressing Contradiction with the Verbal Statement:


Non-verbal cues may communicate contradictory meaning with the verbal statement, even
though they help articulate the importance of verbal communications more correctly.

3. Ambiguity:
When the sender employs unclear or unfamiliar nonverbal clues, the receiver may not decipher
the message's meaning. Nonverbal communication is difficult to understand and requires a lot
of repeats. As a result, they may be unable to communicate with one another.

4. Lack of Message Explanation:


Although nonverbal cues can transmit a message in the same way that verbal communication
can, they cannot provide any message explanation to the receiver. Few people do not want to
use their nonverbal abilities. They believe it is unprofessional, unimpressive, and ineffective.

5. Information Preservation:
Nonverbal communication includes various bodily movements, symbols, signs, colours, and
sounds, among other things. There is a high risk of information distortion in nonverbal
communication because it communicates with others through gestures, facial expressions, eye
contact, touch, movement, sound, paralanguage, and other means. As a result, such information
can no longer be saved for future use.

LIMITATIONS OF VERBAL COMMUNICATION

1. Not Convenient for Long Messages:


Long communications are inconvenient to express orally since the receiver may forget the
previously mentioned significant elements when the message is done, resulting in unsuccessful
communication. As a result, the written format might be employed, which is an issue because
many individuals dislike writing and communicating via messages or written format.

2. Irrelevant information:
During a talk on something significant, a lot of irrelevant information can slip in, resulting in
a waste of time and a gap in the relevant information. This results in unneeded time waste and,
on occasion, omission or forgetting to discuss what is truly vital. As a result, it's critical to
maintain your communication process free of any unnecessary discussions that could waste
your time and energy.

3. Creates Misunderstanding:
When two people are having a lengthy conversation, it is common for them to have some
misunderstandings. Subtle clues or words made with a specific aim might often be misread,
resulting in a completely different connotation. As a result, knowing that what you've said or
written has a crystal clear meaning with no ambiguous indications that could make a
conversation difficult becomes critical.

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APPENDIX

Annexure 1.1 : Questionnaire Floated during the Online Survey.

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Annexure 1.2 : Responses to Personal Data.

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Annexure 1.3 : Responses to Awareness in Verbal/Non-Verbal Communication.

Annexure 1.4 : Responses to Preferable Mode of Communication.

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Annexure 1.5 : Responses to Most Frequently Used Factors of Non-Verbal
Communication.

Annexure 1.6 : Responses to Factors of Verbal Communication Used to Comprehend the


Speaker’s Personality.

Annexure 1.7 : Responses to Situational Based Question.

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Annexure 1.8: Monkey-Gate Scandal, 2008.

Annexure 1.9: Idea IIN Controversy Advertisement.

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REFERENCES

• Non-Verbal Communication and Body Language:


https://www.helpguide.org/articles/relationships-communication/nonverbal-
communication.htm

• Action of Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication in Therapeutic Alliance Construction:


https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00234/full

• The 7% Rule: Fact, Fiction, or Misunderstanding:


https://ubiquity.acm.org/article.cfm?id=2043156

• Ponting: Monkeygate Lowest Point of my Captaincy:


https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cricket/ricky-ponting-monkeygate-harbhajan-singh-andrew-
symonds-ashes-2005-sky-sports-podcast/article31097450.ece

• Everything you need to know about the great educational breakthrough that is IIN:
https://scroll.in/article/715101/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-great-educational-
breakthrough-that-is-idea-internet-network

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