“Louder Than Words: The Hidden Power of Nonverbal Communication in the Workplace”

For my position paper, the article that I have chosen is “Louder Than Words: The Hidden

Power of Nonverbal Communication in the Workplace” by Fred C. Lunenburg (Fred, 2010). The

topic that has been chosen is closely related to the subject that have been studied in chapter 3

which is non-verbal communication. Non-verbal communication can be meant as the act of

conveying information without the use of word such as using facial expressions or hand

gestures to make a specific point such as the way we stand, the distance we maintain from an It

is estimated that people communicate at least as much nonverbally without word as they do

verbally. Based on this article that I have choose, I will explain more about kinesics, proxemics,

and chronemics.

Kinesics is systematic investigation of body language such as postures, gesture and

facial expressions. All of this can be labeled this form of communication ‘kinesics’ as it relates to

movement of individual body parts, or the body as a whole. In my opinion that all of this

movement will be use in our daily life and it actually is one of our ways to interact with others

without having to speak and it is shown by spontaneously describing our feelings at that

moment. For examples someone asked us if we were okay but we don’t know how to describe

the feeling using a word and then we choose to show a forefinger and thumb forming a circle to

mean “OK”. It actually has answered the question by only show actions. Using this way, we are

only using our body language to convey the message that we want to tell to others person.

Other than that, Proxemics is also can be defined as type of nonverbal communication

involving how we deal with the environment around us (Morales, 2021). In other word proxemics

also can be meaning as the study of the nature, degree, and effect of the spatial separation

individuals naturally maintain (as in various social and interpersonal situations) and how this

separation relates to environmental and cultural factors. I do agree on somehow actually we are

related to this proxemics because it is natural for us to put a boundary or distance that we just
set between ourselves and someone. In proxemics it can be divided into two types which is

territoriality and personal space. Territoriality can be defined as a person that show a attitudes

and change based on the perceived attempted of certain area, object as your own. For

examples when we go to the library we will choose a table and put our belonging things such as

bottle, pencil case and book while our friends will do the same but in another table to show that

place is already filled by people. While personal space can be mean as a distance that we

provide between ourselves and someone because we need that space for only ourselves. I

believe also that when we set the distance between ourselves and someone it may also be due

to security. For examples by setting the available distance when we talk to someone we know

or don’t know we will feel safer when there is space.

Last but not least, chronemics is the study of the relationship between time and

communication or a bound to human communication (Delaney, 2022). I believe that chronemics

also can be devided into two parts which is monochronic and polychronic people. People who

are monochronic are really appreciate every moment that they have. I believe that even if they

have more time to rest they will use that time to complete the work at hand even if they have to

ignore their health and family. Polychronic is can be classified as cultured that can attend to

multiple events at the same time because they value relationship and traditions and are focused

more on the overall outcome of an event than the punctuality (Cole, nd). While monochronic

people who are think that work is everything, polychronic people is more flexible who that can

adjust their work time according to the importance of the work. Polychronic people are usually

more interested in social event that they can engage with more people, for hence they just can

go to one event and the next without feeling tired because they like to keep the relationship

between people.

In the end, what I can conclude is nonverbal communication is something that really broad and

plays a very important role in our life. The way we move, react and organized our time really
give an impact to person we talk to. When something that we say to someone is match with our

nonverbal signals it can really increase someone’s sense of trust in us