Prepared by Shahlo Anvarovna Communication

Nondefensive Communication: A Powerful Tool

• Speaker seen as centered, assertive, controlled, informative, realistic, and honest
• Speaker exhibits self-control & self possession
• Listener feels accepted rather than rejected
• Catherine Crier’s rules to nondefensive communication
• Define the situation
• Clarify the person’s position
• Acknowledge the person’s feelings
• Bring the focus back to the facts

Nonverbal Communication

• Nonverbal Communication - all elements of communication that do not involve words
• Four basic types
• Proxemics - an individual’s perception & use of space
• Kinesics - study of body movements, including posture
• Facial & Eye Behavior - movements that add cues for the receiver
• Paralanguage - variations in speech, such as pitch, loudness, tempo, tone, duration, laughing, & crying

Proxemics: Territorial Space

• c

• c = social 4-12’

• b

• b = personal 1.5-4’

• Territorial Space - bands of space extending outward from the body; territorial space differs from culture to culture

• a

• a = intimate <1.5’

• d

• d = public >12’

Proxemics: Seating Dynamics

• Seating Dynamics - seating people in certain positions according to the person’s purpose in communication

• Cooperation

• X O

• Non-
• Communication

• O X O

• Competition

• X

• O

• X

• Communication

• O

Examples of Decoding Nonverbal Cues

• Boss fails to acknowledge employee’s greeting

• No eye contact while communicating

• Manager sighs deeply

• Boss breathes heavily & waves arms

• He’s
• unapproachable!

• My opinion
• doesn’t count

• I wonder what
• he’s hiding?

• He’s angry! I’ll
• stay out of his way!

• SOURCE: Adapted from “Steps to Better Listening” by C. Hamilton and B. H. Kleiner. Copyright © February 1987. Reprinted with permission, Personnel Journal, all rights reserved.