Nonverbal responses

Take comprehensive interview notes that document the candidates verbal and nonverbal responses. Use your notes later to help determine why you did, or did not, select a candidate. Besides refreshing your memory of each applicant at the end of the interview process, notes are important documen-tahon that you conducted a defensible interview, asking comparable questions of each candidate and asking job-related queshons only. Be careful personal comments about an applicant s ethnicity, appearance, personal habits, or personality, for example, are both inappropriate and indefensible if there is any subsequent legal achon. 

Furthermore, and perhaps more important, a leader sets organizational direction implicitly—without ever saying a word—by the signals her colleagues receive about her emotional and physical reactions to situations and from her decisions, behaviors, and leadership style. These nonverbal responses define the tone at the top as much as any overt, intentional action, and this tone quickly permeates the organization and establishes the feel of its culture. Haberdashers speak of the "hand" of a fine silk tie—i.e., the fabric s distinctive texture and firmness. Analogously, the culture of the organization stems from the feel of the fabric of relationships modeled by leadership behavior. 

Butler, D., and Geis, F.L. (1990). Nonverbal affect responses to males and female leaders Implications for leadership evaluation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 58, 48-59. 

The subject is shown seven cards, each with an unfamiliar symbol and a single digit, for 3 s each. The symbol is then presented as a cue, and the subject is asked for the corresponding digit. After each response the symbol digit pair is displayed for another 3 s. The test consists of three trials and generates a total score out of 21. It is a test of nonverbal associative learning. 

Hickson and others, 2002). The degree of blame in these situations has long-term consequences for staff members personal adaptation after an event (Tennen and Affleck, 1990). The leader s initial responses to providers involved in a medical accident can deeply affect the providers short- and long-term recovery. Skilled resource personnel outside the situation must be made available to take hold of and guide the situation. The management system must be meticulous in ensuring that verbal and nonverbal communication is compassionate and free of blame. 

Her next three traits could be revealed nonverbally, but don t take my word for it. Take a look at three drawings of Khensa done by Cheryl Austin, the artist on the team who was responsible for the look of the main characters. 

Face to face communication has the advantage that it allows feedback and adjustment of the message based on the response. It is also friendlier and less formal. However, it is less easy to control because it is interactive. It is important to remember that it consists of two elements, verbal and non-verbal. The words seem dominant and must indeed be chosen appropriately and put over clearly, but the nonverbal clues can either reinforce or destroy their effect. The tone of voice can indicate boredom, the stance friendliness, hand movements nervousness. The very different effect of messages over the telephone and face-to-face demonstrate the effect of the non-verbal. It is excellent practice for communicators to listen to themselves on tape and watch themselves on video to see and correct these elements of their style. 

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