17 Section 1.2 Communicating Effectively Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. How you identify your personal space and the judgment you apply to the space of others varies depending on your social upbringing and community norms. When you enter a professional environment, be aware that the workplace has its own unwritten rules of social and community behavior. Noticing and adapting to them will help you to communicate with comfort and assure that those receiving your message are comfortable. Behavior Nonverbal messages can compete with verbal messages and can even negate them. This is true of body language. It is also true when it comes to your behavior. If you say one thing and do another, your verbal messages are likely to be ignored. For example, a supervisor who asks workers to stay late but who does not do the same will probably find few staff members willing to work late. As the saying goes, actions speak louder than words. In this example, the supervisor is saying, “the work isn’t as important as I said it was.” When first entering the workforce, it is important to take behavioral cues from others with more experience, but do not make the mistake of emulating poor habits. For example, suppose the starting time is 9:00 a.m. and you are allotted one hour for lunch. But, several employees arrive a little later than nine and take a little longer than an hour for lunch. Do not follow this behavior. Arriving on time and limiting your lunch to the allotted one hour lets your boss know that you are dependable and willing to follow the rules. Attitude Paralanguage is the attitude you project with the tone and pitch of your voice. It is reflected in speech as a sharp or soft tone, raising or lowering of the voice, speaking quickly or slowly, and the general quality of the voice. Paralanguage is nonverbal communication that reflects the speaker’s true attitude, so it is important to be aware of it. When the content of your message is contradicted by the attitude with which you are communicating, your message will be received accordingly. If you say you are not angry but you raise your voice, the receiver will know you really are angry. Whenever you are speaking, remember that the tone, pitch, quality of voice, and rate of speaking convey emotions that will be judged by the receiver, regardless of the content of the message. If you get critical feedback from others about any of these voice qualities, be sure to take it seriously. The voice is not just a vehicle for the message it is part of the message. As a communicator, you should be sensitive to the influence of paralanguage on the interpretation of your message by the receiver. When your voice complements the message, there is a greater chance that your words will be received as you intended. Barriers to Effective Communication The six steps in the communication process can create potential barriers at the sender’s end of the process, at the receiver’s end, or both. A barrier is anything that prevents clear, effective communication. Barriers may occur in written, verbal, and nonverbal communication.