Subtle signals
Normally, the signals are more subtle – it could be a slight shake of the head, not holding eye contact or a hand in front of the mouth. Our subconscious picks up these small incongruencies and makes us feel uneasy. When we choose to ignore these signals – our ‘gut instincts’ – and find later we have been misled, we tell ourselves that we knew there was something wrong, but we couldn’t quite put our finger on it.
Incongruence between verbal and non-verbal messages can impact our ability to influence others, including patients, other healthcare professionals, business contacts and colleagues. Being aware of this can help to improve the quality of our communication.
For example, if you are giving advice to a patient about the best product for them or a suitable course of action, your message can be undermined if your body language suggests you are not confident about what you are saying. If you look like you lack confidence when speaking to, say, a nurse or doctor, they might choose not to accept your advice or recommendation about a medicine or patient.
Body language is even important when talking on the phone. Try the first activity (below) to find out how.
Pause to reflect
Body language is even important when talking on a telephone call. This seems paradoxical because the listener can’t see you, but body language impacts the speaker, not the listener. Try this activity: Sit back-to-back with someone. Sit on your hands and avoid using any body language (movements, facial expressions, etc) while you explain something to them. How easy did you find that? How good was your explanation? Now try it with your hands free and using body language, but still back-to-back. What differences did you notice?