The Manager's Pocket Guide to Leadership Skills

What We Know about Communication

There are certain aspects of communication that impact our day-to-day lives.

1.  No matter how hard one tries, one cannot avoid communicating. Many times we think we are not communicating because we are not verbally communicating. That is simply not the case. We are always communicating, whether we want to or not. We communicate nonverbally—with our eyes, facial expressions, gestures—and even by the color of our skin. During 30 minutes of discussion, people can exchange approximately 800 different nonverbal messages. The messages we send without words have a greater impact than when we speak.

2.  Communicating does not necessarily mean understanding. Can you think of a time when you were convinced that you got ...