Title: Default for Team Communication
Course: PIM - Teaming 1: Communication

What is one example of non-verbal communication that you observe other people using but don't use yourself? What do you think it means? Why do you think others use it and you don't?
Feedback: Every culture has norms for nonverbal communication - how closely to stand to people, whom you can touch (and when, and where on their body), how loudly to speak, when and for how long to stay silent, how and how energetically to gesture, and much more. We learn these norms as children along with our native languages, and we only tend to notice nonverbal communication on a conscious level when it violates our expectations in some way, such as when someone is operating according to a different set of cultural norms than we are (closer/farther away, louder/softer, etc.). It's easy to mis-interpret others' nonverbals according to our own culture's set of expectations. Think about how you can get an "insider's" viewpoint about nonverbal signals that differ from what you are used to.

Decide if this statement is more direct or more indirect, and then rewrite it to move it towards the opposite end of the spectrum:

I will try my best to get that done on time.
Feedback: If you thought the statement was more indirect, you might have tried to rewrite it more directly with language like: That's an unrealistic deadline. I can't meet that deadline. I will try to meet the deadline, but it will be hard. If you thought the statement was more direct, you might have tried to rewrite it more indirectly with language like: Things are really busy right now. I sure do have a lot on my plate.