As a small business owner, you interact with your employees almost everyday. Non-verbal communication, which includes your facial expressions, eye contact, body movement, posture, personal space, and speaking ability, can speak louder to your employees more than your actual words. Your body language can help reinforce what you are saying, which in turn will help you successfully function as your business’s leader. Your non-verbal communication also displays your attitude and feelings, so it is important to avoid body language that can contradict the words that you are saying.

Your face tends to convey your emotions to your employees. Smiling, yawning, frowning, or raising your eyebrows will all be noticed. Smiling demonstrates that you are friendly and approachable, so your employees will be more likely to react favorably to what you have to say.

Eye contact is the strongest features of non-verbal communication and can be very powerful. It can display your emotion, suggest interest or lack thereof, and let the recipient know when to talk or finish speaking. It also helps regulate the flow of the conversation. Using good eye contact displays interest and concern, and it increases your credibility with your employees.

Standing side-by-side with someone can display that you are cooperative and view the other as a colleague, while competitors tend to stand face-to-face. Crossing your arms can imply that you are not interested in or are close-minded towards what someone is saying. You also do not want to speak to people with your back turned or while looking at the floor or ceiling. This also communicates your disinterest in what is currently being discussed. Your posture when standing can tell your employees how you feel about the subject you are discussing. You can display that you are receptive to what your employees tell you by standing erect.  

Personal space is the invisible area around you that you place between you and other people. You know who you want and do not want inside your space. Invading someone’s personal space can negate anything you say to them. If your employee is backing away from you during a conversation, you are probably invading their personal space.

Your tone, the speed at which you are speaking, and the quality of your voice can change the effectiveness of what you are saying to your employees. If you speak very fast, it can demonstrate a level of urgency to get through what you have to say and move on. A strong, engaged tone of voice can project confidence, while stuttering or mumbling conveys that you are struggling with a topic.

Communication occurs on many levels. You want your verbal and non-verbal communication to correlate so that your employees are not receiving a mixed message from you. Everyone knows how to speak the words, but non-verbal skills need to be understood and practiced for communication to be most effective.