The Nonverbal Behaviors Observed During a Zoom Meeting and Their Meaning

Nonverbal Communication Observation
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Nonverbal Communication Observation
We are currently in an era where business communications are increasingly happening within virtual space. Despite the motivation to mitigate the adverse environmental ramifications, the Covid-19 circumstances now constitute an additional impetus for companies to hold meetings virtually. Zoom meetings have become increasingly important in organizations, especially during the Covid-19 era. Business professionals must communicate effectively and clearly during Zoom meetings, given the potential for nonverbal communication cues to make or break deals. Displaying positive nonverbal communication enhances one's trustworthiness and credibility, contributing to better decision-making processes for the organization. Nonverbal behaviors such as facial expressions, body movements and posture, hand gestures, eye contact, and tone of voice contribute to how the employees deliver their message and understand one another during Zoom meetings. This paper discusses the nonverbal behaviors observed during a Zoom meeting and their meaning, the congruence of verbal and nonverbal messages, and how organizational leaders demonstrate nonverbal communication during such meetings. Employee feedback was also considered, particularly regarding nonverbal behaviors during the meeting.
Nonverbal Behaviors and their Meaning
Facial expressions significantly characterized the Zoom meeting. During the meeting, the manager suggested that the organization was considering downsizing due to Covid-19 impacts on the business supply chains, making it increasingly challenging to break even. The manager had a worried and fearful look on his face and lacked eye contact. The manager had little confidence in downsizing, mainly because it meant losing livelihoods for many of his subordinates. Facial expressions are closely linked to emotions, thus revealing what the manager was thinking. After deliberations concerning the need to downsize, the final decision was to reduce employees' workweek. This implies that employees would remain in their jobs for less compensation, as the firm will not need to rehire workers once the economic environment stabilizes. After this decision, the employees showed enthusiasm and energy in their facial expressions by smiling as they talked.
Head movements were also noted during the Zoom meeting. After the decision to reduce employee workweek was reached, many participants could be seen nodding their heads in agreement. In this vein, it was possible to evaluate participants' interest and understanding of the business decision by observing their head movements. The fact the meeting participants nodded their heads actively in a "yes" manner was necessary for the manager to gauge their approval of the business decision. Research indicates that nonverbal behaviors such as nodding impact impressions made and evaluative judgments made by meeting participants (Rall & Daniel, 2018). In this regard, the nodding of heads indicated positive subordinate perceptions of their managers and supervisors.
Congruence Between Verbal and Nonverbal Messages
Congruent communication is the relationship o...