Explain the important guidelines for interpreting nonverbal messages.

What will be an ideal response?

Following are the guidelines for interpreting nonverbal messages:
• Remember that the same nonverbal message may mean different things to different people. Most nonverbal messages have multiple meanings that vary from person to person, culture to culture, and even situation to situation. Just because a person fidgets when he or she is bored does not mean that others are bored when they fidget. What a person perceives as an angry vocal tone might not be intended as such by the person talking. So always multiple interpretations of the nonverbal messages a person receives must be considered and clarification, particularly when one’s first interpretation is negative.
• Consider each nonverbal message in context. Because any one nonverbal message can mean different things in different contexts, take the time to consider how it is intended in a given situation. Also realize that one might not understand all the details of the situation.
• Pay attention to the multiple nonverbal messages being sent and their relationship to the verbal message. In any one interaction, a person is likely to receive simultaneous messages from a person’s appearance, eye contact, facial expressions, gestures, posture, voice, and use of space and touch. By considering all nonverbal messages together with the verbal message, one is more likely to interpret other’s messages accurately.
• Use perception checking. The skill of perception checking lets a person see if his or her interpretation of another person’s message is accurate. By describing the nonverbal message you notice, sharing two possible interpretations of it, and asking for clarification, one can get confirmation or correction of his or her interpretation.