Speaking truth to the myth of nonverbal communication

The cleanest argument for returning to an office-first culture of synchronous and spontaneous interaction is so simple, so sensible, that a handful of executives have recently regurgitated it with signature C-suite conviction: “93% of communication is nonverbal; that’s how much value we lose when we can’t interact in-person.”

If this is your leader, please come get them. They’re drunk on one of the biggest myths in social psychology.

We’re going to break down the fallacy of the “93% nonverbal communication” rule in two acts: why the number is completely irrelevant to the workplace, and why healthy businesses spend significant resources to reduce whatever the actual number is.

Nope, 93% of communication is not nonverbal

First, let’s get on the same page about “nonverbal communication:” the spoken word is obviously verbal, but for business purposes, written communication as a proxy for speech would also be considered verbal. So, nonverbal communication encompasses:

• gestures, posture, and body movement
• facial expressions and eye contact
• pitch, tone, and timing of words
• touch and other senses
• “proxemics” (i.e., how people use personal space to influence communication)

The popular 93% figure originated from a mashing together of two studies conducted by UCLA professor…