Tacit communication: How's it going?

It happens like this: you are walking from your desk to the conference room or the kitchen and you see Janet from Accounting walking toward you from the opposite direction. As you pass you both nod and smile a little smile. She says "How are you doing?" and you say "Hi, Janet."

You acknowledged each other. You made each other feel good, known, loved, recognized. But neither of you expected the other to stop and engage in a real conversation. You both knew the "rules of non-engagement" and kept on walking. This can happen dozens of times throughout the day with various people.

This is tacit communication. The actions - the nod, the smile - provide more meaning than the actual words exchanged.

We do this online too. You would never end a voicemail for someone with "Regards" or "Sincerely" but we do it in email. In person you wouldn't offer someone you just met your privacy policy or your terms of use. But online, these familiar conventions can provide reassurance and credibility - a comforting smile and a nod to the user, even if those items go unread.