We don’t talk with our mouth only and much of our communication is shown by our body and facial language. Improper body talk could inflict a lot of damage to our career and professional presence. It could be worse than being caught gossiping about our boss. It is a good thing that it is possible to change our body language. In general, we are hardwired to use specific body posture in response to specific things. Our body talk never lies and people would notice it, if our body incongruent with our brand and verbal message. With improper body language, our fast-track career can be derailed. In general, body language should be seen as an instant messaging and it directly signals people about what we feel and think. For people who want to convey their strong leadership, it is important to show how we are vigorously energized and consistently aligned to specific subject. As an example, if we verbally agree to handle heavy workloads and high pressure of a new project; then our body should also “say” the same. It means that our gestures should be energetic, our stride should be strong and our posture should be straight.
Employees are also often asked to multitask and become more productive. In this case, we should be able to give someone our undivided and full attention, while we are doing something else. When boss talks to an employee while they are operating a machine, they should be able to show full interest while doing their primary tasks, while being respectful to people that they talk to. In general, employees and business people should show that they are ready for prime time. New employees could have specific body language if they have stage fright while doing a presentation session. Introverted employees could show that they uncomfortable during networking events. Any jitter that we feel inside could be relayed by our own body. As an example, it is a bad thing if we are fidgeting because this could draw much of the attention away from our primary messages. Body language could also show if we are closed down to specific ideas. There are telltale signs that we disagree with someone in the room.
Many of us unconsciously fold our arms across our chest when we dislike someone. In this case, we should make sure that we are open to specific ideas. In fact, even when it is cold, we should resist the temptation to cross our arms, because people could get a wrong subtle message. We are also signalling that we are closed off when we cross our legs. So, if we cross both our arms and legs, people could unconsciously thing that we are being defensive, guarded and inhospitable; even if they don’t know anything about deciphering body language.
In general, improper body language could represent a huge obstacle to communication. We should try to give constructive feedback and think positively. Our positive thoughts and emotions will be shown properly by our body and face.