Control your body language for effective communication
Communicating effectively means more than knowing what to say and when to say it. Communication involves the subtle signals your body language sends to those listening. Here are some common body actions and the impressions they create:
- Fiddling – Playing with your watch or a pen looks like you’re bored or impatient
- Clock watching – It looks like you’re anxious to move on to something else.
- Tapping – Tapping your foot or fingers suggests you are impatient or nervous.
- Staring – An unblinking stare conveys aggression
- Legs crossed or body hunched – Closing up your body profile —becoming smaller— looks like you lack confidence.
- Arms crossed – If you keep your arms folded during communication, you appear to be defending yourself against the others.
- Touching your face - When you have your hand in front of your mouth, you appear timid.
- Rubbing your nose, looking away - People who are lying often rub their nose or look away when speaking.
- No eye contact - If you won’t look the other speaker in the eye, you seem to have low interest or a lack of confidence. (Don’t forget staring. above.)
How you say things in communication is just as important as what you say. Watch your body language and control the unconscious message you might be sending.
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Comments
Thanks, even after 35 years of management, I find myself aware that I do some of these things.
It helps to be aware of body language, but also be aware of circumstances.
Crossed arms - the person could be cold
Itcy nose - the person may have allergies
Legs crossed but open (men, duh!) may just be comfortable
I would suggest to jro to click on your 10 Ways To Improve Communication Skills.
No eye contact. Careful self professed expert. This is found in predominantly white society. In Asian cultures, children are taught to not look at elders or superiors as they speak a sign of deference.
This ties back to staring.
these things come into picture only when an individual puts himself into something which doesnt xcites.
Every beginning is only a sequel .we should control our body language .I like the beauty of body language. I can belive that you will like it.If you love it ,please write it to me .THANK YOU!
Great tips & a wonderful post I have read in recent times. Also you can refer to Princeton Public Speaking for some great communications training.
When people look away, especially when their eyes look toward the ceiling, they are usually trying to find the right words to say something. They do this when they are trying to remember and incident or what somebody told them ver batium and now need to recall it. It can also mean that if the situation is touchy, like breaking up with someone or talking to an older child about a sensitive topic, the speaker looks toward the ceiling in search of a right answer. It is a way of visualizing or “finding the right words.”
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Great tips on things to avoid, but I’m curious if there are common “good” body language habits that we should encourage ourselves to do?