Miss Miller’s Piece on Effective Body Language- Telegraph, Kolkata November 2, 2010

SIGN LANGUAGE

WHAT DOES YOUR BODY LANGUAGE SAY ABOUT YOU AT WORK? PROFESSIONAL EDUCATOR LAURA MILLER DECODES

Imagine for a moment that you are a formal observer floating outside yourself trying to gather information through sight. Look at yourself. What is your body language saying? What is this soft skill communicating to others? Are you aware of how you are presenting yourself to employers and work peers? Are you sending people the messages you intend? Your body language is conveyed through both subtle and grand gestures. Your actions, movements, facial expressions, habits, ticks, and posture communicate something, whether you know it or not. Your posture and mannerisms are telling people things about you that you may or may not intend. People are forming opinions of you based on your conscious and subconscious actions. They are gathering information about you through the way you animate your speech, movements and expressions. Whether your expressions are subtle or strong, inborn or acquired, people learn a lot about your personality through your body language. Imagine a theatre of people watching a scary movie. They all exhibit something about who they are at that moment with their body language. You’ll see many people with furrowed eyebrows and squinting eyes as they sit with their faces slightly averted to the screen, and shoulders curved in to hide from the horror. Others may sit straight up and stretch their arm around their nearby friend, all the while staring closely at the screen. There may even be some that are sleeping or chatting amid the scary visuals and sounds. Their body language tells you different things — they are scared, excited, fearless, disinterested, or bored. The beauty of body language is that there are so many expressions that we can control as the situation demands or as we deem necessary. You don’t have to exhibit the same body language all the time. You can learn to change and control what your body language is communicating. Now imagine you are floating outside yourself, this time at work. Is your body language working for you here? How is your posture when you’re standing? When you’re sitting? Do you slouch at your desk? Sure, your back tends to curve downward when you get tired or when you’ve been working for a long time. That is normal, but slouching also comes from another part of your psyche. Unless you have a medical issue in your back or spine, slouching indicates insecurity or nonchalance. Remember at work, to notice how you are feeling and how your body is expressing that feeling. Think of other things people at work can see about you from your body language. Are you making eye contact with people when you speak to them? If so, it tells people that you’re paying attention, concentrating and listening. When you don’t, the opposite is exposed and can show you are distracted. Do you tap your feet, bite your nails, or fidget? If so, you are telling others that you are nervous, insecure, or disinterested. Luckily, with a little practice you can use the power of your body language to your advantage! Think of how you would like others to think of you, then, honestly notice how you are presenting yourself. Remember, it may help to imagine looking at yourself as if you were a floating observer. If you want to project confidence, remember this: using your body language is a skill, a soft skill you can adapt and change to fit the demands of a situation. The first step is to practise exhibiting the behaviours that demonstrate confidence. Gently smile, use eye contact, and subtly animate with your hands and head while speaking. Be sure to stand or sit up straight with a relaxed composure. Definitely lose the bad habits, don’t fidget, pick your skin, or chew your lips or nails. Instead, substitute a bad habit by taking a deep breath to gather composure. As you master your body language, you will be able to use it to your advantage in any situation. Let the soft skill of body language work for you!

Laura Miller teaches soft skills at Miss Miller’s Institute. Send your queries to her at t2@abpmail.com