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Do
You Control Your Body Language Or Does It Control You......
Are you conscious of what you wear to work? Do you sit with your legs crossed or perpendicular to the ground during a meeting? Do you look at your boss when he/she speaks to you or do you look down at how clean the carpet is? While we all know somewhere in the back or our minds that the way we dress, walk, talk and behave does make a difference at the workplace, most often we underestimate how much body language can change other’s perception of ourselves. Quite a bit of the time, a lot of our behaviour at work comes from a subconscious awareness of what is right or wrong, but, there are times when our alert minds give way to home habits. Unfortunately when we become oblivious to the sacred rules of do’s and don't’s at the office, we run the risk of possible professional death. These are some of the things that we must keep in mind when on the job. Never underestimate your body’s ability to give off signals that your brain has no intention to convey! Everything from the bat of an eyelid to the shake of a leg can give off unintended signals if they’re done at the wrong time, in the wrong moment, in front of the wrong person. According to the gurus of non-verbal communication, here are the unwritten rules of conduct:
If you think these factors never make a difference, well, think again. The fate of the U.S presidential campaign was sealed because of “good” body language verses “bad” body language. On September 26th, 1960, the look of a candidate, his facial expressions, hand gestures and a refreshed handsome healthy image. helped him become the President against his opponent who looked haggard, tired, hadn’t shaved and therefore donned the infamous five o’clock shadow. This was none other than J.F.Kennedy against former Vice Presiden Richard Nixon. Kennedy had the presence of mind to wear an adequate amount of make-up for the T.V. appearance, dress well, and use the kind of body language that made audiences feel he was a serious yet non-threatening leader who cared about the future of America and was willing to do something about it. While Kennedy exuded the perfect non-verbal messages, Nixon was just recovering from an illness. He looked tired and some reports even say that his five o’clock shadow made him look sinister. Not only was Nixon disinterested in playing up to the television audiences but his team further shunted suggestions by make-up experts to wear more make up to help him look hale and hearty. Although the heated debated was aired on T.V., it was aired on the radio as well. Polls of audience reactions from both the visual medium and the audio medium provided an overwhelming proof of how body language can tip the scales in your favour. While radio listeners felt Nixon won the debate, television viewers felt Kennedy was the winner hands down. In spite of Nixon being a familiar face, an incumbent vice president, 75 million viewers watched the body language of these two contenders and voted on that basis sealing the fate of their country. So next time when you’re deciding what to wear to office, or how to sit in your interview, remember that your decision could be a crucial one. True, the quality of your work will always be a prime reflection of yourself, but non-verbal communication can go a long way in giving you that edge over others, or, on the contrary, denying you the chance you were about to have. Graphic Done By Himani
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“I
can never bring you to realize the importance of sleeves, the suggestiveness
of thumbnails, or the great issues that may hang from a bootlace.”
- Sherlock Holmes