11/19/2016

12BodyLanguageTipsForCareerSuccess

Leadership
AUG 21, 2013 @ 11:32 AM

168,476 VIEWS

12BodyLanguageTips
ForCareerSuccess
Carol Kinsey Goman, CONTRIBUTOR
I write about leadership, body language and
professional success. FULL BIO
Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

Whenproperlyused,bodylanguagecanbe
yourkeytogreatersuccess.Itcanhelpyou
developpositivebusinessrelationships,
influenceandmotivatethepeoplewho
reporttoyou,improveproductivity,bond
withmembersofyourteam,andpresent
yourideaswithmoreimpact.Herearea
dozentipsforusingbodylanguagetoproject
confidence,credibility,andyourpersonal
brandofcharisma:
1.Standtallandtakeupspace.Power,
status,andconfidencearenonverbally
displayedthroughtheuseofheightand
space.Keepingyourpostureerect,your
shouldersback,andyourheadheldhigh
makesyoulooksureofyourself.
Ifyoustandyouwilllookmorepowerfuland
assuredtothosewhoareseated.Ifyoumove
around,theadditionalspaceyoutakeup
addstothatimpression.Ifyouaresitting,
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youcanlookmoreconfidentbyputtingboth
feetflatonthefloor,wideningyourarms
awayfromyourbody(orhookingoneelbow
onthebackofyourchair),andspreadingout
yourbelongingsontheconferencetableto
claimmoreterritory.
2.Widenyourstance.Whenyoustand
withyourfeetclosetogether,youcanseem
hesitantorunsureofwhatyouaresaying.
Butwhenyouwidenyourstance,relaxyour
kneesandcenteryourweightinyourlower
body,youlookmoresolidandconfident.
3.Loweryourvocalpitch.Inthe
workplace,thequalityofyourvoicecanbea
decidingfactorinhowyouareperceived.
Speakerswithhigherpitchedvoicesare
judgedtobelessempathic,lesspowerfuland
morenervousthanspeakerswithlower
pitchedvoices.OneeasytechniqueIlearned
fromaspeechtherapistwastoputyourlips
togetherandsayUmhum,umhum,um
hum.Doingsorelaxesyourvoiceintoits
optimalpitch.Thisisespeciallyhelpful
beforeyougetonanimportantphonecall
wherethesoundofyourvoiceissocritical.
4.TryPowerPriming.Todisplay
confidenceandbeperceivedasupbeatand
positive,thinkofapastsuccessthatfillsyou
withprideandconfidence.(Thisdoesnt
havetobetakenfromyourprofessionallife
althoughIdoencourageclientstokeepa
successlogsothattheycaneasilyfindan
event.)Thenrecallthefeelingofpowerand
certaintyandrememberorimaginehow
youlookedandsounded.Recallingthat
genuineemotionwillhelpyouembodyitas
youenterthemeetingroomorwalkupto
thepodium.
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5.StrikeaPowerPose.Researchintothe
effectsofbodypostureonconfidence,
conductedatHarvardandColumbia
BusinessSchools,hasshownthatsimply
holdingyourbodyinexpansive,high
powerposes(leaningbackwithhands
behindtheheadandfeetuponadesk,or
standingwithlegsandarmsstretchedwide
open)foraslittleastwominutesstimulates
higherlevelsoftestosteronethehormone

linkedtopoweranddominanceandlower
levelsofcortisol,astresshormone.

Trythisbeforeyournextimportantbusiness
meeting,andIguaranteeyouwilllookand
feelmoreconfidentandcertain.Inaddition
tocausinghormonalshiftsinbothmalesand
females,theseposesleadtoincreased
feelingsofpowerandahighertolerancefor
risk.Thestudyalsocorroboratedmy
observationthatpeoplearemoreoften
influencedbyhowtheyfeelaboutyouthan
bywhatyouresaying.
6.Maintainpositiveeyecontact.You
maybeanintrovert,youmaybeshy,oryour
culturalbackgroundmayhavetaughtyou
thatextendedeyecontactwithasuperioris
notappropriate,butbusinesspeoplefrom
theU.S.,Europe,Australia(andmanyother
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partsoftheworld),willexpectyouto
maintaineyecontact5060%ofthetime.
Heresasimpletechniquetoimproveeye
contact:Wheneveryougreetabusiness
colleague,lookintohisorhereyeslong
enoughtonoticewhatcolortheyare.
7.Talkwithyourhands.Brainimaging
hasshownthataregioncalledBrocasarea,
whichisimportantforspeechproduction,is
activenotonlywhenweretalking,butalso
whenwewaveourhands.Sincegestureis
integrallylinkedtospeech,gesturingasyou
talkcanactuallypowerupyourthinking.
WheneverIencourageclientstoincorporate
gesturesintotheirdeliveries,Ifindthattheir
verbalcontentimproves,theirspeechisless
hesitant,andtheiruseoffillers(umsand
uhs)decreases.Experimentwiththisand
youllfindthatthephysicalactofgesturing
helpsyouformclearerthoughtsandspeakin

tightersentenceswithmoredeclarative
language.

8.Useopengestures.Keepingyour
movementsrelaxed,usingopenarm
gestures,andshowingthepalmsofyour
handstheultimatesee,Ihavenothingto
hidegesturearesilentsignalsof
credibilityandcandor.Individualswithopen
gesturesareperceivedmorepositivelyand
aremorepersuasivethanthosewithclosed
gestures(armscrossed,handshiddenor
heldclosetothebody,etc.)Also,ifyouhold
yourarmsatwaistlevel,andgesturewithin
thatplane,mostaudienceswillperceiveyou
asassuredandcredible.
9.Tryasteeple.Youseelecturers,
politiciansandexecutivesusethishand
gesturewhentheyarequitecertainabouta
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pointtheyaremaking.Thispowersignalis
whereyourhandsmakeasteeplewhere
thetipsofyourfingerstouch,butthepalms
areseparated.Whenyouwanttoproject
convictionandsincerityaboutapointyoure
making,trysteepling.
10.Reducenervousgestures.When
werenervousorstressed,weallpacifywith
someformofselftouching,nonverbal
behavior:Werubourhandstogether,
bounceourfeet,drumourfingersonthe
desk,playwithourjewelry,twirlourhair,
fidgetandwhenwedoanyofthesethings,
weimmediatelyrobourstatementsof
credibility.Ifyoucatchyourselfindulgingin
anyofthesebehaviors,takeadeepbreath
andsteadyyourselfbyplacingyourfeet
firmlyonthefloorandyourhandspalm
downinyourlap,onthedeskoronthe
conferencetable.Stillnesssendsamessage

thatyourecalmandconfident.

11.Smile.Smileshaveapowerfuleffecton
us.Thehumanbrainprefershappyfaces,
andwecanspotasmileat300feetthe
lengthofafootballfield.Smilingnotonly
stimulatesyourownsenseofwellbeingit
alsotellsthosearoundyouthatyouare
approachableandtrustworthy.
ResearchfromDukeUniversityprovesthat
welikeandrememberthosewhosmileatus
andshowswhywefindthemmore
memorable.Usingfunctionalmagnetic
resonanceimaging(fMRI),theDuke
researchersfoundthattheorbitofrontal
cortices(arewardcenterinthebrain)were
moreactivewhensubjectswerelearningand
recallingthenamesofsmilingindividuals.
Mostimportantly,smilingdirectlyinfluences
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howotherpeoplerespondtoyou.Whenyou
smileatsomeone,theyalmostalwayssmile
inreturn.And,becausefacialexpressions
triggercorrespondingfeelings,thesmileyou
getbackactuallychangesthatpersons
emotionalstateinapositiveway.
12.Perfectyourhandshake.Sincetouch
isthemostpowerfulandprimitive
nonverbalcue,itsworthdevotingtimeto
cultivatingagreathandshake.Theright
handshakecangiveyouinstantcredibility
andthewrongonecancostyouthejobor
thecontract.So,nodeadfishorbone
crushergrips,please.Thefirstmakesyou
appeartobeawimpandthesecondsignals
thatyouareabully.
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