Actions Speak Louder than Words: Understanding Body Language

Intelligence communities have analyzed body language for decades. A slight head tilt or simple scratching of the nose can tell a trained professional volumes about what is going on in the subject's psyche. A study conducted by Dr. Albert Mehrabian concluded that body language can account for almost 50 percent of what we communicate. Other indicators factor into the message, but a surprisingly low 7 percent of communication is attributed to what we are actually saying. Make sure your body language is helping you convey a professional persona with these tips.

Positioned For Success

One of the most obvious body clues is posture. Hunched shoulders tell others that we are unmotivated, depressed or timid. Slouching in our seats at the conference table says we are not engaged in the meeting, tired or just ambivalent. Former FBI Counter Intelligence Agent Joe Navarro, a specialist in non-verbal communication, says that sitting splayed in your seat can be viewed as an act of aggression. Standing or sitting tall makes those around us feel that we are confident and alert...even if we're not.

Be Still

Fidgeting, pen tapping, and foot bouncing are all things I am chronically guilty of. In a recent speech, FBI Agent Navarro said that repetitive motions like these are used to pacify ourselves. Some ADD experts believe that certain types of fidgets help our brains to focus. Experts aside, fidgeting can come across to the untrained observer as a sign of nervousness. It can also be a distraction to those around you. On many occasions I have had co-workers ask how I learned to spin my pen through my fingers. In most cases I was unaware that I was doing it. It may have kept my mind focused, but it clearly distracted someone else. Sit still in meetings.

Eye to Eye

They say that the eyes are the window to the soul. I don't know about that, but I do know that direct eye contact is critical to appearing sincere and truthful. The expression "shifty eyes" says it all. Maintain eye contact with the people you are talking with to avoid looking dishonest or uncertain.

When it comes to body language, maybe we should take a cue from our pasts. As children, our mothers told us to stand up straight, to look at them when we were talking and to stop slouching. Sometimes mothers do know best.