Body Language

Know the Impression Your Body Language Makes

Gestures, posture, and facial expressions all convey powerful messages to the people you interact with. Yet far too many people are unaware of the messages their body language sends. Next time you’re in an important meeting, ask yourself these two questions:

Am I fidgeting? If you’re sitting still and listening, then all is probably well. But if you’re shifting about in your chair, drumming your fingers, or worst of all, looking at your phone, then you can be sure that the person talking feels like you’re not interested in what they have to say.

Am I interrupting? In any healthy debate people will occasionally interrupt. But if you do it a lot, or are leaning in to make your point, people may feel that you’re not open to what they are saying.

Today’s Management Tip of Harvard Business Review was adapted from “Your Body Language Speaks for You in Meetings” by Charalambos Vlachoutsicos.

Tags: body, business, expression, facial, fidgeting, gestures, harvard, language, posture, review