What Is Your Body Language
Saying?
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l u e P a p e r The Eyes Have It: What Body Language Is Saying
In today’s competitive—and increasingly global—business culture, the value of
effective and active communications ems obvious. Often times, however, so
much thought is put into the verbal message that another key factor of successful
communication can be overlooked: body language. A “yes” with the pump of a fist. An “I care” with a hand on the heart. A “We’re plead to be working with you,” with direct eye contact. Body language can help
us become more likeable or a prentation more memorable,
or it can solidify business opportunities. But, it can also make
us look incompetent, ignorant or untrustworthy. That’s why it is
imperative for you and your employees to be attuned to and
aware of body language. In doing so, you will position your
business to better communicate while recognizing, intuiting
and interpreting the nonverbal cues of others.
This blue paper will begin by detailing the rearch on how to
obrve and decode body language, the emotions behind
common us of body language and the cultural and gender differences of body language. Following will be practical business “do’s and
don’ts” that show how to u this body language information to put your best
foot forward.What to know before obrving and interpreting
body language
Joe Navarro, author of “What Every Body is Saying,” outlines ten points necessary to guide the interpretation of body language. As you read on, keep the following in mind 1:
from time to time
1. Obrve your environment. Navarro likens careful obrvation
of body language to careful listening in a conversation. Both are equally important.
2. Obrve body language in context. The better you understandembarrassing
when someone us body language is just as important as how they
u it—body language can be situational. For instance, a person
who received bad news just prior to giving a prentation is likely to exhibit body language that they wouldn’t otherwi.
3. Learn to recognize and decode us of body language that are
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universal. The more universal cues you can recognize and accurately
interpret, the more nsitive you will be to all nonverbal cues and your interpretations will be more ac
curate. 1 Navarro, Joe. Every Body is Talking. New York: HarperCollins, 2008. Print.
l u e P a p e r 4. Learn to recognize body language that is common and unique to one
individual. Learn the quirks and ticks of your employees and business
partners in order to best be able to u their overall body language as
cues. 5. Attempt to establish balines. Much like the previous point, if you are
aware of the “normal” body language of a person, you will be better
able to interpret their emotions. If someone usually us their hands
frequently when they speak, you’ll be alert to changes in emotion when
they stop.
W atch for body language clusters.6. Accuracy of interpreting body language will be greatly incread when you monitor multiple us.
Don’t just look at someone’s eyes, look at their mouth, their gestures, etc. and note parallels and incongruent behavior.
7. Look for sudden changes in behavior. Sudden changes can indicate
that someone is processing information or adapting or responding
to a changing situation. This will allow for you to prepare for the
subquent changes in body language and recognize new thoughts. 8. Learn to detect fal or misleading signals. It takes many hours of
training to accomplish this, but only when you are aware of what a nonverbal cue does not mean, can you learn what it does.
9.
Know how to distinguish comfort and discomfort. This will assist you in interpreting all other emotions. 10. Be subtle. People respond differently when they know they are being
attitudesstudied. Don’t throw off your interpretations by throwing off the
person you are watching.
Common body language cues
Paul Ekman, renowned psychologist and scientific advisor to the Fox television ries
“Lie to Me,” believes that accurately interpreting the
meanings of nonverbal communications can make
[professionals] more effective leaders and managers. He
adds that “If we are nsitive to the expressions of another
person, then we know what impact we’re having on them
and what emotion they might be trying to conceal.” 2
Often the nonverbal cues best able to illustrate such impact
are tho that come from facial expressions (the eyes and
mouth), hand gestures, posture and proximity to others.
2 L evinson, Meridith. “How to Be a Mind Reader: The Art of Deciphering Body Language -.” - Business Technology Leadership. Web. 02 Sept. 2009. </article/103250/How_to_Be_a_Mind_Reader_The_Art_of_Deciphering_Body_Language?page=1>.
l u e P a p e r Facial expressions
Facial expressions are often assumed to be the easiest aspect of body language to interpret and perhaps the best indicator of true emotion. In actuality, facial expressions can be the most misleading of nonverbal cues.
“We imagine our emotional expressions as unambiguous ways of communicating how we’re feeling,” says Jamin Halberstadt, rearcher at the University of Otago in New Zealand. “But in real social interactions, facial expressions are blends of multiple emotions
– they are open to interpretation.” 3
E yes Everything from the direction of a gaze and the amount of time eye contact is
maintained, to the imperceptible shift of an eyebrow can give someone away.
Generally speaking, failure to make and maintain eye contact can be a sign
of dishonesty, disinterest or nervousness. A raid eyebrow often illustrates
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interest or surpri and is en as a submissive gesture while the raising of both
eyebrows usually indicates surpri, horror or incredulousness. A sideways glance
communicates interest, uncertainty or hostility while darting eyes indicate that
someone is looking for an “escape route.”
M outh Like the eyes, expressions made with the mouth may em easy to
interpret at first glance, but can be deceiving. Consider smiles. People smile for a variety of reasons—not just to express happiness.
Many people also smile when they feel fear or sadness or simply to
reassure. Some people even smile to show aggression, mischievousness or calculation. Additionally, regardless of the true emotion or how
genuine a smile may be, studies have shown that we subconsciously reciprocate them. 4
Other nonverbal cues given by the face are:
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concentrating, or angry n ostril flares, which often happen subconsciously when a person is aroud •
or taking breaths to prepare for an action
b lushing, which happens completely involuntarily to most people in • situations of embarrassment or shame
3 “Believing Is Seeing.” Newswi = Smart News Connection | Home. Web. 03 Sept. 2009.
&/articles/believing-is-eing?page=1&arch[status]=3&arch[sort]=date+desc&arch[ction]=30&arch[has_multimedia]=>.
4 Pea, Alan and Barbara. The Definitive Book of Body Language. New York: Bantam Dell, 2006.
l u e P a p e r
b lanching, which is more commonly referred to as going pale and is a • sign of shock or guilt 5
Often times, it’s helpful to consider the expressions of the eyes together with the expressions of the mouth to most accurately interpret meaning. For example, Ekman explains that “One sign of a true smile is the muscle around the eye relaxing, causing
the outer eyebrow to sag slightly. Sadness is also expresd around the eyes, but the mouth doesn’t lift at the corners.” 6Arguably, the most accurate way to decipher the true or hidden meanings behind facial expressions is through the examination of quick facial movements called “micro-expressions.” Ekman describes micro-expressions as flickers of true emotion 1⁄15 to 1⁄20 of a cond in length—almost imperceptible to the untrained eye—that “leak” when a person is attempting to express a disingenuous emotion. 7 Becau micro-expressions are so difficult to read, it can take years of training to accurately learn their meaning.For the rest of us, and becau of the varying meanings and interpretations of facial expressions, don’t always accept expressions at face value (no pun intended). U expressions as general indicators to guide conversation, look at other nonverbal cues
to corroborate with expressions, and ask further questions to clarify and gauge the thoughts and feelings of others. Ekman also reminds us that “It’s important to keep in mind that [facial expressions] do not reveal what is generating the emotion, only that an emotion is occurring.” 8
Posture
How someone holds him/herlf—posture—contributes greatly to
the overall message of body language and can convey a person’s
tokyo什么意思 level of confidence, openness, attentiveness and comfort level.
And, unlike facial expressions, posture is fairly evident upon
first glance and is relatively easy to interpret.
A person who is standing straight with shoulders back, chest
out and stomach in is someone who is open, exuding confidence
and commanding attention. Alternately, a person who is standing with his/her
shoulders slouched inward, with the head and neck down is someone who is either lacking confidence or interest or feeling inferior. Seated, someone who is sitting 5 Navarro, Joe. Every Body is Talking. New York: HarperCollins, 2008. Print.
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6 W ilson, Sarah. “Paul Ekman, the master of micro-expressions | Life and style | The Guardian.” The Guardian: Life and Style. The Guardian. Web. 03 Sept. 2009. <uk>.
7 E kman, Paul. “F .A.C.E. Training | About.” Web. 03 Sept. 2009.
</aboutmett2.aspx>.
8 L evinson, Meridith. “How to Be a Mind Reader: The Art of Deciphering Body Language -.” - Business Technology Leadership. Web. 02 Sept. 2009. </article/103250/How_to_Be_a_Mind_Reader_The_Art_of_Deciphering_Body_Language?page=1>.
l u e P a p e r upright with the legs crosd at the knees or the ankles with hands in the lap or on the arms of a chair is someone who looks comfortable and approachable while someone who is slouched back with their arms behind their head appears aloof, arrogant or apathetic.
When hoping to convey territorial dominance or superiority, we are apt to
subconsciously puff out or up our chests. Alternately, a person who feels inferior, lacks confidence or is otherwi uncomfortable, will turn inwards, slowly inching their
shoulders to their ears—much like the way a turtle retreats to its shell.Gestures
There are more nerve connections between the hands and
ip6the brain than between any other parts of the body, and therefore the
to begestures and positions we take with our hands give powerful insights into
our emotional state. 9 Additionally, politicians and other public speakers incorporate the u of hand gestures into speeches for a reason—when ud appropriately and consistently with the spoken message, they can place an effective emphasis on spoken
words or rve as a memory device to listeners.A study on this type of aided recall was conducted by the University of Manchester in England. It asked adult volunteers to listen to stories featuring a variety of characters and plotlines. For some listeners, a narrator added hand gestures such as movi
ng the hands up and down quickly to show running, a waving movement to demonstrate a hair dryer and arms wide apart to show an opera singer. When the listeners were tested 10 minutes later, tho who had en the hand gestures had up to a third higher recall rate
when remembering details of the storylines than tho who did not. 10Like the narrators in the stories, many people emphasize important or key points with gestures, u their arms and hands to demonstrate size or mimic motions being described in conversation. The gestures are often very purpoful or natural, but like other forms of body language, gestures can often be carried out subconsciously, as well.Here are some common gesture examples and their interpretations:
W hen someone rubs his or her palms together in a quick motion, they are •
communicating positive expectancy. R ubbing the thumb against the index fingers or fingertips is widely ud •
throughout North America when referring to money or cost. D uring negotiations, someone who is frustrated or fearful that they will •
lo the deal may clench their hands together.
A rms that are crosd in front of the chest are a clue that a person does • 9 Pea, Barbara, and Allan Pea. The Definitive Book of Body Language. New York: Bantam, 2006. Print.
10 Pea, Barbara, and Allan Pea. The Definitive Book of Body Language. New York: Bantam, 2006. Print.
