10 Powerful and Simple Body Language Tips for 2015
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Evidence
from psychology, neuroscience, sociology, anthropology, and
communication studies has given nonverbal communication new credence in
the workplace.
Here
are 10 powerful, simple � and sometimes surprising � body language tips
from recent research studies:
1. To convince yourself that
you�ll keep your New Year�s resolutions, sit straight when you write
them.
Good posture not only influences
the way that other people perceive you, it changes the way you feel
about yourself. An
Ohio State University study found that people who sat up straight were
more likely to believe the positive comments they wrote about their
qualifications for a job. Those who were slumped over their desks were
less likely to accept their own statements as valid.
2. To become more
trusting, hold
a cup of coffee.
A study
done at Yale discovered that participants who held a warm cup of coffee
as opposed to a cold beverage were more likely to judge a confederate
as trustworthy after only a brief interaction.
3. To increase your
productivity, synchronize your head nods.
Scientists
at Stanford University found that people working together on a project
who moved their heads and bodies the same way came up with more
creative solutions. When team members� body language was in sync, they
worked more collaboratively and generated more productive and
innovative ideas.
4. To perform well under
pressure, squeeze a ball with your left hand.
When
seasoned athletes under-perform
they may be
focusing too much on their movements (which, for right handed people,
is a right hemisphere brain function) rather than relying on the
automatic motor skills developed through years of practice (which are
associated with left hemisphere function). Research findings at the
Technical University of Munich found that athletes who squeezed a ball
in their left hand, performed better and were less likely to choke
under pressure.
5. To stay positive when you
read email, relax your face.
A
study at the University of California found that people process
messages as having an angrier tone when they are asked to read those
sentences with their eyebrows furrowed.
6. To negotiate a �win-win�
deal, shake on it.
A simple
handshake communicates warmth and cooperation. Harvard Business School
found that people who shook hands before negotiating ended up with a
more equitable deal than those who went straight to business. Plus, the
hand-shakers were less likely to deceive one another as the negotiation
progressed.
7. To increase your paycheck,
lower your voice.
Scientists
at Duke University discovered the optimal pleasing sound frequency to
be around 125 Hz., and the lower the voice, the more authority it
conveys. (James Earl Jones -- the actor who gave voice to Star Trek�s
Darth Vader -- speaks at around 85 Hz.) Along with researchers at the
University of California San Diego, the Duke team analyzed recordings
of 792 U.S. chief executives at public companies. After controlling for
experience, education and other influential factors, they found that a
drop of 22 Hz in voice frequency correlated with an increase of
$187,000 in compensation.
8. To make a positive first
impression, start before you enter the room.
A study at the University of
Glasgow�s Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging that discovered it takes
the brain just 200 milliseconds to gather most of the information it
needs from a facial expression to determine a person's emotional state.
That�s why you can�t wait until
you�re in the meeting room to �warm up.� You�ve got to walk in, already
expressing the emotions you want to project.
9. To enhance your customers�
experience, touch them.
Research
by the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration shows that
being touched increase the tips that customers leave their servers. The
results were significant. Customers who weren�t touched left an average
tip of 12%. Tips increased to 14% from those who were touched on the
shoulders, and to 17% from those touched twice on the hand.
But
it isn�t only in restaurants that customers respond favorably to touch.
In many commercial settings, casually touching customers has been shown
to increase the time they spend in a store, the amounts they purchase,
and the favorable evaluation of their shopping experience in that store.
10. To make sure you�ll keep
your New Year�s resolutions, tighten your muscles.
Research at
the National University of Singapore and the University of Chicago
found that participants who tightened their muscles � hand, finger,
calf or bicep � were able to increase their self-control. It was also
found that muscle tightening only helped with willpower when the
choices the participants faced aligned with their stated goals.
About the Author
Carol
Kinsey Goman, Ph.D. is an executive coach and international speaker (on
collaborative leadership, change management, and the impact of body
language in the workplace) at corporate, government, and association
events. She's a leadership blogger for Forbes and the author of twelve
business books including �THE SILENT LANGUAGE OF LEADERS: How Body
Language Can Help � or Hurt How You Lead." To contact Carol call
510-526-1727, email [email protected],
or visit Carol�s website www.CarolKinseyGoman.com.
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Article Published/Sorted/Amended on Scopulus 2015-01-22 11:41:18 in Personal Articles
