What Does Body Language Reveal About Peoples’ Mindset?
Reading body language is a good way to interpret how people feel about a given situation.
Words are only 50% of communication.
Those that can read people well can communicate better, understand feedback, motivate their team and gauge a situation.
Trevor McClintock, personal growth coach and ‘change agent’, talks body language to help business leaders discover what makes people tick and how they can communicate better through the use of positive body language.
The eyes are one of the most expressive parts of our body and convey emotions powerfully.
A good level of eye contact demonstrates honesty and avoiding eye contact can be interpreted as evasive.
A lot can be read from the eyes in terms of emotions as well.
Anger, worry, upset, happiness and excitement can all be found in expressive eyes.
Posture can demonstrate confidence and authority.
When people stand tall and speak with authority, they reveal a confident, clear-headed, focused mindset.
This is an attractive posture for managers and people in positions of authority as it instills confidence in their work force as opposed to the slumped, disinterested posture of someone who does not convey confidence in what they are saying to their team.
When someone holds their chin or touches their face while talking, this indicates nervousness or lack of authenticity.
If someone’s hands are fidgeting while they are speaking it indicates the same thing.
Relaxed hands reveal a calm, open and honest composure.
This fidgety individual may feel uncomfortable to be around you or may not be telling the truth.
If they are listening to you talk they may be uncertain about what you are saying so you should enquire if they have any concerns.
Happy, smiling body language and facial expressions enable other people to feel happy and relaxed.
Impatient, stressed or anxious body language can have the effect of causing other people to feel the same way.
As a manager, it’s important to convey a calm confidence to your team in order to make them feel assured and happy with your leadership.
No facial expression can make people feel uneasy and they may not open up to you as a manager if there is no positive feedback.
Your limbs can influence how you appear to someone else.
Folded arms or crossed legs can indicate lack of interest or defensiveness.
Open body language is welcoming and relaxed and invites interaction.
In a meeting situation it is best if people employ open body language in order to engage with those around them best.
Imitation of another person when communicating with them is something we do unconsciously.
When people like each other or are working together, they will imitate each other.
Smiling is a universal expression of happiness and confidence.
It’s important to smile in business situations to make people feel relaxed and at ease, but also beware of smiling too much and appearing insincere.
Fake smiles can also indicate dishonesty as well as insincerity.
When someone is smiling genuinely the smile will reach their eyes and it will not seem forced.
Body language goes hand in hand with verbal communication to reveal a lot about a person.
It’s important to consider your body language as well as what you say in words to present the right message in every professional situation.
If you need help or advice on how to get better at using the right body language why not write me a comment below or tweet me.