IQ-Magazine-Issue-15

IQ human resources
Jacqui Kemp of Namasté Culture which helps businesses to create positive working environments,
offers some insights into how body language can be interpreted in the work place.
In the last issue, I spoke about the research of Albert
Mehrabian, identifying that when discussing our attitudes
or feelings we receive 55% of the message from non-verbal
clues e.g. body language, and how our own body language
can affect the way we respond to email.
By ensuring our body language is congruent with the words
we use, we will give a clear message. If however, I say yes to
something while shaking my head, the other person may not
be convinced that I mean what I have said.
When you are in a situation where you don’t necessarily
believe the words that you are hearing, you may have
unconsciously picked up some clues from the other person's
body language.
The non-verbal clues we give include:
• Overall posture
• Facial expressions
• Head and hand movements
• Tone of voice
• Eye contact - recent research suggests that we may
hold eye contact for longer when telling untruths to try
to appear sincere
Rapport occurs when two or more people feel they are in
sync or on the same wavelength because they feel similar or
relate well to each other.
When we are in a disagreement with someone else, we may
close down our body language by folding our arms, turning
our body away from them and giving generally discouraging
signals.
When we have good rapport, we will naturally mirror the
other person, nod our head to what they are saying, match
the language they use and generally give encouraging signals
to show we are in agreement.
We can use this natural mirroring to build rapport with
someone we may disagree with.
Sometimes I ask people to discuss something they disagree
on and match body language. It sounds counter intuitive, but
I have found that people start listening to the other person's
perspective when they do not allow themselves to physically
shut the other person out.
I have witnessed people who have had long-standing conflict
find agreement when using this simple technique; they may
never be best friends, but they can start to find some common
ground.
It can be fun to practice picking up the signals by watching
others, perhaps by watching interviews on TV, or if there
is something that you tend to disagree on at home. Try
matching the other person's body language (before things get
heated) and see what the outcome is!
More Information
01954 267640
www.namasteculture.co.uk
issue 15 | page 27