Impactful communication is a multi-faceted skill set. It involves not only our choice of words, but also how we carry ourselves, the confidence we exude and the respect we’re able to command. When done well, it can have a dramatic effect on our success as business professionals.
Knowledge, proven skills and experience are important; however your skill set isn’t complete until you’ve mastered the art of non-verbal communication. To reach your highest level of success, you simply must learn how to communicate effectively with others using this crucial soft skill.
Simply put, nonverbal communication is an outward expression of our mental state that others observe and decode immediately. It is a means of transmitting information through facial expressions, gestures, touching, physical movement, posture, body adornment and even the tone, timbre and volume of an individual’s voice.
Even though the transmission of this information comprises 60-65% of all interpersonal communication, most business professionals go through life totally unaware of what their body language is saying to others. And because people are not always aware they are communicating nonverbally, we’ve come to learn that body language is often more honest than an individual’s carefully crafted words. If there is any discrepancy between the two, we are hardwired to automatically trust the non-verbal communication.
To that end, it is important to know that…
A business professional will communicate most effectively and exude confidence and command respect when his or her verbal and non-verbal communication consistently send the same message.
To ensure we appear confident in the eyes of others, here are three
easy non-verbal ways to exude confidence.
1. Take up Space with Arms Akimbo
Highly confident individuals claim more space with their entire body than less confident individuals. They spread their feet apart, stand up tall, push their shoulders down and back and hold their arms akimbo. (Arms akimbo is a territorial behavior used to assert dominance and project an image of authority. Simply place your hands on your hips with thumbs backwards and pull your elbows slightly forward to create a V pattern.)
Less confident individuals typically stand with their feet close together while keeping their arms close to their body so as not to take up too much space. Their neck may disappear as their shoulders lift toward their ears. If their torso rolls forward just slightly the end result is an upper body that appears smaller than what it really is.
The young lady in the upper right photo is taking up more space with her arms than the other two ladies pictured below her whose arms are crossed or held behind their back.
2. Keep Your Chin Up
When our confidence is low or we are faced with adversity, we will – very naturally – drop our chin. That’s why when we see a person with his or her chin down, we assume they are lacking confidence or experiencing negative thoughts or feelings. The old adage “keep your chin up” is true. If we want to be perceived as being in a positive frame of mind, we should make sure our chin is up!
In the photo to the right, President Bush’s lowered chin combined with his disappearing lips are indicators of stress, anxiety and a low level of confidence.
3. Steeple with Confidence
Steepling is a hand gesture we naturally use when we are confident in our thoughts and/or position. It is a useful behavior to adopt when we want to demonstrate quiet confidence. Simply spread your fingers apart and touch the fingertips of both hands together without interlocking the fingers or touching the palms. In our final photo, we see British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, steeple to demonstrate confidence during an inquiry.
Over the next week or so, incorporate these three behaviors into your daily interactions and let me know how it goes!
Wishing you all the best personally and professionally!
Starla
