How to Get Ahead at Work Using Body Language
September 10, 2018Recent studies have suggested body mannerisms are better at conveying emotions than facial expressions, so next time you’re up for a promotion, or salary negotiations, keep these five body language predictors in mind.
1. Copy your boss’s body language
Subtle forms of body mimicry have been proven helpful when trying to win someone over. A study from Nijmegen University in the Netherlandseven found that mimicry can increase rapport and better your chances at getting what you want.
2. Don’t shake your leg
"Shaking your legs while sitting sends a giant message to everyone around you about your inner feelings of anxiety or irritation or both," says Susan Krauss Whitbourne, Ph.D., in Psychology Today. "Your legs are the largest area of your body, so when they move, it’s pretty hard for others not to notice… Crossing your legs at the ankles is the equivalent to folding your hands in your lap, and doing both at the same time will greatly settle your feelings, while it ramps up your poise factor."
3. Don’t touch your neck
Stretching, touching, or rubbing your neck can signal signs you’re uncomfortable, or lying."This area is rich with nerve endings that, when stroked, reduce blood pressure, lower the heart rate, and calm the individual down," says Joe Navarro, former FBI and counterintelligence agentandauthor of What Every Body Is Saying. "Neck behaviours are extremely accurate, and communicate effectively across all cultures, because they are limbically derived and respond to the world in real time."
4. Don’t be afraid to have a firm handshake
You’ll have heard this before, but it doesn’t make it any less true. Having a firm handshake conveys that your extroverted and emotionally expressive. “We also found that women who had firm handshakes tended to be evaluated as positively as men,” said Dr. William Chaplin, a researcher for the University of Alabama. “This finding was interesting because often when women have characteristics that are more similar to men, they tend to elicit a somewhat more negative evaluation — simply because it’s counter to the usual stereotypes.”
5. Smile!
Research has shown smiling during stressful situations can trick your brain and improve performance. “No matter what the task, when you grimace or frown while doing it, you're sending your brain a message, 'This is really difficult. I should stop,'” writes Carol Kinsey Goman, an expert on body language and leadership. “The brain then responds by sending stress chemicals into your bloodstream. And, this creates a vicious circle — the more stressed you are, the more difficult the task becomes.”
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