Ways to Use Body Language At Work to Boost Your Career
Body language is the mirror reflection of your inner self and it will reflect the rays of how you are going to behave and treat others in your professional life. Non-verbal cues have a great impact on the way you communicate. You need to be self-aware of your body language in the workplace. The body language of a person includes all of your character traits, body posture, hand, body, face gestures, eye contact, way of talking, confidence, grooming, and positive thinking. The use of body language, if done in the right way, helps you build positive relationships and connections in your career.
What is Body Language?
Body language is a form of non-verbal communication that people use to communicate, which includes elements like gestures, tone of voice, eye contact, and posture. Body language is really important for building or maintaining a career. It is about how you present yourself in the workplace.
Your body language shows your presence in the conversation and your awareness of your surroundings. By developing self-awareness of your body language, not only do you become more confident, but also set an example for your team to improve themselves.
Importance of Body Language in the Workplace
Your body language helps you reinforce and lay emphasis on the messages that you want to convey to the people with whom you work. By becoming aware of these non-verbal cues, you improve your communication skills and at the same time, understand the clues of the other person.
By learning how to use body language, you get to:
- Communicate in better ways with your team.
- Learn body language to better understand others’ feelings during communication.
- You can create a positive impact on your customers or clients.
- You create a professional image of yourself within your organization.
What are the Elements of Body Language?
Body language covers a wide range of elements, which, when combined, ensure that the message you are communicating does not lose its meaning.
Here are the key elements that form part of your body language:
- Facial expressions: Your facial expressions convey your emotions and are used in the same manner universally. They can communicate your feelings without even saying a word.
- Body movement and posture: People perceive you by the way you sit, walk, or stand. How you carry yourself communicates your behaviour.
- Gestures: When we communicate with others, gestures form a big part of the way they are understood by others. The movement of your hands while communicating your message makes it easier for others to understand.
- Eye contact: How you look at someone communicates different things. It shows your interest, affection, or hostility.
- Space: We all need physical space when having a conversation with others. When in a workplace, you need to be aware not to cross someone’s space and make them uncomfortable.
- Voice: When talking to another person, they notice the tone of your voice, how loud you speak and your timing.
How to Improve your Body Language?
Positive body language plays a crucial role in building good relationships at work. Also, proper utilization of body language increases your confidence and contributes to more effective team building.
Here are a few ways to improve your body language:
- Greet with a smile: Greeting everyone with a smile shows how positive, friendly, approachable, and welcoming you are to others, which will have a big impact on your conduct.
- Watch your body posture: Maintaining good posture is a sign of confidence, which helps you create a good image.
- Strong handshake: A strong handshake represents your confidence and shows that you are well aware of using non-verbal cues.
- Positive eye contact: Maintaining good eye contact during ongoing conversations shows that you are interested and present while having the conversation.
- Dress for the occasion: The way you dress can show how professional you are and what kind of respect you have for your work and workspace.
Conclusion
Your body language plays a key role in the way you communicate with others and how your message is understood by them. Several elements come into play for another person to understand your message. The way you speak, the gestures you use to express yourself and other non-verbal cues play a key role in how your message is perceived by others. To ensure that you do well in your career, you need to become aware of the body language you use so that your message and tone stay clear and positive.
