If you’re a manager, you know how important it is to have close relationships with the members of your team. To be effective, you need to be receptive to their ideas and listen to their concerns. You need to encourage your team members to speak openly and honestly. One way you can do this is through nonverbal communication.
Everyone communicates nonverbally – sometimes without even realizing it! We say so much through our posture, gestures, and facial expressions.
The Harvard Business Review conducted a study that illustrates this point. They showed participants three pictures of a physician meeting with a patient. (See image below – the physician is the one holding the clipboard.) Then they asked them how comfortable they would feel in each of these situations if they disagreed with the physician and wanted to express their feelings.
Study participants indicated that they would feel “moderately intimidated” in situations one and three. But in situation two – in which the physician is sitting much higher than the patient – they reported feeling a much higher level of intimidation.
So it is possible to use body language to indicate that you’re in charge, intimidating, and unapproachable. But it’s also possible to communicate that you’re open to new ideas and willing to listen! Here’s what you need to do:
- Uncross your arms – hold them at your sides
- Smile
- Lower your voice
- Dress less formally
- Sit at the same table with the people you’re talking to
- Don’t be the first one to give your opinion at a meeting
It’s also a good idea to occasionally meet with people outside of the office – for instance at a coffee shop or restaurant. The neutral location can help to remove hierarchical barriers and make everyone feel a little more open and relaxed.
Good luck. And remember to uncross those arms!
Detert, J. R., & Burris, E. R. (2015, December 11). Nonverbal cues get employees to open up – or shut down. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from: https://hbr.org/2015/12/nonverbal-cues-get-employees-to-open-upor-shut-down-2
