I was sitting in a negotiation some time ago keeping quiet as the discussion was being led by a colleague who was presenting, minding my own business, when I suddenly realised I was missing out on a great opportunity to observe the other side. To see who looked positive, who was grumpy, were they attentive of board. I am not an expert on body language, but it was fascinating to observe how differently individuals were reacting to the same presentation.
One thing I noticed was one individual putting their right hand and then their left hand to their face over their mouth as they listened and responded. This article on When we are Judging or Trying to Deceive suggests that “when we see, speak and hear lies or deceit, we are likely to attempt to cover our mouth, hands or ears with our hands” - monkeys do the same thing - on the basis of Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil. I didn’t think about it at the time, but the presentation was not going spectacularly well!
However, this is a complex subject and the same article suggests that “Evaluation is shown by a closed hand resting on the chin or cheek, often with the index finger pointing upwards. When the person begins to lose interest but still wants to appear interested for courtesy’s sake, the position will alter so that the heel of the palm supports the head as boredom sets in.” So maybe the person on the other side of the table was just bored, which is not good either come to think of it.
This Mail Online article has some interesting extracts from a book The Body Language Bible by Judi James commenting that in face-to-face communication your words account for as little as seven per cent of the perceived impact of your message. Your vocal tone is about 38 per cent, but your body language takes the lion’s share with around 55 per cent.
On a more academic note this Harvard Law School article on Using Body Language in Negotiation makes some interesting observations including the value in this context of actual face to face meetings as opposed to Skype calls - As convenient as electronic media may be, they lack the visual cues offered by body language in negotiation help convey valuable information and forge connections in face-to-face talks.
We can always try to manage our body language – sitting still, not leaning forward of back, but it is really difficult do truly deceive a careful observer. As Ralph Waldo Emerson says “When the eyes say one thing, and the tongue another, a practiced man relies on the language of the first.”
One thing I do however firmly believe is that positive, enthusiastic and approachable body language when negotiating or presenting or networking really helps. See this article on Positive Body Language which comments Positive body language helps people to be liked by other people in an organization or community and is therefore must for people across disciplines and ethnicities, as it plays a pivotal role in shaping our discussions and relationships with other people in our daily life. This applies at least as much in adversity as when things are going well.
As Samuel Taylor Coleridge says Nothing is so contagious as enthusiasm and this can be expressed at least as much in body language as verbally.
One thing I noticed was one individual putting their right hand and then their left hand to their face over their mouth as they listened and responded. This article on When we are Judging or Trying to Deceive suggests that “when we see, speak and hear lies or deceit, we are likely to attempt to cover our mouth, hands or ears with our hands” - monkeys do the same thing - on the basis of Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil. I didn’t think about it at the time, but the presentation was not going spectacularly well!
However, this is a complex subject and the same article suggests that “Evaluation is shown by a closed hand resting on the chin or cheek, often with the index finger pointing upwards. When the person begins to lose interest but still wants to appear interested for courtesy’s sake, the position will alter so that the heel of the palm supports the head as boredom sets in.” So maybe the person on the other side of the table was just bored, which is not good either come to think of it.
This Mail Online article has some interesting extracts from a book The Body Language Bible by Judi James commenting that in face-to-face communication your words account for as little as seven per cent of the perceived impact of your message. Your vocal tone is about 38 per cent, but your body language takes the lion’s share with around 55 per cent.
On a more academic note this Harvard Law School article on Using Body Language in Negotiation makes some interesting observations including the value in this context of actual face to face meetings as opposed to Skype calls - As convenient as electronic media may be, they lack the visual cues offered by body language in negotiation help convey valuable information and forge connections in face-to-face talks.
We can always try to manage our body language – sitting still, not leaning forward of back, but it is really difficult do truly deceive a careful observer. As Ralph Waldo Emerson says “When the eyes say one thing, and the tongue another, a practiced man relies on the language of the first.”
One thing I do however firmly believe is that positive, enthusiastic and approachable body language when negotiating or presenting or networking really helps. See this article on Positive Body Language which comments Positive body language helps people to be liked by other people in an organization or community and is therefore must for people across disciplines and ethnicities, as it plays a pivotal role in shaping our discussions and relationships with other people in our daily life. This applies at least as much in adversity as when things are going well.
As Samuel Taylor Coleridge says Nothing is so contagious as enthusiasm and this can be expressed at least as much in body language as verbally.
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