Too much eye contact, checking your phone, or slouching – are you aware that these everyday gestures or postures could be common body language mistakes?
Business communication comes in many forms – written, oral, and even body.
Bad body language can reveal true feelings, send the wrong or mixed messages, and lead to negative business impact.
Here is the list of common body language mistakes you could be making and learn the ways to undo them.
Fidgeting
If you are attending a very long meeting, your body may feel fatigued, and you can start twitching or fidgeting to stop your body from numbing. Or, in a discussion, you may find yourself shrugging or waving your hands often.
Constant movement can lead your colleagues to think you are in a hurry to leave or to exhibit signs of being impatient or nervousness.
If you find that you are having trouble sitting still, you can excuse yourself and leave the room to stretch your legs outside.
After taking a breather and recharge your mind, you can be better able to concentrate and participate in the meeting.
Hands in the pocket
To avoid fidgeting, some people might stick their hands in the pocket or fold their arms.
However, in an important meeting with a business partner or investor, seeing a person with their hands hidden or tucked might send a signal that they were uncomfortable or unsure.
Hands are traditionally shaken at the end of an agreement, so when you show them, it can be a sign of power and affirmation.
Poor posture
Slouching, hunched, or leaning against the wall are not usually regarded as signs of a confident person.
They can also make people think you could be nervous, worried, or even fearful of them, and in turn, make them feel uncomfortable.
Unless you have an injury, there should be no reason you need to lean against the wall.
A way to stabilise yourself is to widen your stance, and shift your weight from one foot to another to ease the weight.
But standing tall and straight, you can hold a confident manner in the conversation.
Avoiding or having prolonged eye contact
Eyes convey many emotions, and in body language, they can even reveal the true feelings of the person.
Eye contact is one of the top non-verbal ways to show trust or reveal distrust.
However, prolonged eye contact can turn into a stare and make the person uncomfortable; and too little can give off signs of being dismissive or disinterested.
In a conversation, mirroring the person is an excellent way to see how long your eye contact should be as everybody is different.
If not, you can add a smile or laugh to break the tension in case of an awkward moment.
Mastering the art of body language will take lots of practice and research to the actions that make you feel most comfortable and authentic.
You can start by observing yourself during interaction with people, and pick up tips that you can adapt and personalise.
Main image from Pexels
