Gestures and Body Language in Soft Skills

Soft skills refer to the way one conducts himself/herself at workplace. It is an individual’s behaviour which either makes or breaks him.

Gestures and body language play a crucial role in soft skills.

Gesture is a type of communication where the individual communicates without speaking, simply with the help of hand and body movements, facial expressions and so on.

Let me share a case study which will make you clear about the importance of gestures and body language in enhancing our personality.

Tom was invited at a business conference where he had to represent his organization and share a presentation with other attendees highlighting nature of business, organization’s growth plans and so on. Without an iota of doubt, his superiors approved his presentation as he had covered all the important aspects but somehow, he failed to impress his audience.

Where do you think is the problem ?

Trust me, the problem was not in the content and the facts shared in the presentation but somewhere else. Tom had a bad habit of biting his nails and fiddling with stuff around. Even in his wildest dreams, he had not imagined that this bad habit of his would affect his growth path in the organization. Biting nails, looking around, playing with pen during a presentation indicate that the individual concerned has a casual approach and is not so serious about his job.

Employees, especially after lunch tend to put their heads down pretending to think about some serious issue whereas actually they are sleeping and lost in some other world. Trust me; such behaviour is not at all acceptable at workplace. It is essential for everyone associated with the organization irrespective of his/her position to follow the decorum and maintain discipline at workplace. Nobody will tell you to sit straight at desk. This is something which is expected out of you.

Some individuals fail to make eye contact with others while interacting. They look everywhere around except the person whom they are talking to. Believe me; making eye contact with the audience goes a long way in not only breaking the ice but also others taking you seriously.

Your body movements and facial expressions also reveal a lot about your personality. Sometimes, you just do not need words to express your feelings; your expressions, postures, gestures are enough. An individual sitting in a meeting with head tilted, confused look, yawning excessively indicate that he/she is extremely bored – certainly an insult to others sitting in the same room.

Walk with confidence. Trust me, no one else except you, is responsible for your growth and success.

Mark wanted to meet Tim to discuss his career path and also guide him if at all he is facing any problem. Tim sat in front of Mark with his arms crossed across his chest. Such a posture indicates that Tim was adamant and not open to any new suggestions and ideas. His posture somehow tried to create a barrier between him and Mark.

It is bad manners to interact with your fellow workers or superiors with your hands on your waist. It simply shows you are over confident and do not need anyone else’s advice. It is always better if such things are avoided.

Do not give confused looks at workplace. Keep a smile on your face. It does make a difference. What would you feel about someone sitting with a clenched fist? Obviously, either the other person is extremely upset or wants to hit someone really hard. Such is the importance of gestures, postures, hand movements, body movements and so on in deciding your nature, behaviour and overall image.

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