The Body Language

What is Body Language?

Body language is nonverbal communication that involves body movement. “Gesturing” can also
be termed as body language which is absolutely non-verbal means of communication. People in
the workplace can convey a great deal of information without even speaking; through nonverbal
communication.

Not all of our values, beliefs, thoughts and intentions are communicated verbally. In an ongoing
communication, most of those are communicated non-verbally. In Non-verbal communication,
our human body expresses our feelings and intentions through conscious and unconscious
movements and postures, accompanied by gestures, facial expressions, eye contacts and touch.
This collectively forms a separate language of the body within the ongoing communication. This
is called Body Language.

How Does the Body Speak?

Our human body speaks through the conscious and unconscious movements and postures, hand
gestures, facial expressions, eye movements and touch. Each of these physical movements of the
body parts could be seen as separate words and can be interpreted differently by other human
beings within a given context of communication.

Why is Body Language Important?

Since interpretations of body language differ from people to people and cultures to countries it is
important to learn about them. Body language alone comprises of 55% of total communication
whereas spoken words comprise of 7% and tone of voice comprise 38%.

The importance of body language:

Your nonverbal communication cues—the way you listen, look, move, and react—tell the person
you’re communicating with whether or not you care, if you’re being truthful, and how well
you’re listening. When your nonverbal signals match up with the words you’re saying, they
increase trust, clarity, and rapport. When they don’t, they can generate tension, mistrust, and
confusion.

If you want to become a better communicator, it’s important to become more sensitive not only
to the body language and nonverbal cues of others, but also to your own.

Body language can play five roles:

 Repetition: It repeats and often strengthens the message you’re making verbally.
 Contradiction: It can contradict the message you’re trying to convey, thus indicating to
your listener that you may not be telling the truth.
  Substitution: It can substitute for a verbal message. For example, your facial expression
often conveys a far more vivid message than words ever can.
 Complementing: It may add to or complement your verbal message. As a boss, if you
pat an employee on the back in addition to giving praise, it can increase the impact of
your message.
 Accenting: It may accent or underline a verbal message. Pounding the table, for example,
can underline the importance of your message.

Types of body language and nonverbal communication:

The many different types of nonverbal communication or body language include:

Facial expressions: The human face is extremely expressive, able to convey countless emotions
without saying a word. And unlike some forms of nonverbal communication, facial expressions
are universal. The facial expressions for happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, fear, and disgust are
the same across cultures.

Body movement and posture: Consider how your perceptions of people are affected by the way
they sit, walk, stand, or hold their head. The way you move and carry yourself communicates a
wealth of information to the world. This type of nonverbal communication includes your posture,
bearing, stance, and the subtle movements you make.

Gestures: Gestures are woven into the fabric of our daily lives. You may wave, point, beckon,
or use your hands when arguing or speaking animatedly, often expressing yourself with gestures
without thinking. However, the meaning of some gestures can be very different across cultures.
While the “OK” sign made with the hand, for example, usually conveys a positive message in
English-speaking countries, it’s considered offensive in countries such as Germany, Russia, and
Brazil. So, it’s important to be careful of how you use gestures to avoid misinterpretation.

Eye contact: Since the visual sense is dominant for most people, eye contact is an especially
important type of nonverbal communication. The way you look at someone can communicate
many things, including interest, affection, hostility, or attraction. Eye contact is also important in
maintaining the flow of conversation and for gauging the other person’s interest and response.

Touch: We communicate a great deal through touch. Think about the very different messages
given by a weak handshake, a warm bear hug, a patronizing pat on the head, or a controlling grip
on the arm, for example.

Space: Have you ever felt uncomfortable during a conversation because the other person was
standing too close and invading your space? We all have a need for physical space, although that
need differs depending on the culture, the situation, and the closeness of the relationship. You
can use physical space to communicate many different nonverbal messages, including signals of
intimacy and affection, aggression or dominance.

Voice: It’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it. When you speak, other people “read” your
voice in addition to listening to your words. Things they pay attention to include your timing and
pace, how loud you speak, your tone and inflection, and sounds that convey understanding, such
as “ahh” and “uh-huh.” Think about how your tone of voice can indicate sarcasm, anger,
affection, or confidence.

Grooming:

Grooming is important because people need to look nice. When you go out in public, you want
to present yourself in the best light. Your appearance is important not only in making the right
first impression but in building long-term relations that rely upon mutual respect and
understanding. By following the grooming etiquettes you will be one step closer to building solid
business relationships and (whatever our profession) having the most professional appearance
possible. This course will help you to master your body language, be alert of your unconscious
nonverbal cues, refining and tuning your self-image to eventually projecting a professional
image.

Personal appearance is an often-disregarded part of communication and presentation skills.

When you are speaking in public, you may be representing your organisation or just yourself. It
is still you at the front. It is you that the other person, group or audience sees and before you have
time to open your mouth and say anything, certain assumptions, both consciously and
subconsciously, have been made. First impressions are very important - they can be about
attitude as well as dress.

Visual impact is at least as important as verbal impact. People will very quickly make
assumptions based on your personal appearance, including your facial expressions, the clothes
you wear, how well-groomed you are and your body language.

What is Self-Introduction?
Self-introduction is simply the act of introducing yourself to others. It’s a brief statement about
you at the start of a conversation. It usually contains your name, occupation, personal
background, and interests. The content and tone of your self-introduction vary as per the setting.
It could be a brief greeting at a social event or a detailed explanation at a job interview.

But regardless of its form, a well-crafted introduction makes a huge impact on the people you
meet. An introduction sets the stage for the connection between people.

Introducing Yourself to Others:

If you notice, even as a child, you would be asked to give your introduction. Relatives would
often ask you your name, school, father’s name, etc.

And you would instantly blurt out a rehearsed answer to them. Like a pro.
But now, as a grown-up, you find it hard to give a clean self-introduction?

What changed?

Well, reasons may vary from person to person and also depend on the situation.

Here are a few common reasons:

 Shyness or Introverted Nature: Some people are naturally more introverted. You may
find it difficult to open up about yourself.
 Low Esteem or confidence: If you feel under-confident (for whatever reasons), it will
show through your body language and words. You will be nervous presenting yourself.
Like, you may feel inexperienced or out of place meeting the CEO of a company in a
five-star hotel.
 Fear of Judgment: You may be distracted, thinking too much about your image and how
you are coming across to people. This distraction may cause you to struggle with smooth
delivery.
 Poor Communication Skills: If your English is poor, you won’t be able to articulate
yourself clearly. You will be too conscious about speaking correct English.
 If you aren’t prepared, you would struggle to find the right words. You may hold yourself
from talking freely due to the fear of judgment from well-spoken individuals.
 Lack of Preparation: Without preparation, you ramble or jump from topic to topic. It
becomes difficult for the listener to understand what you’re trying to convey. You may
forget to mention important details about yourself that could help you connect with the
listener.

Overall, your self-introduction in any conversation may make up for 10% of the whole
conversation, but it leaves a long-lasting impression.

Let’s understand why a powerful self-introduction is important.

How Self-introduction Makes an Impact?

A well-crafted introduction benefits you in many ways.

Here are five reasons telling the importance of self-introduction:

Establishes Connection:

 Introducing yourself creates a connection with others, whether it is in a personal or

professional setting. With a prepared introduction, you’ll be less nervous to start
conversations.
 People open up to you only when they know something about you. And when they care.
 A good introduction tells enough about you for people to decide whether they want to
connect with you. Whether it’s your job, city, school, interests, etc.
  The more interesting your self-introduction, the more curious and inclined people would
be to connect with you.

First Impressions Matter:

 With a powerful self-introduction, you’ll take control of the first impression.

 Poor or half information risks people making assumptions. By introducing yourself well,
you proactively shape how others see you. And what they remember about you.
 This is crucial whether you’re attending a job interview, meeting new colleagues, or
networking at an event.

Helps You Build Your Network:

 Suppose you are at a networking event. And you highlight your expertise and
professional accomplishment via your introduction.
 You will connect with potential mentors or collaborators.
 A powerful self-introduction helps you meet like-minded individuals. And expand your
network of contacts that could become valuable resources for you.

Boosts Your Confidence:

 When you have a solid introduction prepared, you won’t feel nervous about meeting a
stranger.
 In fact, you’ll be eager to impress others and start a conversation.
 And you’ll feel more confident in your ability to make a great impression.

Stand Out from the Crowd:

 If you’re introducing yourself to potential employers or clients, a strong self-introduction

help you differentiate yourself from other candidates or competitors.
 By sharing your unique selling proposition (USP), you will make it easier for them to
remember you and recognize your strengths.

By taking the time to craft a thoughtful, meaningful introduction that is tailored to the specific
setting and audience, you can set yourself up for success in any professional or social situation.

Elements of a Powerful Self-introduction:

Generally, when you introduce yourself to someone, you typically include,

 Your full name or the name you prefer to be called

 Your background, such as where you’re from, your education, or your profession
 Your skills, experience, or accomplishments that are relevant to the context
 Your personal interests or hobbies
 Your goals or aspirations
Use of Polite Language in Business Communication:

In business settings, the manner of expression is often as critical as the message itself. Polite
phrases can soften requests, demonstrate respect, and leave a positive impression. They are vital
in establishing and nurturing professional relationships.

Key Polite Phrases for Daily Interactions

1. Initiating Conversations: "Good morning/afternoon/evening" – A standard friendly

greeting. "Excuse me" – A polite way to gain someone's attention. Example: "Good
morning. Could I have a moment of your time?"
2. Making Requests: "Could you please..." – A respectful request format. "Would you
mind..." – A courteous way to ask for a favor. Example: "Could you please assist me with
this report?"
3. Offering Help: "Can I help with..." – Proactively offering assistance. "Is there anything I
can do to assist?" – Indicating readiness to help. Example: "Can I help with organizing
the meeting?"
4. Expressing Gratitude: "Thank you" or "Thanks" are simple expressions of gratitude. "I
appreciate your help/time" – Acknowledging someone's effort. Example: "Thank you for
your prompt response to this matter."
5. Apologizing: "I'm sorry" or "My apologies" are expressions of regret. "I apologize for..."
– Accepting responsibility for an error. Example: "I apologize for any inconvenience
caused."
6. Concluding Conversations: "Have a good day/evening" – A warm farewell. "Looking
forward to our next meeting" – A positive ending note. Example: "Thank you for the
discussion. Have a great day."

Effective Use of Polite Phrases:

 Sincerity is Key: Employ polite phrases sincerely to ensure authentic communication.

 Cultural Awareness: Recognize that politeness varies across cultures, and adapt your
phrases accordingly.
 Regular Practice: Integrate polite phrases into daily interactions for greater ease and
fluency.

Resources for Learning Polite Phrases

Language learning apps, online courses, and business English books are excellent resources.
Platforms like BBC Learning English and free webinars on business communication skills can be
beneficial. Mastering polite English phrases is essential for non-native speakers in a business
context. Utilizing these phrases effectively can smooth professional interactions and strengthen
workplace relationships.
Grapevine communication:

Grapevine communication happens in every organization, no matter the company size or

industry. This informal type of communication may have a significant impact on the employee
experience you can deliver as well as your business performance and your ability to build trust
with your employees.

Therefore, it is crucial for employers to understand the power of grapevine communication in

order to be able to control and manage it effectively.

Even though some employers try to prevent and stop grapevine communication, it is an
inevitable part of business life, with the American Management Association estimating that fully
70% of all organizational communication emanates through the grapevine. Moreover, most
employees deem it trustworthy as well.

As grapevine communication is mainly based on the spoken word, such as the “water cooler
talks,” it can be impossible for employers to track it and understand the negative consequences
grapevine communication can have on their workforce.

4 Types of Grapevine Communication:

 Single Strand Chain: The single strand chain involves passing information through a
line of persons to the ultimate recipient.
 Gossip Chain: In the gossip chain, one person seeks and tells the information to
everyone. This chain is just like the wheel where one person stays at the center and
passes the information to other employees.
 Probability Chain: The probability chain is a random process in which someone
transmits the information to others in accordance with the laws of probability, and then
these others pass the information in a similar way.
 Cluster Chain: In the cluster chain, a person tells the information to the selected people,
who may, in turn, pass the information to other selected people.

Negative sides of grapevine communication in the workplace:

1. Lack of trust in the workplace: When communication via formal and informal channels
is not consistent, employees may lose trust in their employers and leaders. As trust in the
workplace is crucial for employees’ experience and productivity in the workplace, this is
one of the main reasons why many employers are trying to eliminate grapevine
communication as much as possible.
2. Partial or false information in the workplace: When talking about informal means of
communication that are not documented, employees often hear or remember only parts of
the messages which often results in the spread of non-reliable, false information.
3. Misunderstanding and misinformation in the workplace: When unverified information
flows through the informal communication channels, this creates the opportunity to
develop misunderstandings among employees.
 4. Information overload: On a daily basis, employees deal with so much information
coming their way even without grapevine communication. Within unhealthy workplaces
with a lot of rumors and gossip, this struggle is even more obvious, and it negatively
impacts employees’ well-being and productivity.
5. Maintaining secrecy: In grapevine communication, communication is made by open
discussions. Therefore, it is often impossible to maintain the secrecy of important
information.
6. Lack of control: Under informal communication systems, there are no established rules or
policies, so it is very difficult to control the information flow and credibility.
7. Lack of cooperation among employees: This is considered one of the biggest negative
sides of grapevine communication. It can develop an adversary culture among employees,
resulting in less collaboration among employees.
8. Employees may end up not being aligned with the company’s goals. When there’s no
clear internal communication strategy, it becomes highly challenging to align employees
with the business goals. Each employee may have a different understanding of the
company culture, your mission statement, and your top business goals. What’s more, your
employees may not have a clear understanding of how their work impacts the business.
Put differently, grapevine communication may have a negative impact on your workplace
productivity and your business’s success overall.

How to handle grapevine communication at work:

As a member of the management team of a company, you can handle grapevine communication
at work with these methods:

1. Communicate often:

Communicate with your colleagues often to help ensure each professional is well-informed.
Keeping effective communication practices and updating professionals often can also build trust
between you and your colleagues, as they can recognize that the communication practices you
set in place are reliable. When trying to communicate more often, be sure to share only the most
relevant information. This can include streamlining information and editing it so it includes the
necessary details without overloading professionals with information.

2. Ask for employee opinions:

Providing time and space for employees to share their opinions helps reduce gossip and shows
that the company values its employees' feelings. Requesting feedback can also help improve the
workplace. Consider enabling employees to submit their opinions anonymously and present
options to share publicly. Enabling them to share their ideas can make employees feel that they're
contributing to company goals more directly and making an important difference. Finding a
channel to share these opinions with everyone may contribute to workplace transparency. For
example, an employee newsletter would be a good source of information where employees have
a space to share thoughts and opinions on the work environment and projects.
3. Recognize natural leaders:

Analyze the workforce and identify natural leaders. These are employees who share information,
motivate others and serve as role models in the workplace. Determining who employees go to for
information may help better distribute the information when there is news to share. Recognizing
the natural leaders and influential employees can also help identify how employees like to
communicate. For example, if the leaders in the workplace use email to communicate, it's likely
many employees become comfortable with this form of communication and follow the lead of
this influencer. To find a natural leader, observe how employees interact. If you use a social
platform in the workplace, you may be able to track interactions. You can also talk to employees
to discover who they feel is an influential presence in the workplace.

4. Ensure the communication medium is accessible

Ensuring that the communication medium you use in the workplace is easily accessible to all
employees is a key aspect of being able to handle grapevine communication. If everyone has
access to the same information, it's less likely that there may be miscommunications or
misunderstandings. It's a good idea to designate one platform as a communication channel. By
doing this, employees know where to look for information and have a place to share it. Consider
social platforms or communication applications that employees can access remotely and online.
An accessible platform can encourage employees to engage more often with managers and their
coworkers.

5. Analyze workplace communication:

It's important to analyze the communication of your workplace, as this can help provide insight
into which communication practices work well. Test how often professionals interact with
different types of communication mediums. For example, you may find that professionals check
their emails more often than their voicemails. You can also run analytics on electronic
communication, such as newsletters, by finding out how many professionals click on the
newsletter to read it. Analyzing the different forms of communication that professionals use
within the company for which you work can help you build a strategy for more effective
communication and personalize it for the professionals within the organization.
Etiquette in e-mail, mobile and telephone:

Telephone Etiquette:

Since much of today’s business is done over the phone, using correct telephonic etiquette is
important! Before receiving or making a call, two important things to consider is:

 Have a decent ring tone for official calls

 Keep a book and a writing pen ready, with a glass of water

Seven steps for a good flow:

 General etiquette
 Inter office phone etiquette
 Voice Mail
 Call waiting
 Speaker Phone
 Cell Phones
 Placing someone on holds

General Etiquette:

 As soon as you receive a call first identify yourself with your name while answering
 Return phone calls within 24hours and apologize for missing it and if it is late
 Identify yourself when you place a call say your name, the Company’s or the department
you represent along with your designation.

Inter office Phone etiquette:

 Don’t hover outside a co worker’s cubicle

 Don’t listen to others call, if you share cubicle and never comment on the conversation if
you have ever heard it.

Voice mail:

 Outgoing message, greet, include your name and company’s name .

 Let the caller know how to reach you in an emergency
 Update your outgoing message . If you are going out of the office your message says so
when you go away, state the date you‘ll be available and whether or not you’ll be
calling/or for messages or whom to contact.
Call waiting:

 Unless you are expecting an urgent call and say so, its impolite to continually put
someone on hold while you talk to another. Say politely . Take the other call explain you
are on another line and will be back.

Speaker phones:

 Good when you are on conference call with several people, else it annoys the other
person whose voice is broadcast.
 Use it sparingly and always tell the person on the other side that speaker phone is on.

Cell phone:

 Be away from public area.

 If you must take or make a call keep it short and sweet. Never switch on the music via
Fm or recorded during office hours
 Never use colleagues phone to call your assigned client, as your number may not be
stored.
 Switch off your phone before you enter the meeting hall or while you talk to your seniors

Placing someone on hold:

 Make sure as for good reason like pulling a document. Ask permission to hold the call
 Never keep the call on hold for more than a minute. When you are back thank the person
for holding the call

Phone Etiquette

Do’s:

 Before your phone call, make sure that you are in a quiet place and free from
interruptions
 Check that the phone connection is strong
 Introduce yourself by stating your name and reason for calling
 Ask if it’s a convenient time to talk and if not, ask what time would work best
 Give the person on the other end of the call your contact information

Don’ts:

 Sound like a robot – make sure you’re conversational

 Forget to ask who you are speaking with so that you will be able to reference the
conversation and who you spoke with
 Go into your phone call unprepared – know what you’re going to talk about
 Hang up the phone without thanking the person you talked with for their time
Email Etiquette:

Anticipate the emotions, needs and thought process of your reader before the first sentence is
written.

1. Identify yourself readily in your opening sentence, vs. assuming someone knows you
from your email address.
2. Keep your message concise, grammatically error-free and get to the point right
away without being too curt. Use short paragraphs and bullets to break up the points of
your message. If there is a deadline or action you need to relay to the reader, make sure
that is clearly seen as a bullet or paragraph on its own without being buried into one
chunk of long text with miscellaneous details.
3. Pay attention to your subject line. The subject line needs to reflect the key focus of the
message and if there are needs, those are requests/reminders…not demands.
Good Example: Staff Meeting Tuesday: Agenda items due/ Poor Example: Read
immediately if you want an agenda item added to this week’s meeting

4. Avoid abbreviations and emojis you may use in casual text conversations; they have
no place in professional emails.
o I have a colleague who told me she has never used an emoji for any form of
communication. I was stunned, as she is a very dynamic person with a strong
social media presence and a very outward facing and prominent role with her
organization.
o Her response was that she wanted to ensure her communications are on point and
authentic. She did not want to rely on her use of symbols to try and do the job. To
her, it was a form of cheating on communication. After hearing her explain it, I
have a real appreciation for her perspective.
5. Be aware of triggers that are common perceptions in email communication. The use
of ALL CAPS in a message is a sign of shouting in an email and should be avoided.
Overusing the use of red fonts can also be seen as overbearing. If you want to highlight a
deadline, that’s fine but avoid marking a whole paragraph in red.

6. Privacy in emails are not to be expected. Write your email knowing it can and will
likely be shared and digitally stored.

7. If an email is quick to anger or annoy you, take a break before you respond. A quick
response usually means an escalated response. Pick up the phone or request a face to face
meeting to clarify the needs after you give yourself time to digest the emotion first. Seek
to understand and remedy vs. escalate.

8. Refrain from placing a read receipt on all your communications. This is offensive to
the recipient and should only be used sparingly. You are automatically conveying, I don’t
trust you and I am covering myself first.

9. Don’t copy your boss and/or your recipient’s boss on an email unless you are
addressing something on their behalf, it has been requested, or you need their input to
 clarify something. A constant and consistent practice of copying others in leadership, vs.
using the practice sparingly, can cause confusion, mistrust and doubt.

10. Signature lines on emails are wonderful tools that guide the recipient to know how to
readily associate you and find you via phone, etc. Use them. I love when a student emails
me and has a signature line. It shows me from the start they are embracing a role as an
emerging professional.

11. Refrain from colored/textured backgrounds on your email messages, frilly fonts and
lightly colored fonts. It is unprofessional, makes it hard to read, and if it requires being
forwarded to others for action, this can further muddy your message.

12. No response to an email? Change your tactic. While a timely response is best, let’s
face it, some people are not good at staying on top of or responding to email. When you
see a theme that email is not working with someone, choose an alternate means of
reaching them, such as with a phone call. Don’t keep trying email if it is not working. No
boss likes to hear that you were unsuccessful at something because you emailed the other
person 10 times and never got a response. That not only reflects poorly on the non-
responder, it also shows a lack of resourcefulness with the initiator.

13. Find a colleague who you can trust to be your sounding board with tough emails.
Let’s face it, tone can often be implied in an email when the sender had no intention of it.
When you find yourself facing problems with written communications, entrust a
colleague who can be your professional sounding board. For example, I routinely benefit
from the following insights to refine my efforts in email communications.
o I need colleagues who will tell me I’m too wordy and I need to be more concise.
o Remind me that I often skip a quick greeting and go straight to stating the concern
or need at hand, possibly seeming abrupt when I did not intend to be.
o Help me understand how a question I ask in an email could be perceived in a way
I never intended.

We are all a work in progress and having someone you trust who can help you with candid
feedback to become your better self in writing and in person, is essential. Perhaps the most
important tool of all is helping others know how to effectively communicate with you and what
your expectation is for how they are to represent the organization in communication. If we
assume these things are known, aren’t we then part of the communication mishap?

Email Etiquette

Do’s:

 Keep the subject line relevant and short

 Introduce yourself and your organization in the beginning line of your email
 Be clear and concise
 Make sure that your email is professional – that is, don’t use slang or be overly familiar
 Proofread and fix any typo’s in your email
Don’ts:

 Forget to address the person that you are emailing

 Draft a long email
 Type in all caps or use a lot of exclamation points
 Use text lingo or abbreviations – spell things out
 End your email without a signature and your contact information