Reading Body Language

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Part IV: Putting the Body into Social and Business Context
Research shows that when people participate
in meetings standing up they speak for a shorter
length of time. It encourages quick decision
making, and cuts down on time spent socialising.
The studies also demonstrate that the perception
of people who conduct their meetings
while standing is of them having a higher status
than the people who are seated.
Kate attended a marketing meeting at a company
in Denmark. In the middle of the room
where she and her colleagues met was a tall
stone table. The room had no chairs. The table
Standing up for meetings
was at a comfortable height, enough for people
to stand at and lean on it, and there was enough
space in the room for them to walk around the
table easily. The participants in the meeting
were encouraged to mill around the room
speaking with one another, and come to the
table when a point was being made and a decision
was required. Kate found the experience to
be liberating, as the thinking in the room was
more creative and energising than in other
meetings she’d attended, in which the norm
was to remain seated.
Accessories are meant to enhance your image. Decide what image you want
to project and choose your accessories accordingly. Also, to make a positive
impression, invest in good quality accessories.
Watching your buttons
Tightly closed jackets indicate a tightly closed point of view. People who
button up their jackets while making decisions indicate that they’re closed to
the idea put forward. When they fold their arms across their chests with their
jackets buttoned, they’re really feeling negative. If you notice someone unbuttoning
his jacket during a meeting you can safely assume that he’s changing
his position and opening up to what’s going on.