Talking to the hand... across the world.

 

As previously mentioned, body language can contain both positive and negative connotations. However, not all gestures have the same meaning across the globe. It is important to understand that what could be a positive, friendly gesture in one country could have the complete opposite meaning in another.

 

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The “O.K.” hand gesture- used in North America as gesture that something is okay; the same signal is used in Japan as a sign for money, and in France it means “zero”.

 

The open hand “Wave”- used in North America as a friendly greeting; however, it is used as an insult in several countries including Asia and Greece.

 

Pointing with the index finger- used in North America to point something out to someone else; in Africa pointing is only directed towards objects that are not living, and never at another person.

 

The “Thumbs Up”- used in North America to signal approval, or that something is good. In Australia, Greece, and the Middle East it is used as an insult. In some cultures it is used to represent a number, for example, in Hungry and Germany it represents the number 1, and in Japan it represents the number 5.

 

Eye contact- used in North America to symbolize respect and interest, eye contact in other cultures such as Japan, can be considered a form of intimidation.

 

Belching- in North America is considered rude, but in some countries, such as India, belching after a meal is a sign of appreciation of the prepared meal.

 

When communicating with individuals from other cultures, language is not the only barrier. Nonverbal communication is another important factor to consider when interacting with people from other countries and cultures. Doing research before communicating with others from different backgrounds could help ensure that neither party becomes offended.

 

 

 

Resources: 

Cotton, G. (2013, June).  Gestures to Avoid in Cross-Cultural Business: In Other Words, 'Keep Your Fingers to Yourself!'. The Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gayle-cotton/cross-cultural-gestures_b_3437653.html

 Edmonds, M. (2014). How do Culturally different people interpret nonverbal communication? How Stuff Works. Retrieved from http://people.howstuffworks.com/nonverbal-communication.htm

 

 

 

 

 

When your body talks.

 

Body language is an important communication tool; few words need to be spoken to send a message using only our body. It is fairly easy to tell how a person is feeling simply by looking at them. A slouched posture could reflect defeat or maybe exhaustion, arms crossed over the chest could express anger or defiance; while arms open could offer acceptance or agreement. It is important to be aware of what messages our bodies are sending to others, and important to possess control over these signals we send.

 

When communicating with our bodies it is best to avoid postures that could reflect negative undertones or a bad attitude. While our voice may be saying one thing, it is the gestures that go along with it that really speak. Some negative body language cues include:

 

·         Eye-rolling

·         Sighing

·         Lack of eye-contact

·         Becoming distracted

·         Hands-in-pockets

 

It is important to be respectful and show interest in what the speaker has to say. It is possible to be in the same room as another person while your mind is not actually present. Conversations work best when the body language indicates that both participants are equally involved and respectful. The following actions reflect positive body language:

 

·         Maintaining eye contact

·         Keeping shoulders squared to the speaker

·         Nodding

·         Smiling

·         Holding proper posture, but not too stiff

·         Being aware of personal space between you and with whom you are speaking

 

Body language cues are an important reflection of your personal self and your professional self.

 

What does your appearance say about you?

First impressions are important; you cannot relive the first time you meet a person. When you introduce yourself to a stranger, they have no idea who you are; they rely on what they see to give them clues about you. Your qualifications, your educational background, or any other skills you have to offer are unknown. What is known, however; is how well you put yourself together. The impression you create upon entering a room for the first time is crucial.

 

It does not take very long to make a judgment about someone based on appearance alone. If you send the message that you do not care about the way you present yourself, you may also be sending the message that you are lazy, disorganized, careless, or do not put a lot of effort in other aspects of your life, including your career.

 

Be aware of the dress code of the company or organization you will be interacting with and dress the part. Whatever the dress code is, the following rules always apply:

 

·         Keep makeup minimal and day time appropriate; do not wear too much.

 

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·         Make sure hair and facial hair is properly groomed; do not keep an unkempt appearance.

 

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·         Create a tidy appearance by keeping clothing clean and wrinkle free; do not wear clothes that are stained.

 

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·         Avoid wearing denim (unless deemed appropriate for a “casual Friday”).

 

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·         Do not show too much skin.

 

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·         Wear minimal accessories; avoid wearing too much jewelry.

 

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The way you dress for work should always reflect integrity, professionalism, and success.

 

 

 

How you say what you say.

You may be very well prepared for a meeting, interview, or presentation. You may know exactly what you want to say. But have you considered how you are going to say it? There are many underlying factors that can alter the meaning of what you actually intended to say.

 

Tone- The tone of your voice when you are speaking is important. It should reflect and match the mood of the conversation. Be conscience of whether your tone is:

informal	vs.	formal
light, humorous, comic	vs.	serious, grave, decorous
personal, subjective	vs.	objective, impersonal
casual, offhanded	vs.	impassioned
"loose," rambunctious	vs.	reasoned, reasonable
zany, experimental	vs.	controlled, reserved
plainspoken, simple	vs.	ornate, elaborate

chart retrieved from
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/composition/tone.htm

 

Volume- Be sure to not speak to quietly to avoid having the listener ask you to repeat yourself; however, you do not want to speak too loudly.

 

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Speed- Slow down. Sometimes when we are nervous we tend to speak faster to get the talking over with. The message can be lost due to speaking too quickly. However; speaking too slowly may bore your listener. Speak at a comfortable pace that ensures everything you said is heard and registered.

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 Slang- There is a time and place for the use of slang and casual language, and the workplace is not one of them. Using slang is unprofessional and sometimes even dis respectful. The following are some examples of slang language and should be avoided:

 

·         Speaking in text message lingo

·         Shortening “going to” to “gonna”

·         Adding “er” to words such as “gooder”

·         Words that are not words; such as “redundancies”

·         Casual words like “hey” and “yo”

 

The following is a link to a list of words that sound be avoided:

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/composition/tone.htm

 

Communication

Communication comes in a variety of forms. Everyday we use communication to convey meaning and information from one person, or group of people, to another. People use verbal communication through face-to-face interactions, through the use of a telephone, and through video or audio conferencing just to name a few.

That being said, there are also many forms of non-verbal communication. The way we dress for an occasion, our posture, our facial expressions, and tone of voice are all types of communication we practice without using words.

It is important to be conscience of all the non-verbal cues we use so that we are aware of the message we are sending. You should be mindful that most of the time it is actually the things that you do not say that speak the loudest.

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