If you hold a professional job, here are some tips about appropriate body language that won't send the wrong message at work.
Everyone uses body language at one point or another whether or not they are aware of it. On the job, however, it is important to use body language carefully and correctly to avoid being misunderstood or perhaps even causing offense. These days, inappropriate actions may not only cost your job, but they could lead to legal consequences as well.
Here are a few guidelines that can help you avoid trouble:
1. Keep your hands to yourself. While this may seem perfectly obvious to most employees, it is easy to carelessly hug someone, smack a back, or take a hand without it being offered. Such gestures are usually non-threatening and intended only as good will expressions. But under certain conditions they can be misconstrued. Unless you know another employee very well or have been on the receiving end of such behavior from that person, it is best not to touch others even in a playful way while on the job. Shake hands in greeting or a friendly pat to the shoulder at most. Better yet, offer to help carry heavy loads.
2. Check your facial expressions. Some of us may be unaware of how we look when smiling. Stand in front of your bathroom mirror at home and see what others see when you grin. Make sure this stretch of your lips doesn't come across as a leer or as insincere. Also examine your eyes and brows. Do you hold someone's glance for more than a few seconds? If so, tone it down. Do your brows furrow intently when someone speaks? Then learn to relax.
3. Protect your inner circle. Many professionals prefer to maintain a three foot circle about their bodies when conversing with others. In Western culture, a bit of body space is needed. But in other cultures, less space may be given, perhaps as little as a foot or so, which can make many Westerners feel uncomfortable. Conversely, be careful about how close you stand to another person. Obviously, you can't do much about personal distance in a crowded elevator or subway. But at the office, respect the boundaries of others.
4. Avoid loose or seductive clothing or gestures. Some people do this unintentionally when they simply relax more with some coworkers than others. But on the job it is important to watch the way we behave. Unbuttoning the top few buttons of a shirt or blouse and leaning on someone's desk may seem a little too forward to some observers. Women whose short skirts reveal their upper thighs may inspire less-than-productive thoughts in their male counterparts. In general, follow the department's dress code and maintain a professional stance while interacting with others at work.
5. In today's more loosely-structured society, it may help to keep in mind that bodily noises or actions should be conducted behind closed doors. In the universal category of obvious no-no's it may help to add hiccups, burps, and unprofessional verbiage. When in doubt, ask a coworker if something should be avoided or watch and see what others do.
Maintaining a professional image on the job is important. Dress, act, and talk like a professional, and you will be treated like one. When feasible, project an image like the one to which you hope to be promoted and coworkers will begin to see you in that light.
