1. Body Language ITC/ILO Workshop on Decent Work for Youth in NIS
29 November – 3 December 2010
Prepared by Victoria Munsey

2. Our words are only part of the message we send!
Scholars have shown our interlocutors “read” our body language, both consciously and unconsciously;
What they “read” affects their reception of our verbal message;
We can learn how to avoid sending negative or ambiguous messages through our body language.

3. Tips for positive body language for public speaking
Make eye contact with the audience, or at least remember to look in all corners of the room;
Stand comfortably: neither rigid and immobile nor moving around too much;
Don’t cross arms, put hands in pockets, lean on desk ;
Be careful about “nervous tics”

4. Body language when you are speaking one-to-one or with a small working team
Maintain good eye contact:
If someone comes to see you in your office, don’t look through your papers, stare at the ceiling, look around to see if there is anyone else you need to talk to, etc. Give the gift of full attention, and show it through your body language!
Smile or nod your head sometimes;
Generally stay in the same posture as your interlocutor - seated, standing, leaning forward, leaning back, relaxed, intent, etc.

5. Avoid “cognitive dissonance”
When your interlocutor or audience notices that your verbal message is in contrast to the message expressed in your body language, they experience they will feel uncomfortable, unsure;
When this happens, you risk losing your credibility and the trust of others;
A leader who loses credibility will have a hard time regaining it, so….
Don’t let it happen!

6. The unconscious aspects
We can learn to adopt positive body language, but we cannot hope to control every aspect of it: if we are very angry, bored, impatient, etc., these emotions will tend to find corporeal expressions which others can and will read, So, get your negative emotions under control before you start talking: no matter how positive your verbal message, the negative messages sent by unruly emotions will be read, consciously or unconsciously, by your audience.
If you do wish to back up a negative verbal message (anger indignation, etc.) with some “negative” body language, ok, but don’t overdo it! Your audience may start remembering other people who have spoken angrily to them and stop listening to you!