Body language

Body Language

Territory� Intimate

� Touching � 6-18”

� Personal� Close -1½ to 2½

feet� Far - 2½ to 4 ½

feet

� Social � Close 4-7 feet� Far - 7-12 feet

� Public � Close - 12-25

feet� Far - 25 feet or

greater

Different Cultures ...

� A crowded culture

� What is your private space?

When you invade my space

� Reactions to an invasion of your space� Feel troubled� Get defensive� Become

aggressive� Retaliate

Masks We Wear

� Public Masks� Public smile � Clothing � Putting on my face

� Extended territory� On the road� At work

� Can we drop masks?

Jockeying for position

� Inclusive - Non-inclusive� How you include/exclude others in a

group� Parallel body positions

� Will posit ion yourselves to relate to each other

� Side by side are neutral� Facing means people are involved

� Congruence-incongruence� Groups that imitate each other

Looking

� How long do you look?� Staring- dehumanizes or challenges� Glances - socially acceptable t iming� Appraisal- may indicate interest

� Do you look when you talk?� Do you look when you listen?

‘What often happens in any relationship is that language itself becomes a mask and a means of clouding and confusing the relationship. If thespoken language is stripped away and the onlycommunication left is body language, the truthwill find some way of poling through. Spokenlanguage itself is a great obscurer”

Body LanguageBody Language, Julius Fast, MJF books, 1970.

Actions Speak Louder than Words?

Misinterpretation = Trouble??� Lost business

� Lack of animation = lack of interest?

� US tendency to get r ight to business

Troubles

� Conflict with peers

• Different work styles• Wrong assumptions

Trouble….

� Misinterpretation of signals� Can be BIG

trouble� Legal trouble � Do you know how

to act or are you confused?

Do you know what you are saying?