Sumit Sahu, Asst. Prof., CIIM
TerritoryIntimate
Touching 6-18”
PersonalClose -1½ to 2½ feet
Far - 2½ to 4 ½ feet
Social Close 4-7 feetFar - 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 spaceFeel troubledGet defensiveBecome
aggressiveRetaliate
Masks We Wear
Public MasksPublic smile Clothing Putting on my face
Extended territoryOn the roadAt work
Can we drop masks?
Jockeying for positionInclusive - Non-inclusive
How you include/exclude others in a groupParallel body positions
Will position yourselves to relate to each other
Side by side are neutralFacing means people are involved
Congruence-incongruenceGroups that imitate each other
LookingHow long do you look?
Staring- dehumanizes or challengesGlances - socially acceptable timingAppraisal- 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 right to business
Troubles
Conflict with peers
• Different work styles• Wrong assumptions
Trouble….
Misinterpretation of signalsCan be BIG troubleLegal trouble Do you know how
to act or are you confused?
