A very good day to you all; so, we are here
to conclude the topic on Body Language and
this is lecture 12.
Let us first tell you about the concepts we
will be covering in this lecture. The first
is definition of body language because, in
this concluding lecture on body language I
am trying to wrap up and summarize whatever
we have learnt in the previous lecture and
maybe give you some more extra points.
The second is positive gestures and what are
positive gestures, we will be covering handshakes,
gazes that is eye contact, smiles, hand movements,
styles of walking, voice modulations and that
is; remove first two short definition of body
language also known as kinesics consisting
of facial expressions which is about eyebrows
and forehead, eyes mouth that the three parts.
In facial expressions
Number 2 is posture, 3 gestures and 4 is attractiveness.
So, this was not mentioned earlier. Actually,
your entire body language, your entire body
makes you attractive to the others. So, attractiveness
is an integral part of body language or kinesics.
Once again we define body language as the
nonverbal manifestation of what we wish to
convey to the receiver by the way we walk,
talk and position our hands. This is the definition
of body language, it can also be called body
sport and body language is unconscious actions
of the body.
We have a small picture here as I said learn
like the juggler in the previous lecture.
So, here is a tightrope walk going on. The
tightrope walker you know he is balancing
on nylon thread or a nylon rope across two
pieces of wood and this is how we have to
learn to manage and improve and work upon
our body language.
Now, first let us come to the positive gestures
and this is an advice of what types of positive
gestures connote what so that you can adopt
them and include them in your communication
repertoire.
The first is open palms. I mean placing them
like this or if you are standing they should
be by your side like this, not closed or clutching
or in the pocket or whatever. Open palm signify
a positive personality and generally you should
have eye to eye contact, do not hide, do not
avoid eye contact. Smile very easy to smile,
declares you as an open personality and equal
handshake, that is, if the other is shaking
you have to press equally because it signifies
equal in behavior and attitude with no complexes
associated.
So, here we have a picture of open hands.
Let us come to handshakes because in the workplace
the handshake is the most common type of greeting
or wish. Th equal handshake as I said it signifies
equality in behavior and attitude. So, it
is most advised. The tight grasp, suppose
you have somebody who is very tall and muscular
and strong and that person comes and tightly
holds your hand in a hand shake it shows his
or her superiority complex. The limp handshake
is like this limp, is not it? It shows inferiority
complex and dejection.
The politicians handshake is like this and
then you also cover it up, I will show you
through a picture. The informal handshake
is in some parts of the world, children do
it; it is in the play mode. It shows informal
attitude and behavior and that also I will
show you the picture of.
This is the equal handshake.
This is the picture of a limp handshake.
This is a picture of a excessively tight handshake
of somebody who is having superiority complex.
This is a picture of the informal handshake.
You know which children are used to playing
these games that when we touch this then we
do like this and finally, we shake the hand.
So, it is showing a kind of informal attitude
between two young people.
Let us consider now, what is the connotation
of various manners of portrayal of your gaze
or eye contact or eye movement. Firstly, in
a business scenario the if the if the gaze
or eye contact of the person is between the
eyes and forehead that is this area it is
a business transaction going on that is understood
by the third person or the observer.
A social type of gaze or contact eye contact
is between forehead to lips between forehead
to lips this is connoting social interactions.
Intimate situation or intimacy between two
can be seen by the fact that they can see
each other gaze at each other from head to
toe and it signifies that they are in a situation
of intimacy. Then you have the shifty eye
the shifty eye that is the eyes keep shifting
and it shows lack of concentration, evasive
eye that is avoiding eye contact shows lack
of credibility; credibility that is truth
or reality or substance.
And, stammering eye that is high blinking
rate trying to get into focus it shows lack
of confidence and the last is the stuttering
eye which is more or less like the evasive
eye or the shifty eye combine together combined
with each other. Blinking what happens in
this how this is seen, what is the manner
of portrayal? The person will be blinking
and trying to get into focus in the initial
phase as it shows in other words the shifty
nature of the person this kind of persons
cannot be trusted.
So, we have some pictures of various type
of eye movements or gaze.
Lets comes to smiles and we have two slides
here. The felt smile I mean the real smile
the actual smile, somebody is really smiling
naturally. The upturned mouth will be with
lips closed upper set of teeth may be slightly
exposed with simultaneously having eye contact.
Sometimes in later phases of the interaction
there will be a broad smile and both your
set of teeth will be exposed. So, it will
almost be on the verge before you laugh. This
connotes somebody who is appreciative of the
interaction and quite happy.
Then we have the miserable smile that is only
you know half of the mouth is smiling I do
not know how to do it, I cannot show it, but
it connotes disillusionment and dissatisfaction
with the interactant or the situation. And
last we have the false smile. False smile
is put upon, it is fake; it is not real or
actual. So, there is a slight turn at the
end of the mouth, but it does not reach the
eye and it shows sarcasm, sardonic nature
of the person and these kind of persons are
dangerous, not to be trusted.
So, we have pictures of some of the smiles
here.
This is this sardonic smile or the false smile,
dangerous person.
Let us come to hand movements and we have
four slides on that. Hugging of the self;
it is not only because your hugging yourself
because the temperature is cold. In that time
it is to be taken in a different context if
the temperatures are too low and you have
not born in a..worn enough woolen sweaters
and then you hug yourself because it is its
very cold you know like that. So, but generally
if somebody is hugging holding himself like
this it shows uncertainty and lack of confidence.
But if you have arms folded with thumb pointing
upward as I am showing in this hand arms folded
with thumb pointing upward it shows a closed
mind and superiority complex. Holding hands
in front you know like this if you are standing
I am not standing actually but I am showing
it like this that is left atop the right shows
an artistic bend of mind. Again let me just
tell you this is just on the basis of research
that the left side of the brain has to do
with artistic qualities in you and the right
side of the brain has to do with your logic
and your mathematic and your philosophy.
So, left atop the right shows an artistic
bend of mind and right atop the left connotes
a logical bend of mind. And this one you know
this one clasping of the hands behind the
neck, somebody sitting like this or maybe
they maybe even standing like this is an aristocratic
gesture and it is a mark of royalty, I am
king of all I survey.
We have this arm hugging.
And this is a picture of the one as I said
the thumb pointing upwards.
And the picture of left atop the right standing
and holding hands behind vishram as we say.
So, the second chart here if the hands are
resting lightly on the neck, it symbolizes
somebody who is studying and trying to get
solution to a problem and hands clasping the
back of the neck is a danger signal be aware.
Scratching of the head is perplexity and stroking
of the chin like this some people are thinking
during meetings or the situations that the
person is in deliberation thinking carefully
giving careful consideration to the ideas.
And lightly scratching or rubbing one side
of the neck is a symbol of insecurity.
Let me tell you one thing that these connotations
on the manners of portrayal are to be taken
in the form of a constellation. Remember that
not one of the body language posture can be
given one specific assigned meaning or connotations.
If you see somebody the entire body has to
be studied and all the body language gestures
have to be taken like constellation of star.
When you look at all the stars of a constellation
then only you can say that oh this is great
bear or that is that.
So, let us move further and these are some
pictures of the hand movements.
This is the aristocratic gesture.
Some sometimes the person is adopting it so
that he balances and does not fall off the
chair while sleeping or dozing off , catnap.
This is perplexion perplexed.
This is somebody slightly rubbing the side
of the chins thinking.
Let us come to the third chart. The manner
of portrayal, clenching of hands, if the speaker
is clenching the hands that means the speaker
is actually not believing what he himself
is uttering and if the listener is clenching
the hand, Arre kab chorega mujhe, when will
I leave- frustration and irritation. If both
hands are both hands or let us say one hand
are on hip it is a signal of authority.
You see this is the way the way in which the
traffic policeman stands because he is the
symbol of authority at a cross section of
roads. Hands down and fist clenched is as
if you are gearing for a showdown when will
I face that person and finish him off, arms
pointed with arms folded as I said with thumbs
pointed upwards is a closed personality closed
temperament.
So, some pictures to support the previous
chart.
And the last one here hand movements, fourth
slide. Rubbing of hands quick rubbing you
know like this. So, we are waiting, we are
enthusiastically waiting, we are excited for
what is going to happen let the show begin
and slow rubbing shows preoccupation or deception.
Somebody is planning to deceive, somebody
is planning something bad and this kind of
movement as if you are washing your hands
you are over with the issue, khallas, done,
I am through. Pressing of the hands in front
of the in front of oneself is pleading apart
from namaste and stapling of fingertips with
thumb and first two fingers is showing extreme
confidence almost bordering on eccentricity
or madness.
These are some of these pictures hands rubbing,
pleading, thinking.
Now, let us come to gait, g a i t or style
of walking. If generally people or somebody
is working with hands in pocket, but the walk
is disorganized, head is slightly bent it
is a portrayal of a macho image, but the person
because the head is bent is depressed or may
be withdrawn, shy or critical of whatever
is happening. If the walk is disorganized
you know like this like a drunk dog if we
may say and kicking an imaginary object it
shows the person is angry. Let us come to
what are your eye movements when you are walking
if the eyes are focused on the ground, you
are lost in your thoughts.
But if you are looking at the air and admiring
the nature around you, you are actually maybe
you are preoccupied also might signify that
you are looking for some solutions to certain
problems. And some people have a penguin or
a duck style of walking which is called the
strutting style of walking as I put it here,
it shows extreme certainty of opinion and
confidence super confidence let us say.
So, this is somebody walking down with the
heads down cast, eye focused on the ground,
eyes looking up, the third one strutting and
we move on to voice modulation.
How do you modulate your voice, how do you
control, regulate the voice and what does
it connote? A monotonous voice, you know like
suppose I keep on saying, Jai sri ram, Jai
sri ram, Jai sri ram, Jai sri ram , it is
boring in fact. Slow speed and low pitch indicates
depression, high pitch shows enthusiasm yeah
something like that, high pitch and long drawn
speech shows disbelief because you do not
trust you do not believe.
Therefore, the pitch is high and you speak
for a long time. Ascending tone your astonishment
or your speech your speech shows the surprise
as you ascend as you increase the tone of
your voice, but if a speech ends abruptly
it shows that now you are on the defensive.
These are some of this is in fact the only
book this is written by Professor Asha Kaul.
Professor Asha Kaul teaches at IIM Ahmedabad
in communications area and my material for
this lecture the last one on business communication,
the last one on body language, the name of
the book is business communication published
by PHI in the year 2001.
Thank you once again and may god bless you.
