Present Tense - How Body Language affects how you do Business
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If you're reading this on your phone/android or listening on the podcast, chances are you've got your head down with shoulders hunched. Look around you next time you're walking down the street or catching up at a cafe. Everyone's heads are down right? This posture has become so common it's got its own set of terms - Text Neck or iPosture, I've been reading about it in Amy Cuddy's book Presence and it ain't good.
“What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say”
Power Pose or Hunching Headache?
Cuddy is a Harvard Business School Professor and studies the science of body-mind effects, or non-verbal behaviour. She teaches many devotees how to flourish by slowly tweaking our body language, behaviour and mind-set. We teach this form of communication at university and I find it fascinating, the students get to watch the 2012 Ted Talk that brought Cuddy into the limelight and there is great discussion about the 'power pose' and it's effects in the classroom or business meeting. I also spend so much of my working day hunched over screens, what damage am I doing, how much pressure could I be putting on my neck? Add to that the effects of this posture on your self-confidence and public display of submission, and woah time to stop!
Build your presence on and offline
What has all this to do with social media? Well, a whole heap. My perspective as a consultant and coach is to style your business 'look' online AND bring an awareness that ensures we maximise time, skills and enjoyment in the digital space. So if you're shoulders are hurting and you're getting constant headaches, you probably aren't going to get too excited about planning your next month's editorial calendar.
This week I bumped into a colleague who was wearing a great new pair of specs. Complimenting his new look he shared how excited he was that he could finally see! For months he was suffering from lethargy and couldn't figure out why. A trip to the optometrist revealed his need for glasses and everything became so much 'clearer'.
“Our body’s change our minds, our minds change our behaviour, and behaviour changes outcomes”
With this in mind, think about areas of your business that might be giving you a headache or even worse, affecting your confidence levels. Why not check in with yourself, consider Cuddy's theory and discover some terrific tricks to building your presence on and off-line. If you love Instagram and share a lot of selfies, what kind of pose are you presenting and what does it say about you?
Like to learn more about how I help businesses develop their online style, click the button below. I'd love to hear from you. Thanks for taking some time out this week. See you back here soon.
