Have you ever noticed that when people are passionate about what they’re saying, their gestures automatically become more animated? Their hands and arms move about, emphasizing points and conveying enthusiasm.
You may not have been aware of this connection before, but you instinctively felt it. Research shows that audiences tend to view people who use a greater variety of gestures in a more favorable light. Studies have found that people who communicate through active gesturing tend to be evaluated as warm, agreeable, and energetic, while those who remain still (or whose gestures seem mechanical or “wooden”) are seen as logical, cold, and analytic.
That’s one of the reasons why gestures are so critical for a leader, and why getting them right in the workplace connects so powerfully with employees.
I’ve seen senior executives make rookie mistakes. When leaders don't use gestures correctly (for example, they let their hands hang limply to the side, hide them in pockets, or clasp their hands in front of their bodies in the classic “fig leaf” position), it suggests they don't recognize the crucial issues, they have no emotional investment in the issues, or they don’t realize the impact of their nonverbal behavior.
We all form impressions about a speaker that help determine how we interpret what he is saying—and the impression we get about someone’s trustworthiness is a critically important factor in effective communication. If employees do not trust their leader, or at least think that he believes what he is saying, then it will be almost impossible for that leader to get his message across.
Trust is established through congruence—that perfect alignment between what is being said and the body language that accompanies it. If one’s gestures are not in full agreement with his spoken words, listeners consciously or subconsciously perceive duplicity, uncertainty, or (at the very least) internal conflict.
Although people may not be aware they are doing so, employees are evaluating a leader’s sincerity by the timing of her gestures: Authentic gestures begin split seconds before the words that accompany them. They will either precede the word or will be coincident with the word, but will never come after the word.
To use gestures effectively, leaders need to be aware of how those movements most likely will be perceived. Here are some common hand gestures and the messages behind them:
Emblematic gestures. Some gestures have an agreed-upon meaning to a group and are consciously used instead of words. These are referred to as emblematic gestures, and, like the words they represent, they’re processed in the left hemisphere of the brain. We learn emblematic gestures at home, in school, and in other social environments, so they generally differ from culture to culture. So remember that what may be effective communication in one culture can become ineffective or even offensive in another.
Emblematic gestures used in the U.S. include the thumbs-up sign that is commonly understood to mean “good job,” “OK,” or “everything’s fine,” and hand rocking—where the palm faces down, the fingers spread out, and the hand rocks left and right—which means “so-so” or “maybe.”
Pacifying gestures. When nervous or stressed, people pacify themselves with a variety of self-touching gestures. They rub their legs, pull at their collars, and cross their arms to hold their upper arms in a kind of “self-hug.” In a presentation, any pacifying gesture (including hand wringing, rubbing the forehead, or playing with jewelry or hair) makes a leader look tentative, unprepared, or insecure.
Illustrative gestures. Everyone produces gestures spontaneously and unwittingly as they speak. We may seldom think of our gestures consciously, but in practice we use them with great efficiency and sophistication to cover a surprisingly wide range of communication.
Sometimes gestures are used to physically illustrate a point, as when pointing to a particular paragraph in a contract or moving one’s hand to the right when telling someone to turn in that direction. Other gestures are unconscious signals that give the viewer a glimpse into the speaker’s emotions, motivations, or attitude. These include:
- Open palms at an angle. Gestures with palms showing (tilted to a 45 degree angle) signal candor and openness. When being truthful or forthcoming, people tend to use open gestures, showing their palms and wrists and spreading hands and arms away from their bodies, as if saying: “See, I have nothing to hide.”
- Palms up. Rotating palms straight up with fingers spread in a prototypical pleading position communicates the lack of something that the speaker needs or is requesting.
- Palms down. Speakers pronate their palms to signal power and certainty. This also is a controlling signal—as when trying to quiet an audience.
- Vertical palms. Vertical palm gestures with a rigid hand often are used to demonstrate the need for precise measurement—or to beat out a rhythm that gives emphasis to certain words.
- Clenched hands. When a leader clutches an object tightly, grips his hands behind his back, or curls his hands into fists, it signals anger, frustration, or a nonverbal way of saying, “I’m holding on to something, and I’m not going to open up to you.” Depending on the context, the clenched fist gesture also can communicate a warning that unwavering fortitude may be necessary to achieve an objective. I’ve often seen leaders use a fist to add the nonverbal equivalent of “with power,” “firm commitment,” or “by force” to their message.
- Finger pointing. Finger pointing and wagging are parental gestures of scolding, and I’ve often seen politicians and executives, in particular, use this gesture in meetings, negotiations, or interviews for emphasis or to show dominance. The problem is, rather than being a sign of authority, aggressive finger pointing suggests that the leader is losing control of the situation—and the gesture smacks of playground bullying.
- Hands on hips. Whether in a stubborn toddler or an aggressive CEO, putting hands on one’s hips is one of the most common gestures used to communicate a defiant, super-confident, or independent attitude.
- Hidden hands. Hidden hands make one look less trustworthy. This is one of the nonverbal signals that is deeply ingrained in our subconscious. Our ancestors made survival decisions based solely on bits of visual information they picked up from one another. In our prehistory, when someone approached with hands out of view, it was a clear signal of potential danger. Although today the threat of hidden hands is more symbolic than real, our ingrained psychological discomfort remains.
- Steepling gestures. It is common to see a leader using a steepling gesture (palms separated slightly, fingers of both hands spread, and finger tips touching) when feeling confident or comfortable about a subject she knows well. Politicians, executives, professors, and attorneys are very fond of using these gestures when they speak.
Hand gestures of enthusiasm. There is an interesting equation of hand and arm movement with energy. If a leader wanted to project more enthusiasm and drive, she could do so by increased gesturing. On the other hand, over-gesturing (especially when hands are raised above the shoulders) can make her appear erratic, less believable, and less powerful.
Hand gestures of composure. Arms held at waist height, and gestures within that horizontal plane, help a leader—and his employees—feel centered and composed. Arms at waist and bent to a 45 degree angle (accompanied by a stance about shoulder-width wide) is the posture I advise leaders to assume between gestures. It helps keep them grounded, energized, and focused when communicating in the workplace.
This article was originally posted on http://www.ckg.com/. For more on body language in the workplace, check out Carol’s previous blog article in this series.
