Impact of Body Positioning in Effective Communication
Our communication is also impacted by whether we are sitting or standing in relation to the other person. When you stand over someone who is sitting, the other person can feel intimidated or threatened. The standing person can feel more powerful and in control. It is a similar behavior as seen in other animals where the dominant animal stands over the more submissive animal.
The situation of one of my clients reflects this idea very well. She was in a verbally abusive relationship with her husband. The only time that he got madat her and was verbally abusive was when she was lying in and he was standing over her or when she was sitting on the couch and he was once again towering over her. Eventually, she realized that if she simply stood up when he started yelling, it shifted the dynamics immediately and dramatically. He became less powerful and she felt less threatened by just changing her body position. The switch in dynamics was even more strongly illuminated when she was standing up a ladder hanging Christmas decorations and her husband rushed in ready to yell at her. She said he stopped immediately and seem flustered by the situation. This time she was physically standing over him and it seemed to really throw him off. He simply turned and left the room.
Body position also comes into play in how a room is arranged. If you are a supervisor talking to an employee and you want to make them feel comfortable. Don’t sit behind a desk while they sit in front. This is creating a physical barrier between the two of you. When a counsellor is with a client, they often sit kitty-corner to each other. This creates a sense of connection and invites people to open up. Try coming out from behind the counter when helping a client or pulling your chair up beside your spouse while talking.
Position your chairs so that you can easily make eye contact.Similarly, body positioning can be used to end conversations or create a sense of power when it may not exist. This can be done by sitting behind a desk or standing higher than someone. Simply standing up during a conversation can unconsciously signal to someone else that the conversation is coming to an end.
The situation of one of my clients reflects this idea very well. She was in a verbally abusive relationship with her husband. The only time that he got madat her and was verbally abusive was when she was lying in and he was standing over her or when she was sitting on the couch and he was once again towering over her. Eventually, she realized that if she simply stood up when he started yelling, it shifted the dynamics immediately and dramatically. He became less powerful and she felt less threatened by just changing her body position. The switch in dynamics was even more strongly illuminated when she was standing up a ladder hanging Christmas decorations and her husband rushed in ready to yell at her. She said he stopped immediately and seem flustered by the situation. This time she was physically standing over him and it seemed to really throw him off. He simply turned and left the room.
Body position also comes into play in how a room is arranged. If you are a supervisor talking to an employee and you want to make them feel comfortable. Don’t sit behind a desk while they sit in front. This is creating a physical barrier between the two of you. When a counsellor is with a client, they often sit kitty-corner to each other. This creates a sense of connection and invites people to open up. Try coming out from behind the counter when helping a client or pulling your chair up beside your spouse while talking.
Position your chairs so that you can easily make eye contact.Similarly, body positioning can be used to end conversations or create a sense of power when it may not exist. This can be done by sitting behind a desk or standing higher than someone. Simply standing up during a conversation can unconsciously signal to someone else that the conversation is coming to an end.
Posted by Barb Small at 4/27/2010 1:53 AM 
Categories: Effective Communication, body language, Non-verbal communication, Communication Skills
Tags: body language clear communication communication skills Effective Communication non-verbal communication
Categories: Effective Communication, body language, Non-verbal communication, Communication Skills
Tags: body language clear communication communication skills Effective Communication non-verbal communication
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