When people feel vulnerable or threatened, they often take defensive positions of the body, which can help them protect themselves from danger. However, these positions can manifest themselves in business situations, making communication and teamwork difficult. As a manager, it is essential to recognize these defensive positions and understand how they can affect the working environment. This essay will explore three common ways in which people can put their shields and tell you to fuck off at a business meeting using body language. Furthermore, recommendations will be offered on how managers can help their employees overcome the sense of threat and create a more comfortable and productive working environment.
The first way people can exercise their safeguarding is by crossing their arms. It is one of the most common defensive body positions people can take when they feel vulnerable or nervous. This posture can mean that a person feels tense or protective and can indicate that he is not quite sure of himself or what is happening around him. The posture of cross arms on the chest can be used as a physical shield to protect against external factors such as unpleasant sounds or uncomfortable locations on site (Elkjær et al., 2020). In addition, it can be a way to hide emotions and show others that they are solid and invulnerable. However, when someone crosses their arms during a business meeting, it can mean that they don’t want to listen to your opinions or disagree with your ideas. As a manager, it is crucial to understand that crossing arms on your chest can indicate that your employee is not ready for further discussion. The best way to draw attention to this is to pause and ask if anything prevents the debate from continuing.
The second way people can exercise their defensiveness is to cross their legs. This posture is similar to crossing arms on the chest, but instead of creating a barrier from the upper body, it does so from the lower body. If a person has crossed his legs, it can mean he is not ready for open communication and feels protected (Falletta-Cowden et al., 2022). Again, it is vital to understand that if you notice this posture in one of your employees, trying to break the ice and create a more friendly atmosphere may be helpful.
The third way that people can exercise their defensiveness is by compressing their bodies. A person can shrink, tighten his shoulders and curl into a ball, which shows that he feels vulnerable and uncomfortable in the current situation. This posture can mean that a person feels threatened or uncertain about their abilities (Storchi et al., 2020). As a manager, it is essential to be sensitive to these signs and establish more direct and trusting contact with the employee to help him feel more comfortable and confident.
Communication is a critical element in any team or collective. Recognizing body defensive postures can help managers understand how employees respond to certain situations and help them feel more comfortable and confident. As we have seen, cross arms on the chest, cross legs, and compression are three common ways to exercise their defensiveness. Understanding these characteristics of body language will help managers establish more trusting relationships with their employees and create a more harmonious and productive work team. It is important to recognize these signs and take appropriate measures to help employees feel more comfortable and confident. Working in a pleasant and productive workplace is the key to the success of any organization, and managers should do everything possible to achieve this goal.
References
Elkjær, E., Mikkelsen, M. B., Michalak, J., Mennin, D. S., & O’Toole, M. G. (2020). Expansive and contractive postures and movement: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effect of motor displays on affective and behavioral Responses. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 17(1), 276–304. Web.
Falletta-Cowden, N., Smith, P., Hayes, S. C., Georgescu, S., & Kolahdouzan, S. A. (2022). What the body reveals about lay knowledge of psychological flexibility. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 11(10), 2848. Web.
Storchi, R., Milosavljevic, N., Allen, A. D., Zippo, A., Agnihotri, A., Cootes, T. F., & Lucas, R. E. (2020). A high-dimensional quantification of mouse defensive behaviors reveals enhanced diversity and stimulus specificity. Current Biology, 30(23), 4619-4630.e5. Web.