Professionalism in the Workplace Appropriate and Inappropriate

Professionalism in the Workplace

Appropriate and Inappropriate Body Language

Nonverbal communication is the process of using wordless messages to generate meaning (Pearson, N.d.). There are many different forms of nonverbal communication. This can include the non-word vocalizations such as "ah" or "hmm" that can be used in between sentences as well as different intonations that can be used to give words different meanings. However, body language is probably the most important non-verbal cues to interpret non-verbal meaning. Body language is one of the best indicators of how someone is feeling and it is often the case that these signals can be perceived without even trying.

Nonverbal communication is an important aspect to any communication. It is exactly for this reason many people use "emoticons" to try to convey an emotion that they are expressing when communicating over text or through email. People try to provide signals to take the place of nonverbal cues such as body language to enhance these forms of communication. The importance of body language in communication is one of the reasons that most business professionals prefer to meet in person when covering topics that are truly important to the organization.

Body language can be one of the most important aspects to communication and for that reason many people actually practice it to increase their ability to negotiate. Some of the tips given are (Goman, 2014):

• When making a formal presentation, move then pause.

• To look decisive, rotate your palms down.

• If you want to be taken seriously, speak up early.

• To sharpen your negotiating skills, notice how fast you can make or break rapport.

One example of nonverbal feedback that is counterproductive that is often given is when Bill Clinton was talking about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky on camera. President Bill Clinton was lying during his second term in office about his sexual involvement with Monica Lewinsky; which is clearly evident from the videos because he is pointing his finger in an aggressive manner to attempt to force his point-of-view on the audience (Meyer, 2011). Aggressive body language is generally not appreciated in professional settings.

To make individuals feel more comfortable in group settings there are a variety of ways to manage sources of conflict that arise in the workforce such as:

Identify a safe place -- the two people could have suggested a better place and time to have the discussion.