CHAPTER 9Recognize and Interpret Body Language

Body language can mean any motion that someone does to communicate something nonverbally. Watch for the following behaviors and stances in yourself and in others. Make sure that what you’re saying with your body language is in agreement with what you’re trying to convey in conversation. I’ve included below some examples of body language—some of which are obvious, some that are less so—and expert interpretations on what they communicate:

Arms crossed across the chest

• “I’m closed off from hearing the message and I’m inaccessible.”

• “I don’t trust you so I have to protect myself.”

• “I need to be convinced by facts.”

Looking at a watch or the clock

• “I want this to be over soon because I have better ...

Get Surviving the Toxic Workplace: Protect Yourself Against Coworkers, Bosses, and Work Environments That Poison Your Day now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.