Communication is key in healthcare leadership roles. And one of the best ways that you can communicate with your fellow employees is through effective body language. Not only does it make the conversation much more enjoyable, but it can also help get your message across. Body language gives off a lot of silent messages, which makes it important to understand.
How body language can affect a conversation
Shows that you are paying attention
One of the most important aspects to any leader is their ability to listen and make other people feel heard. And through body language, you can convince your colleagues and fellow staff members that you want to hear what they have to say. Making eye contact, leaning into the conversation, and nodding are all signs that someone is playing close attention to a conversation. Since we are all wearing masks, eye contact and gestures are now even more important.
Can describe various emotions
When speaking to someone, there are ways to show various emotions without having to outright say them. By using gestures more frequently, you can show your enthusiasm for a specific task or action. A relaxed and loose body can also put another person at ease and can make them feel more comfortable when talking to you.
Each gesture can hold multiple meanings
Gestures can sometimes mean different things depending on various circumstances and the people that are making them. Someone standing with folded arms can show confidence and focus. But it can also be a protective gesture that someone uses to feel safer and more comfortable. If a staff member is not sharing eye contact and is folding their arms, then it is possible that the way you are talking is making them feel uncomfortable.
Not everything needs saying
When in a leadership position, you need to convey as much information as possible in a short amount of time. You can show confidence and power by standing with hands on your hips, or you can show more enthusiasm by using more gestures as you speak. You can keep constant eye contact along with slower, more emphasized tone to show that what you are saying is important.
Ways to improve at non-verbal communication
Giving off the right signals as a healthcare leader is obviously essentially. However, consider the gestures that your team members are giving off to better understand them as well.
Being Perceptive
Pay attention to what other employees are saying and try to focus on their gestures. Whenever they speak to you, see where their hands are going and if they are keeping constant eye contact. These are just a few of the many things that you will have to consider if you want to be able to improve at understanding body language. Once again, since we are wearing masks in healthcare, watching hand gestures and eye contact are some cues we can pick up on.
Focus on your Body language
Body language is often involuntary as your body feels like certain gestures are the best way to respond to conversation. By focusing more on your body gestures, you can better understand why you perform certain actions. Using this insight, you can usually also pinpoint what the other person is feeling as well.
How to effectively use body language
Body language only works if you are using it effectively, so be sure to pay attention to what gestures you use. Not only can they give you better insight into how you respond to certain things, it can also help you better time your gestures and speech patterns. Out of sync gestures can look very strange and can show a serious disconnect. You will essentially be sending two different types of messages if you are not considering what you are saying with your hands and your words.
Final Thoughts
Making use of good body language is essential to any leader. It can help you convey a lot of information without having to say much at all.
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