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I agree that those are things an attractive businesswoman must work to overcome.
Would love to hear the male opinion on this one
I don't disagree with any of them. Click the link to read more details about the traps. I didn't copy the whole thing.
10 common body language traps for women in the workplace
A female executive was having problems dealing with her male colleagues. "They like me, but they never take me seriously," she complained. "It's as if they think I'm flirting with them. Which I definitely am not!"
After watching her interact with various men on the senior management team, I saw the problem. She was trying to discuss work-related issues while using a "social gaze."
Here's what I mean . . .
If you create an imaginary triangle on someone’s face, with their eyes as the base and mid-forehead as the apex, you will have mapped out the "look of business." When you keep your gaze in that area, you nonverbally signal a no-nonsense, business-like approach. But when you invert the triangle and move your focus to the area between the eyes and mouth, you turn your gaze into one more appropriate for social encounters. And a social gaze can be misinterpreted as flirtatious—even in a corporate setting.
It’s a small thing, really. But as this woman found out, one small nonverbal signal can change the dynamics of an entire business interaction.
There are two sets of nonverbal signals that are especially important to all professionals. When first introduced to a leader, followers immediately and unconsciously assess him or her for warmth (empathy, likeability, caring) and authority (power, credibility, status). “Warm” leaders connect with staff in a way that makes them want to do a really good job because of that personal connection, affection and respect. But employees also look for leaders who project stability and authority, who make them feel secure, and whom they believe can follow through and achieve results.
Obviously the most appealing leaders are seen to have both qualities, and the least effective leaders are those regarded as uncaring and insecure. Perhaps not so obviously, many of the nonverbal signals for warmth and authority are divided along gender lines. Although I know several leaders of both sexes who do not fit the stereotypes, I’ve also observed that gender differences in body language most often do align with these two groupings. Women are the champions in the warmth and empathy arena, but lose out with power and authority cues—mostly because they fall prey to ten common body language traps.
TRAP #1: Using too many head tilts.
TRAP #2: Physically condensing.
TRAP #3: Using girlish gestures.
TRAP #4: Speaking “up.”
TRAP #5: Smiling excessively.
TRAP #6: Nodding too much.
TRAP #7: Waiting your turn.
TRAP #8: Flirtatious behavior.
TRAP #9: Being emotionally over-expressive.
TRAP #10: Having a delicate handshake.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...GFbF_blog.html
Last edited by ashbeeigh; 05-11-2011 at 05:43 PM.
I agree that those are things an attractive businesswoman must work to overcome.
I don't like to read that much so I'll just say that the modern woman has no more of a right to be in the workplace than a 1st grader has to attending classes at MIT
So in other words, men understand things and women are (generally) re ed. No news here.TRAP #6: Nodding too much. When a man nods, it means he agrees. When a woman nods, it means she agrees—or is listening to, empathizing with or encouraging the speaker to continue. In fact, women tend to nod so much that we’ve been accused of looking like bobble-head dolls. TIP: Constant head nodding can express encouragement and engagement, but not authority and power. To project authority, especially when stating your opinion, keep your head still.
Hard to say who's at fault. There's no reason a woman should not be able to use her skills to maneuver in the workplace. Men use theirs. We don't worry about the triangle. , this isn't Pakistan.
If you think your coworker is flirting with you because she looked at your mouth when you talked, you probably have some issues that go beyond her gestures. Now if she unzips you and starts choking on it right in front of the guided tour, that could be something but you have to make sure it's not just a friendly " o".
I've never held back, in the workplace or elsewhere, from being who I naturally am----warm, friendly and playful. Older men can appreciate it, but most the younger ones think I "want" them. But I really don't think it's as much because of my mannerisms, than it is them believing, how could I not want them?
I wasn't aware that communication was an entirely one-way interaction. This article assumes that women are necessarily wrong in their behavior, rather than that men may be wrong in their interpretation.
And as far as #10 goes, I think a weak handshake is problematic in ALL situations, but disagree emphatically that women with weak handshakes are judged more harshly than men with weak handshakes.
I agree the article is very one dimensional- assuming that the woman is doing things wrong.If you look at it from the male side of things then you enter the "I have to take sensitivity training classes again..." realm of thinking. Not that I'm advocating against that at all.
However, I also think the article is just trying to help women who are having trouble in a male dominate workforce. The start of the article explicitly states that the author was observing someone who was having issues with her male co-workers. She just wanted to help her. It wasn't like she just set out on a mission to write these 10 tips because her editor gave her assignment.
TRAP #4: Speaking “up.”
Women's voices often rise at the ends of sentences as if they're asking a question or asking for approval.
Speaking Australian in other words.
Granted, but I don't think it's particularly helpful.
Rather than taking an approach that suggests the importance for all people in the business world (or, really, any professional environment) to communicate confidently, the article as written just lays out a laundry list of items that only women supposedly have to worry about. Seems to me the likely result is that it would just make women even more self-conscious within an environment in which they are already often meant to feel inferior.
And depending on what type of field you work in. I mean, if I don't nod and feel/look empathetic in my field I would not be looked at as successful. Speaking up and interrupting, indeed, would be rude- not seen as assertive. I think taking these just as suggestions is helpful - if having issues in the business world. But, having them in the back of your head and mentally checking them off would be detrimental to professional success.
I think the problem is in dealing with all of this as a gendered issue, however.
There. Did it for you this time.
I totally agree. There's no winning. One step forward 2 steps back.
Do us all a favor and leave your replies to 2 letters
Now THAT'S a chore.
zing!
crofl
See its easy
lol pretentious, uppity skanks who overuse the English language
The Club could use more topics like this.
I went to MIT and had to do 5th grade twice.
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