Amy Cuddy
Amy Cuddy is an American psychologist and author who has expertise in body language and the relationship between power and non-verbal behavior, especially with relevance to professional and organizational settings. Cuddy believes that non-verbal language, most commonly known as body language, says a lot more about our personalities and competencies than we think and even more than what we are consciously talking about. She highlights on the importance of developing an efficient and persuasive body language that can help multifold in our professional lives and settings as she believes that our facial expressions, gestures, and postures can tell a lot more about us than we are consciously trying to convey through the use of verbal language. She stresses the importance of a non-verbal communication in managerial thinking by claiming that it is crucial for creating an impactful impression at work. The company or organization you are working for as strong body signals can leave a prolonged convincing impression on the consumers. This essay will discuss the key concepts espoused by the scholar on the importance of non-verbal communication in organizational settings. It will further explain how companies can effectively implement the different strategies for developing sound body language in its employees and what communication barriers can be minimized if the strategies are implemented.
As mentioned in the sources cited above, the importance of nonverbal communication in an organizational or professional life leads to positive consequences for both the employees and the organization. This ideology complies with the perspective of Ammy Cuddy on the importance of nonverbal communication as she believes that it acts as a mirror to reflect the various aspects of one’sone’s personality and traits and speaks volumes about one’sone’s entrepreneurship and leadership skills. According to the scholar, body language is mostly about one’sone’s interaction with one’sone’s own self. In simpler words, if we are interacting with someone at a non-verbal frequency, then it also implies that we are unconsciously communicating with ourselves, thus developing our own confidence and reflecting off a specific vibe that reveals our personality’spersonality’s hidden traits. Her argument is also supported by Mandal (2014), who claims that a nonverbal phenomenon determines the construction of interpersonal contact and the movement-to-movement control of the relationship. Nonverbal signals help regulate the system, identify the communicative hierarchy, indicate the interactional flow, and deliver meta-communication and feedback. Mandal further asserts that experiences in organizational settings demonstrate that there is a metaphysical significance of non-verbal communication. Kaushal (2014), further supports the hypothesis espoused by Cuddy as she suggests that body language explains a lot about an individual’sindividual’s personality, especially during job interviews. Imada and Hakel (1977), write that body language in a job interview provides the interview panel with an adequate amount of information that is not elucidated through words alone. It reflects whether the applicant is confident, determined – or indeed, if the candidate may be bored, insecure, or confused.
Raman and Singh (2006) offer many strategies for the improvement of nonverbal communication in workplace settings. They emphasize the curriculum development at business schools by arguing that the curriculums must incorporate effective strategy for efficient communication skills development. They claim that this would ensure that the students encounter zero to reduced communicative barriers while giving job interviews. This will also develop strong entrepreneurship and leadership skills in them, which are required for higher posts in organizations and companies. Managers and directors at the workplace must arrange workshops or courses that specifically target enhancing the nonverbal communication of employees. Nonverbal communication plays an essential role in the workplace, as coworkers belonging from diversified cultures engage in different ways while working in groups, meetings, and projects. Therefore, it is important to understand the significance of the way in which ideas and opinions are expressed and articulated for the organizational management and growth of a company (Mujezinovic, 2011). Cuddy shares her observations after witnessing eminent capitalists’ interviewing process who quickly decide whether an idea or a concept or more importantly, its founder, is worthy of an investment. She argues that an individual’s verbal and nonverbal behaviors always synchronize with one another, and hence it is important for him to feel confident and be reflective of his genuine emotions. Her concept of ”power pose” demonstrates that an intentional adjustment of body language when no one around is paying attention can induce temporary alterations in actions and self-presentation. Again, her idea carries significant importance for business students since a lack of confidence during a work interview or a crucial presentation may affect their recruitments or their current jobs.
In light of the aforementioned sources and Amy Cuddy’sCuddy’s theory of Body Language, it is evident that developing an effective nonverbal communication has multiple advantages in managerial thinking. Exercising an awareness of one’s body language daily to the daily basis of interaction can yield significant benefits in one’s professional life. Practicing body language can begin from taking a step as basic as raising your hand in a classroom to how cordially you shake hands at the end of a business meeting. It is easy and takes no effort but makes a significant contribution towards constituting a strong impression. Recruiters and directors in an organization can be very sensitive and compos mentis to effective non-verbal cues than people realize. From entering into a conference room, till the time a presentation is concluded, people with persuasive nonverbal signs can engender an integument about their opinions and their precleared moral values. An individual’s body language can act as a catalyst for achieving a sale, securing a contract, or effectively dealing with consumers in the business world. Nonverbal communication has many factors and aspects that influence its nature, making it a varying attribute in individuals. Whether this abstract model of communication supports people in their managerial tasks or offers a barrier, it is inevitable that it will always play a significant role.