THE MESSAGE IN THE WALK
Posture, of course, includes walking. The stride and pace of an
executive as he or she enters a boardroom can radiate a dozen
different subtexts ranging from confidence to ineptitude. Generally,
people who walk rapidly and swing their arms freely send a subtext
of being goal oriented. People who scuff along, head down, signal
dejection. Those who walk with their hands on their hips, a male
posture adopted by Winston Churchill in the Second World War,
send a subtext of "I want to get where I'm going in the shortest
possible time."
The preoccupied walk, slow paced, head lowered, hands clasped
behind, is private, thoughtful: "I'm considering all sides of the
question." The "Benito Mussolini" walk, a man's walk, consists
of chin raised arrogantly, arms swinging, legs stiff in a sort of
strut: "I am an important person!"
The "model's" walk, a woman's walk, is almost a glide. The
body sways, but remains erect. The subtext is sultry and provocative
and totally unsuited for business!
In 1985, an article in The New York Times described Ronald
Reagan's posture during a discussion with a reporter. Reagan
has been generally held to be a master at using posture to get a
subtext across. The article reads like a summary of many of the
Points I've made on posture:
How do you send a subtext of aggression? With a grim face,
clenched fists, a slight crouch if standing, the body angled forward,
eye contact held as long as possible.
A defensive tension shows itself in tightly folded arms, a straight
back, head half turned away, and the avoidance of eye contact.
BODY LANGUAGE: GESTURES, POSTURE, AND SPACE