Positioning yourself for cooperation
Say that you’re the newly appointed head of a well-established and successful
team. One by one you invite your new colleagues into your office for a ‘get-
ting acquainted’ session. They may feel a little wary of you and watch to see
how you manage the meeting. By placing yourself in the neutral 45 degree
zone you encourage openness and honest discussion. No threatening aspect
is associated with this position. Turn 10 degrees in either direction and the
dynamics change. If you turn inwards, you indicate intimacy is in the air. If
you angle your body away, you shut out the other person.Sitting with subordinates
When you want to create a relaxed, informal atmosphere when speaking to a
subordinate in your office, open the session with both of you sitting in the 45
degree angle position, directing your bodies to a third point forming a trian-
gle, suggesting agreement. From this position you can reflect the other
person’s gestures, creating a sense of ease and rapport.If you want a direct answer to a question and you feel you’re not getting it in
the 45 degree pose, shift your position to face directly towards the other
person (see Figure 14-2). This action says that you want a direct answer to
your direct question.Figure 14-1:
The 45
degree
angle
encourages
relaxed,
informal,
and open
communi-
cation.236 Part IV: Putting the Body into Social and Business Context