Some researchers have said that body language can make up nearly 80% of communication, with as little as 7% of communication coming from spoken words. The remainder can be made up by tone of voice and body language.

A negative stance can result in a negative effect on yourself and the people around you, as your body language is communicating to those looking at you that you are in a negative mood or frame of mind, even if you aren’t saying anything verbally.

Take for example you are in a stressful meeting with your colleagues and you must come to a unanimous decision over some matter. If people are getting worked up, frustrated and losing their concentration, try to influence the meeting with your body language and demeanor. If you remain positive, positive, positive and do not lose your temper, raise your voice or give an exasperated sigh the mood can slowly spread and uplift the feelings of the group as a whole.

Next time you find yourself in a meeting which is slowly becoming more and more stressed and tempers are starting to flare, why not try these tips instead?

• Ask reinforcing questions like, so what should we do now? Does anyone have any other opinions? Are there any alternatives? Let’s sort this through together.






• Try keeping the tempo up and keep the flow of ideas coming as well as progressing through your planned agenda

You will eventually find that the mood improves and productivity will increase, so remember, body language is important, why not try using it to your advantage one day?