When somebody walks on to a stage, you don't want
somebody aimlessly wandering, not acknowledging the audience, with no clear
direction in where he or she is going. You would immediately judge him or her –
not a first class act, not self confident or not committed to the job.
The same principle is at play when you make an
entrance at a job interview or even a meeting.
So, how can you make sure others perceive you as someone
competent, confident and committed? Give every movement a clear and purposeful
direction.
On stage, actors often use the Laban movement chart
to refine their physical expression.
Laban breaks down how we move into three different areas: space, weight and
time. Space can be either direct or indirect, weight can be either heavy or
light and time can be either sudden or sustained.
When, as an actor, you are playing a certain
character, the different combinations of the three areas (your Laban cocktail)
help you to physically portray your
character convincingly; a young frivolous character would have indirect, light
and sudden movements, where as an aggressive character would have direct,
strong and sudden movements.
So how would this apply to people working in the
corporate sector? Remember, up to 80% of our communication is conveyed by the
nonverbal signals we send out. If you want to come across as somebody with
authority and someone who’s trustworthy, your nonverbal messaging has to match
this. Using indirect, strong and sudden movements would send out the signal
that you are impulsive and a bit nervous. Those movements certainly wouldn't
match the authority and trustworthiness you want to express. A better
combination would be to use direct, strong and sustained movements.
A direct, strong and sustained way of moving sends
the message that you are energetic, yet focused and in control; strong but not rigid; directive – but in a calm way. In other words,
all the qualities you want to express as a leader. Add a few sudden, direct and
strong movements into the mix and you can amplify your assertiveness. Make a
direct, sustained but light movement and you might show more of your analytical
side.
To choose which ingredients in the Laban cocktail
you need to make a stronger impression in those first seven seconds, you first
need to know your habit.
You could call your way you move through space,
your movement fingerprint. Once you have analysed your 'fingerprint', you get a
clear idea of which Laban cocktail you normally use and what message you send
out with this way of moving. Then, ask yourself: what do I want to express,
what would the ideal cocktail be? With this awareness you can make focused
decisions about what movements you want to keep, what needs to change and what
would be your most effective Laban cocktail. After this, the fun part starts:
practice!
You can practice this anywhere; while brushing your
teeth, cooking a meal, waiting for the bus, ordering a drink, on the dance
floor and obviously during interaction with others. So how would you practice
direct, strong and sustained movements? Imagine you are moving and gesturing through
treacle or water; it takes a bit more effort, your whole body has to be
involved and all movements are made with purpose.
And remember - have fun with it!
