As children most of us received speeches and words of caution about good posture. Though we might not have been concerned with them at the time, most of what we heard was good advice. Posture is important to our muscular and bone health later in life. Good posture is also key to our listening and learning abilities. Slouching posture truly does reduce the learning receptors of our body.
Whether standing or sitting, our posture is communicating to those around us. In my years of conducting more than 5,000 interviews with job applicants, posture during an interview became one of my telltale signs for a person’s character and his/her desire for work. Most people enter an interview with a sense of nervousness. Therefore, the interview begins with him sitting in a pretty straight up, healthy postured position. As the interview progresses, the interviewee will begin to relax. For some this relaxing turns into a slouching position.
Slouching posture demonstrates little interest for the job or topic being discussed as well as a sign of disrepect. This disrespect may be concerning the interviewer and his company. It could be about work in general, or a disrepect for the work being discussed. While slouching posture during an interview may not always be the only reason not to hire, it is a large communication indicator of the person’s character. In my experience, slouching posture was one of a cluster of communicators – and it nearly always proved correct.
Conversely, straight up, healthy posture reflects interest in the job and the topic at hand. Yet, that was not always enough for me in an interview. Nerves could also keep a person sitting up straight in the chair. Nerves will also keep a person fidgeting in his/her seat.
In most cases, I was seeking the person who would sit on the edge of his/her seat, leaning forward as we discussed the position being considered. Sitting on the front portion of the seat and leaning into the conversation not only displays interest, but also intrigue and enthusiasm for the topic being discussed.
Not only in job interviews, every meeting, discussion, and casual conversation you engage in, posture is communicating the interest of each person involved. As a leader, you should not only learn to watch for these communiqués of posture, but you should also observe and have others observe your posture as well. Practice good healthy and enthusiastic posture.
What can you do today to begin to learn and observe of your own posture? What can you put into practice to learn what is being communicated to you by the posture of those you speak and interact with?
George Yates is an Organizational Health Strategist and coach, assisting churches, organizations, and individuals in pursuing God’s purpose for life. Click here to receive this blog in your email inbox each Tuesday.
Parts of this post adapted from Coaching: A Way of Leadership, A Way of Life.