Your Body at Work

Book excerpt: HOW DO YOU MAKE IT IN BUSINESS? STOP LISTENING AND START WATCHING Your Body at Work is a guide to seeing past the words that fill the hallways, conference rooms, and e-mails of your workplace, and to deciphering the hidden meanings that lie behind them. Through real-life examples from the world of business, and with background from the science of communication, you'll learn to sight-read colleagues and use your own body language to your best advantage. You'll find out: • How a co-worker's hands, much more than her words, tell you how she felt about your presentation • Why gestures at a meeting are more memorable than words • When a shrug of the shoulders can mean the difference between "job well done" and "job could be better" • How to train a nosy boss to back off—without uttering a single word • What your shoes and your hair may be saying about your commitment to the job • Why you'll find more smiley-face stickers in cubicles than in corner offices David Givens has been a consultant to some of the biggest companies in the United States. With his expertise, he'll help you look past the words so you can really read your workplace.