GESTURES
Teachers in our schools are concerned about the "Sesame Street Effect." A lot of programming for kids keeps them engaged by using flashy jump cuts and aggressive visual stimulation. Educators are worried that by the first grade, kids will need spectacle on the astonishment scale of Cirque du Soleil in order to keep their attention.
This concern about short attention doesn't only apply to our children. Corporate trainers worry about keeping the attention of stressed-out employees. Even in corporate boardrooms there is cause for concern: the latest research shows the average attention span of this country's CEOs is down to a frightening six minutes.
| But this is a tip about gestures. Surely gestures won't turn fast moving execs into more patient creatures! |
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True, they won't. But like vocal variety, gestures help alter the stream of input your watchers are receiving, and any new input is a good thing.
As you become aware of your own gestures, ask some simple questions. First, what are your hands doing when they're not gesturing? In other words, what's your neutral gesture?
Some choices that do not convey confidence or leadership and should be eliminated as a neutral gesture:
Elbows fairly straight with your hands clasped in front of your groin;
Hands clasped behind your back;
One hand crossing your body to grasp the opposite elbow;
Both hands crossed over your chest.
You might be wondering, "If that's the list of 'no-no's,' what is okay to do?"
A nice neutral gesture has your hands in the center of your body, around belt height, with the finger tips lightly touching as if you're cradling a fragile glass ball. If that particular hand position feels awkward, find one that suits you better, but be cautious about hands clutching or grinding on each other. Your neutral gesture should look relaxed.
More importantly, when you do gesture, are your hands breaking your silhouette? They should. A small hand flick that stays within the imaginary outline of your body does not earn the title of gesture.
Push your comfort and gesture larger than feels comfortable. Ask people you trust whether your gestures look too big or unnatural. Odds are they'll look just fine. If your energy is upbeat and flowing freely, it is almost impossible to gesture too broadly.
If your concern is about using your hands too much, don't worry. You might be gesturing a lot, but that's not a major reason to worry. Only worry if you find that you're making the same gesture over and over and over and over. Any repetitive behavior effects us like the monotonous clickety-click of a train. So mix it up and create a wide array of gestures. That way your watchers won't be reaching for their mental remotes trying to change your channel.
Also see, Feedback
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