When working with other people, verbal communication is only one way that you show others emotion, approval, disappointment and confidence. How you walk, how you position yourself when talking and how you use your facial expression are all cues that other people rely on when making assessments about your abilities and current state of mind.

Using Body Language in the Workplace

The more you understand body language and its affect on others, the better you will be in communicating with co-workers, bosses, clients, vendors and others you encounter during the day. By making simple adjustments to your posture, facial expressions and mannerisms, you can improve the way others view you. Assessing how people view you is necessary in order to make changes.

Ask those around you whose opinion you can trust to determine where improvements need to be made.

Adjustments can include the following:

• Maintaining a relaxed posture while walking or during a meeting. Relaxed posture indicates you're comfortable in your surroundings and not under stress. Even if you experience stress while working on a project, when you reduce the appearance of stress, those around you will feel more comfortable and will have more faith in your abilities to lead, delegate responsibility and manage the project.

• Mannerisms such as fidgeting, moving around a room while talking, breaking eye contact with others frequently and other bodily quirks you have can be seen as a distraction to those around you. These mannerisms can make you appear anxious, unprepared, unorganized, and stressed even if you're not. Learn how to control these mannerisms by taking note of when they occur, how often they occur, and consider ways to alter them. Many times, mannerisms are just old habits that need to be broken.

• Learning how to control your facial expressions can help you become more successful in the workplace. If people often ask if you're upset or angry, it may be because you're constantly frowning or you appear sad. Change your facial expressions by practicing in the mirror. Find an expression that is relaxed and calm and make an attempt to wear it as often as possible around others. Once you're learned how to use your body language to communicate more effectively in the workplace, you will notice a change in how others react to you.

Assessing the Body Language of Others

If you're always the last person in the office to know when something is wrong, then maybe you need to pay closer attention the signals others are sending through their body language.

Noticing how people walk, how they carry themselves and how their faces appear during the day can provide you with many clues. Even though they may be sending the wrong signals, you should still take note of them so you can assess situations more confidently instead of relying on the perceptions of others. Becoming more observant of body language when hiring new employees can also help you choose the right candidates for positions available. Take notice of how they present their resume to you, how they sit and how their facial expressions change as they talk about prior job experiences. Use your observations in conjunction with their resume and references to determine if they are right for the company you work for.