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5 Huge Body Language Mistakes That Will Ruin Your Chances At Work

5 Huge Body Language Mistakes That Will Ruin Your Chances At Work

The importance of effective body language in our professional lives cannot be stressed enough. Whether you are at a job interview or are giving a speech or an important presentation at your workplace, if your body language is positive and effective, more than half your job is done. Remember that body language came before speech and 80% of the message that you “get” or “give” in a conversation is read through non-verbal communication and not the actual words. We have written about the tips for effectively employing this powerful tool at work, and now we give you the biggest body language mistakes that you need to watch out for and avoid at work:

Body Language Mistakes #1 – Avoiding Eye Contact:

When you avoid eye contact, it reflects your lack of confidence. Maintaining a steady eye contact with your audience helps build a rapport, and makes you appear less shifty. Remember to take breaks in between maintaining eye contact, lest you appear to be staring. Looking at someone constantly, for an extended period of time could be interpreted as aggressive, but mostly it would be interpreted as creepy!

Body Language Mistakes #2 – A Weak Handshake:

Handshakes are tricky things and need to be ‘just right’, not too weak, and not too firm. A weak handshake indicates lack of authority and confidence, while an overly firm handshake would come across as aggressive. The best handshakes are described as brief, yet ‘firm’. Also, maintaining eye contact while shaking hands is a must.

Body Language Mistakes #3 – Exaggerated Gestures:

Exaggerated gestures are a sign of you having failed at effective verbal articulation. Be in control of your gestures, avoid being too forceful and gesticulating too often. It takes away from the real weight of the matter and is extremely distracting for the onlooker(s).

Body Language Mistakes #4 – Bad Posture:

While it is important to feel comfortable, it is more important to not get so comfortable that you appear lazy, nonchalant and uninterested. When seated, avoid slouching which makes you look lazy or leaning forward which makes you look aggressive. Sit as upright as possible, with your hands on your lap. When standing, maintain a comfortable posture while drawing the complete possible length of your height, but at the same time taking care to not appear stiff.

Body Language Mistakes #5 – Fidgeting:

Constantly fidgeting or fixing your hair/clothes, et al., makes you appear as though you are anxious, nervous, overly self-conscious or distracted. The nervous energy would definitely be visible to the onlooker(s) and succeed in doing the very opposite of what you intended to, distract them instead of holding their attention.

Being aware and conscious of your body language, and working on it is an effort worth making. Be it your professional, or personal life, your body language is something that will always create a lasting impression. It reflects your maturity, professionalism and confidence and speaks a great deal about how you carry yourself. After all, it is the language you speak with, without even speaking a word. Like Peter Guber says,

“Language is a more recent technology. Your body language, your eyes, your energy will come through to your audience before you even start speaking.”

What do you think ? What are the other big body language blunders that we consciously or unconsciously make ? We would love to hear back from you.

And here is a bonus : We came across this powerful Ted Talk by Amy Cuddy, a renowned social psychologist.who shows how “power posing” – standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don’t feel confident — can affect testosterone and cortisol levels in the brain, and might even have an impact on our chances for success. Check out the high power and low power poses that she demonstrates in the video as well. She shows us that we can actually fake it to become it (yes, no kidding!). Bravo, Amy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks-_Mh1QhMc

5 Secret Job Application Tips That Will Win You The Recruiter’s Attention

5 Secret Job Application Tips That Will Win You The Recruiter’s Attention

This post comes from our experience as recruiters, and as an attempt to tell all the potential job-seekers out there about what it is that always makes a positive difference in a candidate’s application. We’ve seen some really great applications and some not-so-great ones. Whether or not you are a star performer, here are some job application tips that we would personally recommend which will help you get an edge over the other candidates (and make our lives much easier too!)

Job Application Tips #1 – Express Interest

The first and the foremost thing. Remember that the recruiter will probably be screening through dozens of other applications for the same job. What is it that will make the recruiter ascertain that you are the likely candidate? How interested you seem to be in the job. Express your interest adequately, however, not in a desperate manner. Mention the name of the company in your cover letter/email. Tell us what excites you about the job and why you are looking forward to it, it is a sign of how passionate you are about that particular job.

Job Application Tips #2 – Proofread your Resume and Cover Email

It is appalling how people seem to think it is okay to send in an error ridden resume/ application (unknowingly or deliberately) and that they would get away with it. The applications outnumber the positions available, and in such a case we need to shortlist. One or two typos won’t send your resume to the trash, but any more than that or other errors (inconsistency, insufficient information) obviously will, in the first round of shortlist itself, irrespective of how deserving a candidate you might be. Be sure to read, re-read and then read your resume and cover letter again for any mistakes or inconsistencies.

Job Application Tips #3 – Check your Online Presence

It is not a myth that recruiters and employers check the internet for extra information regarding the candidate. We actually do. And remember it is not just your LinkedIn profile we will be scanning. When you are getting ready to apply, make sure you assess how your online presence appears, yourself. The best way to do it is to Google yourself and see what information appears. You could then start filtering as per what you would want to be visible. Do look out for any inappropriate photographs and information that contradicts the information you have sent you in your application.

Job Application Tips #4 – Be Patient

Remember that the recruiter is most often not the decision maker and that (s)he is looking into the application process of several other candidates. While it is understandable that you would be anxious regarding the progress of your application, it is impractical to expect immediate feedback on your resume or interview.  Send a polite thank you email after each interview, and if you don’t hear back from the recruiter, let a few days pass before asking for an update. Be careful with the tone and frequency of your follow up, sounding angry or impatient is never a good idea.

Job Application Tips #5 – Be Transparent

Remember that when you choose a recruiter, you expect him/her to be pitching your case. It will always help to disclose full facts about your career, expectations and limitations, so that your recruiter can help you to the best of his/her ability. Discuss any worries you have about the job role, location, compensation, benefits  with the recruiter frankly so that he/she can either allay your concerns or let you know if the job is not a good fit for you. It is best to sort these things out right at the outset – saves everyone’s time and energy.

These are the simplest things you can do to help speed up your own job application process because you will getting the attention of the recruiter by paying attention to these details. Surprisingly, none of these tips are unusual or some form of hidden wisdom. They are just common sense, and yet we rarely ever see a candidate scoring well when it comes to these aspects. And when we do, the candidate remains high on our “favourite” list for all open job positions. Remember, it is a team effort, you need to help us for us to be able to help you.

Body Language and its Importance – Make it Work for you at Work

Body Language and its Importance – Make it Work for you at Work

Whoever said the only way to speak and communicate is through words? Even when you don’t speak a single word, your body language often conveys everything you want to say, sometimes even more than what you would want to say. What exactly is body language? All non-verbal communication made consciously or sub consciously. All leadership gurus and soft skill trainers would swear by the importance of proper body language. But why is body language so important after all?

Body Language plays a crucial role in communication – It can either complement your speech, or be a complete distraction to what you are saying, hence reduce considerably the effectiveness of your communication. It is a proven fact that 7 % of what we want to express is communicated through the words we use, 38% from the tone we use and 55 % comes from our body language. Hence, how effective our communication is depends heavily on how effective our body language is.

Body Language can earn you friends, or enemies – Your body language can help you be approachable or it can earn you unwanted attention. While you may not even be aware of certain flaws in your body language and may be doing it at a subconscious level, it is always best to try and be conscious and make an effort of checking yourself when you feel you could communicate better.

Signs of Positive Body Language:

  • Smiling (Discretion necessary here depending on the seriousness of interaction :))
  • Eye contact
  • A perfect handshake – not the death grip, not flaccid either
  • Affirmative movements like nodding head when required and reaffirming smiles.
  • Using hands – Use your hands to help emphasize your words, but don’t use them to the extent of it appearing as though you are dancing!
  • Slow and clear speech
  • Your posture reflects your confidence or lack of it How you carry yourself, whether your posture is straight and upright or bent and slouched determine whether you are confident and interested or disinterested. Leaning forward slightly implies interest, a willingness to comprehend
  • Slowly nodding – Shows a positive interest / comprehension / validation.

Signs of Negative Body Language

  • Tapping fingers – Agitated, anxious, bored, calculating.
  • Resting your palm on your chin – Critical, cynical and negativity towards the receiver.
  • Nose-rubbing or nose-touching when giving a verbal response – A sign of doubt, dishonesty.
  • Rubbing around ears when giving a verbal response – Performed while winging an answer, commonly associated with ‘I don’t know’ type response.
  • Rubbing the back of your head or neck – May suggest a disinterest in the conversation.
  • Staring blankly at the floor – May suggest a disinterest in the conversation.
  • Rapidly nodding your head – May display impatience / eagerness to add something to the conversation.
  • Rubbing your collar – Nervousness.
  • Biting your fingernails – Nervousness.

Our body language is mostly governed by our subconscious mind. A great way to find out how exactly our body language is, is by filming ourselves. Self-assessment is one of the most constructive forms of assessment. Though, one needs to be oneself and not alert towards the presence of the camera. The best way to be perfect, as we always say, is by practicing!

Decoding body language through non-verbal cues is also the best way to understand what the person in front of you is actually trying to communicate. Here is a helpful infographic by blogger/illustrator Yumi Sakugawa that gives some very useful body language tips.

5 Simple Practices to Help You Achieve Mastery Over Communication Skills

5 Simple Practices to Help You Achieve Mastery Over Communication Skills

We are living in the Communication Age and communication skills can be the make or break factor for your professional success. The ability to articulate oneself clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing, is of utmost importance, no matter what job you have or industry you work in. It is an art and like every other art, you need considerable and consistent practice to achieve mastery over communication skills.  As Brian Tracy said,

“Communication is a skill that you can learn. It’s like riding a bicycle or typing. If you’re willing to work at it, you can rapidly improve the quality of every part of your life.”

Here are five simple everyday practices that will bring a noticeable difference to your communication skills and help you achieve mastery over communication skills.

  1. Make eye-contact while speaking:

    One of the most important things about effective communication is to make eye contact while addressing someone, or a group. We all have been in the situation where we’ve mentally screamed at the person addressing us by going “hello, my eyes are here!” or been the other person who finds it much easier to speak when looking at an inanimate object (because that’s less intimidating). I remember, in my school, we were all taught to stare at the wall while speaking so that we don’t get nervous. Now I know why it was one of the worst things I learnt. But, like they say, it is never too late to unlearn and re-learn. When you maintain eye-contact with the person you are addressing, he/she feels like you are not only being attentive, but are also interested and right there with them, and not drifting off.

  2. Remember the name(s) and mention it:

    Remember the name of the person you are talking to, and end the conversation by mentioning it. For example, “Alright Philip, it was great talking to you”, or in the middle of your conversation, “so Philip, what do you think about this?” When you refer to them by their name, instead of using generic statements, it does make an impact and the person being addressed understands you were attentive, which is crucial.

  3. Avoid using ‘fillers’ at all cost:

    All of us tend to use syllables which may range from among the following – “umm”, “like”, “so…”, “uh”, “actually”, when we find ourselves running out of words. Even when we have plenty to say, we end up using these fillers, because we tend to get nervous. Be conscious to avoid using fillers, and the only way you get good at it is by practice!

  4. Listening is the key:

    Do not listen with an intention to retort but with the intent to understand. When you listen and analyze carefully what the other person is saying, you will be able to coherently form logical and rational sentences in your head while responding, instead of simply jumping to conclusions just so that you can make your point and have the last word.

  5. Be precise and specific:

    Do not beat around the bush. A great way to avoid that is to follow the “BRIEF” acronym, for both, written and verbal communication. BRIEF stands for – Background, Reason, Information, End and Follow up. This will ensure you are clear and concise, while communicated exactly what needs to be communicated, and doing so effectively.

Practice does make for perfect. Remember these 5 tips and try to implement them whenever you get an opportunity, even when you aren’t at work. Do not shy away from conversation, express yourself regardless of the fear that you may fumble and also read a lot, especially newspapers, or at the very least the editorials of newspapers. Read some of our other posts on achieving mastery over communication skills. Good communication skills – spoken or written can open doors you never even thought existed. So go ahead, outshine the competition. Get the edge. That is some food for thought 🙂

5 Top Leadership Quotes of All Time to Help Us Decode Great Leadership

5 Top Leadership Quotes of All Time to Help Us Decode Great Leadership

Being a leader means different things to different people. We all have our own thoughts on what good leadership entails. Some say it comes with what title one is vested with in the hierarchy of a company, some say it is about seniority while some firmly believe it is attributes like confidence, charisma and power that make up a good leader. But would we get a great leader even if we put all these qualities into one person? No, not necessarily. There is no one definition of great leadership and who a great leader is, so here are some of our favorite top leadership quotes by some of the world’s greatest leaders themselves to help us understand what leadership is (and isn’t) better.

Top Leadership Quotes #1:

Being a leader does not mean brute force, a sheer show of muscles (even metaphorically):

I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles; but today it means getting along with people ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Top Leadership Quotes #2:

No matter what your position on the hierarchy is, whether you have the responsibility of leading a team or whether you are to be led, you are the CEO of You, Inc. Leadership starts with leading yourself first.

A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others. He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of his actions and the integrity of his intent ~ Douglas MacArthur

Top Leadership Quotes #3:

Because with great power, comes great responsibility.

Power isn’t control at all – power is strength, and giving that strength to others. A leader isn’t someone who forces others to make him stronger; a leader is someone willing to give his strength to others that they may have the strength to stand on their own ~ Beth Revis

Top Leadership Quotes #4:

Leadership may be a paradox, but it is a paradox worth understanding and practicing:

I have three precious things which I hold fast and prize. The first is gentleness; the second is frugality; the third is humility, which keeps me from putting myself before others. Be gentle and you can be bold; be frugal and you can be liberal; avoid putting yourself before others and you can become a leader among men ~ Lao Tzu

 Top Leadership Quotes #5:

A great leader does not “lead”, (s)he empowers and enables. A critical attribute for being a great leader is to have 0% Hubris and 100% Humility:

In my experience, leadership is about three things: To listen, to inspire and to empower. Over the years, I’ve tried to learn to do a much better job listening actively, making sure I really understand the other person’s point of view, learning from them, and using that basis of trust and collaboration to inspire and empower. [It’s about] setting the bar high, and then giving them the time and resources to do great work ~ Larry Garfield

And to conclude the post, here is a bonus quote to sign off with, by Dan Shoenbaun that sums up our views on leadership very well. Even if you are a leader, be aware of your weaknesses, as you are of your strengths – “I define leadership as knowing when to be in front to lead and guide a team during the journey, and when to step back and let others take the lead. Much like an athlete who knows exactly what position to move to on the field at any given time, a true business leader understands the delicate balance of how to help others become leaders, fuel career ambitions, then give them the chance to shine.”

How to: Stay Afloat This Festive Season – 5 Tips for Boosting Productivity

How to: Stay Afloat This Festive Season – 5 Tips for Boosting Productivity

The festive season is upon us and these are the times when we truly stretch ourselves, a lot being required of us both on the personal as well as the professional front. It is as though we are doing a limbo between work and home. To be able to make the most of the little time we have on our hands, in which we are expected to tackle a humongous work load, being a little mindful towards boosting productivity will help a great deal. Here are 5 things that we practice at Oorja Biz Ops to boost our productivity and we would love to share them with you. Read on:

Productivity Tip #1 – Do not be over ambitious, be realistic – Of course it is a great thing to try and exceed one’s own expectations, especially in the “World of Work”. However, when time is less and there is much to do, be pragmatic and create a to-do list of priority tasks. Categorize everything into ‘important’, ‘not important but essential’, ‘urgent’ and ‘important and urgent’. Then set about accomplishing the tasks which need your attention first. Be realistic when you set goals for yourself, it will save you a lot of stress and disappointment.

Productivity Tip #2 – No shame in seeking help – When you are not able to handle something, and know there are people willing to help you out, reach out. Don’t let your ego stop you from asking for help. You learn something new and learn how to solve the problem in a quicker and more efficient way. That way you won’t be stuck at a particular point forever, neglecting the other tasks which need your attention.

Productivity Tip #3 – Delegate wherever possible – If you have resources and a team at your disposal, learn how to delegate tasks. It will help both you as well as them. Being a control freak always has adverse effects on your productivity levels. It is impossible to micro manage everything. Also, do acknowledge and trust the talent of other people who have been hired because of their skills to handle the particular tasks. It helps you work in a team efficiently, while making your work progress seamlessly, faster and as productive as ever.

Productivity Tip #4 – Take breaks – Ever heard of a productive zombie? No, right? That is exactly why we wouldn’t recommend you having a death wish of working tirelessly until you finally turn into a zombie. There are ample researches and studies which have proven how crucial breaks are to boost productivity and help in retaining attention and focus. Take regular but small breaks in between your work, but be careful to not let the breaks stretch or spill over into time-consuming distractions. Which brings us to the next point.

Productivity Tip #5 – Have a Zero Distractions Policy – Understand that you are on a really tight schedule, and any time spent on unnecessary emails or browsing the internet is going to cost you. Shut out all distractions when you sit down to work and focus single-mindedly on what is in front of you. There are several productivity tools that can help you do this. Go by setting a time limit for each task and push yourself to do it within the time you have set for yourself. After, reward yourself with a cookie 🙂

Tell us what your favorite method of boosting productivity is, and we would be happy to write a whole new article on your inputs! After all, the World of Work is all about giving and receiving knowledge and experience.