How to Talk to Your Boss With Confidence

When a woman tells me she wants to learn how to talk with confidence with her boss, she most likely is referring to her verbal communication skills. This is the number one mistake professional women make when it comes to speaking with confidence with your boss.

The more I work with women; I find that we often neglect to think about our nonverbal communication and body language. Most of us think of communication as just talking.  When is comes to speaking with confidence with our boss, most want to focus on using power words.

Confident body language is far more effective in communicating the right message than any words that may come out of your mouth. Therefore, using the right body language can make all of the difference in earning respect and credibility of your boss.

To earn the respect of your boss, try the 5 confident body language tips below to help you communicate the right message:

Tip 1.  Always approach your boss as your equal. You must demonstrate that you have earned the right to be a prominent member of the team just like she has. Always be respectful, but think and act like you belong.  You may do this by not asking for permission to enter her office, or don’t wait to be spoken to in order to speak.  This step works best when you feel confident about your ability and performance.

Tip 2.  Establish good eye contact. Eye contact is a powerful body language tool.  To use it effectively, never look up, down or to the side when talking as this conveys uncertainty and mistrust.  Practice keeping eye contact without staring by shifting eyes slightly to your boss’s forehead every now and then.

Tip 3.  Walk tall and with confidence. Good posture goes a long way when you are talking about confident body language.  Therefore, stand up straight and keep your head up.  When entering your boss’s office, walk all the way in, don’t wait to be invited.  If appropriate, remain standing next to her desk for some time, especially if your boss is seated.  This will require her to look up at you, subconsciously putting you in a confident position.  This strategy helps balance the power between the two of you.

Tip 4.  Keep your hands visible at all times while seated. Hands are also useful when conveying confident body language.  This is difficult for some women, as we tend to keep our hands on our laps.  Use open-handed gestures to emphasize points while talking.  This animation will automatically help to promote a confident demeanor.  Also, taking a confident position in your chair goes a long way and will make you feel confident as well.

Tip 5. Make sure you keep hands away from your face, mouth and hair. Touching any of these while conversing sends all the wrong messages from nervousness, boredom to weakness and is sure to zap your power in seconds.

Try these confident body language tips and you will show your boss your confidence.  Remember, communication is more than just talking. What you say non-verbally through body language speaks volumes.

Please share your comments and ideas.  I’d like to hear from you.

Take care,

Jocelyn

© Jocelyn Giangrande and SASHE,LLC, 2010. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author  is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jocelyn Giangrande and SASHE,LLC  with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.