MEDICO LEGAL M A G A Z I N E
UNDERSTANDING THE UNSAID SIGNALS By Andrea Gordon
Andrea is a professional actor and body language coach, well known for her current role as Bren Lee in Doctors on BBC1. As a fully qualified mediator, and after seeing there were a lot of crossover skills involved, she now presents and teaches mediation, role playing and communication skills to a wide variety of business corporations, including medical, law and media professionals. There is an old saying, "It's not what you say, it's the way that you say it" and, like many old things, it has become hackneyed and overlooked with time, but paying attention to the above adage is a huge factor in our success in communicating with each other, in all aspects of life... Up to 93% of our communication is non-verbal, yep, you read that right. Below is the breakdown for those that like figures: Our communication consists of approximately •
55% Body Language: facial expressions, body gestures, postures etc.
•
35% Voice
•
10% Words
10
Sp o n s o re d by:
We are trained in what we say, but rarely trained in how we say it. Thinking about how we say what we say, and reading others’ non-verbals for clues on their thoughts and intentions, gives us an extra insight - a great tool to have in your kit bag as a professional, giving you that edge. Apart from this, it can be rather fun, putting you in the driving seat when you are in the hot seat! For example, if you find yourself called as expert witness in court, your whole presentation relies on your credibility. How you give your evidence is extremely important, bearing in mind the above figures. So how do you defend the report that you have been up all night, for several nights, writing? Or indeed how do you present yourself as an expert with gravitas? The first point I teach, in my body language seminars and classes, is to find your neutral spot. It's the spot where physically we are relaxed, confident but neutral. It is a powerful position because it enables you to calm the limbic system and to react with time for thought. A neutral stance is one where, if standing, the weight is evenly distributed on both feet, the arms are loosely by sides and head is on the level plane; if sitting, the weight is still evenly distributed and hands come to
