Ever wonder if you are giving off the right signals?
Sudbury's Speaking School will be conducting a free seminar on
body language this evening at the New Sudbury library on
Lasalle Blvd. that may provide some answers.
The seminar, conducted by Lynn Hall, will provide an
overview of body-language and translations of a few basic
non-verbal signals.
These signals include eye contact, facial expressions,
posture, tilt of the head, and hand gestures such as chin
strokes, crossing arms, hand to cheek, and even which way one's
palms are pointed.
Body language gives others "clues" to how confident you are, how good of a listener you are, and how their message is being received.
"It's interesting, and it's also something that we don't talk
about in the workplace, but it impacts how we make assumptions
and how others make assumptions about our thoughts and
feelings," says Christine Shirota. who founded the Speaking
School two years ago with Hall.
With a little practice, training, and coaching, anyone can
become a master in the art of communication.
"I truly believe everybody can do public speaking and can
clearly communicate his or her message," says Christine
Shirota.
Shirota and Hall are members of Toastmasters International, which is an organization that promotes leadership and communication skills. They saw a need in the workplace for effective communication skills, especially in a time when society is so dependant on the latest technologies.
"I think the focus has shifted toward being faster and more
efficient, and people are losing the skill of communicating
clearly," says Shirota.
"Communicating to employees and communicating to colleagues is really important. If leaders speak clearly and directly that makes the workplace, I think, more effective. Leaders can then concentrate on what they do best, which is their business."
The school holds its classes at the Travelway and they can easily be worked into a busy schedule.
"There's a lot of practice that takes place in our classes, so
you don't just come and learn how to do it, but you actually
get up and you get feedback," Shorota says.
"Having the combination of the training and the coaching is what makes our program so unique and powerful."
To register for Speaking School courses, phone 674-8282. To pre-register for the body language seminar, phone 673-1155, ext. 225. The seminar will also be offered in November at the library's Lively branch.
- with files from Gianni Ubriaco
