Are we Syncing Our Non-Verbal Cues in the Workplace?

The workplace is full of communication as people act and interact with each other to get the day’s events accomplished. Beyond what is said and the words we use it is possible that language works in the background as well. Inadvertently, you may be sync yourself with other people in the much the same way as you sync your electronic gadgets to each other.  

A recent study explains how people inadvertently sync to their social networks when communicating (Higo, et. al. 2014). Our non-verbal communication mannerisms start to mimic those within our social networks and create a language of their own. We naturally find a way of showing our engagement in further conversation. 

As we talk to people we engage with on a frequent basis we naturally make personal and emotional connections to those members. This happens because we share information, stories, and memories. Beyond the verbal obvious is the story embedded in our non-verbal communication patterns. 

When two people begin to share non-verbal cues they create a synchronous way of communicating. We can see this when a person is encouraged to keep talking simply by the body movements of the other person that expresses interest and a level of excitement with the information. Failure to sync means failure to connect on a meaningful level.

The power of non-verbal communication has been known for some time. The difference is that viewing non-verbal communication as a sync and not-sync helps explain how groups are formed, cultures are experienced, and the difficulties some people have with connecting to strangers. Over time when groups of people sync together they are “connected” and form a true entity. 

It is possible to think of how organizational cultures are formed through shared values and beliefs. Perhaps such beliefs are also formed from the way in which people act and interact with each other on a non-verbal level. As organizational members sync with each other they encourage and develop greater communication and organizational development. 

Higo, N. et. al. (2014). Interpersonal similarity between body movements in fac-to-face communication in daily life. Plos One, 9 (7).

Health Benefits of Eating an Orange Everyday

Throwing an orange in your lunch box everyday has significant health benefits. Eating single orange a day can enhance heart health, improve the immune system, and strengthen many other parts of your body. Eating healthy requires replacing bad calories with health ones contain in oranges and other fruits or vegetables. 

Oranges contain something called flavonols that contributes to heart health (Nursing Standard, 2011).  The flavonols are an anti-oxidant that search the body and remove free radicals that injure the lining of the veins and damage the heart.  Having an appropriate amount of flavonols in your blood can reduce risks of stroke and heart attack by ad much as 10-20%.

If you have the sniffles you might just want to pick up a few oranges. As it turns out the colorful fruit has a lot of vitamin C which boosts your immune system (Finweek, 2013). Consuming 7 to 9 servings of fruit and vegetables a day can really impact and improve your complicated immune system. It is the one nutrient almost all parts need. 

Oranges also have general health benefits that move to protect bones, teeth, muscles, skin, ligaments and blood vessels (Environmental Nutrition, 2012). Eating at least one orange a day can help you look younger and protect against wrinkling. If you don’t like eating them, drink them.  

Oranges may not be a miracle food but they certainly are a practical alternative. The nutrients in oranges have a systematic influence on the body. Keep yourself looking and feeling healthy on the inside and the outside by throwing an orange in your lunch box. Eat as a snack to keep your appetite in check as you work away. 

Drink to your health. (2013). Finweek. 

Flavonol in orange juice contributes to a healthy heart. (2011). Nursing Standard, 25 (26). 

Zesty citrus fruits signal powerful health benefits. (2012) Environment Nutrition, 35 (2)

Helping Managers Develop Strategies for Time

Time is an expendable resources that has limitations and adds up to either contribute or detract from a company’s success. You may have heard the phrase time is money. In business few things could be truer. The way in which managers use their time can have large implications for whether or not activities are aligned to the actual needs of the company. Time management isn’t a fruitless event and can lead to greater personal and organizational rewards. 

Managing time and knowing where to spend time are two important considerations. Someone can be efficient with every moment of their life but if they are spending their time in the wrong activities it doesn’t do them much good. Likewise, on an organizational level percentages of time can lead to thousands, if not millions, of dollars of revenue. 

Distraction of the Available:

It is easy for managers to get distracted in the small everyday tasks they must complete each day. The reports, daily events, and employee concerns keep them jumping from one task to the next in order to finish the day. It is like a running hamster wheel where lots of things are getting done but few of them actually contribute to the organization. 

Instead of being reactive with time it is important to be more proactive in its use. This includes keeping the bigger function of the organization and the department in mind when spending time. Sometimes it is better to adjust tasks, streamline processes, or simply delegate some necessary “busy work” to ensure that focus is maintained on the objectives. 

Over Abundance of Procedures:

The manager’s job is not in isolation and often must take into account the needs of customers, suppliers, bosses, human resources, industry stakeholders, etc… At times organizations may develop too many rules and processes that make functional operation of the department ineffective. There are simply too many details that must be accomplished every day before productivity begins. 

This is something that is difficult for executives to understand because in their search for greater control the actual time the manager has left to focus on his/her core job functions becomes limited.  The manager must choose between pleasing their boss and meeting organizational goals. Sometimes the choice can become impossible to make when pressures are high. 

Time management is not always something that rests with the individual manager’s use of time. In many scenarios it can be the actual policies, procedures, and misalignment of duties that cause managers not to be focused. As these managers spend more time on organizational objectives they naturally are better able to reach important company milestones. Executives should seek to simplify, streamline, and focus duties instead of creating complexity.