What Baseball can teach us about Body Language in Business
The pitcher walked the batter with the bases loaded. The team is down by one run. I thought I would have seen the pitcher get frustrated, shake his head, pound his glove, give the catcher a dirty look, or let out a big huff—because competitors are often emotional. But not this high school pitcher. After all, he was pitching in the semi-finals of the Carpenters Cup at Citizen's Bank Park.?
Instead, his body language demonstrated—"OK, I got this.? I'll get the next batter out."? He stayed calm, stood with confidence, shook off the play, and threw the next pitch.
This is elite high school baseball. I am here watching my nephew, Eric. Eric, a rising freshman at St. Joe's, frequently reminds my 12-year-old son (who has not quite mastered his competitive body language yet).
It’s such great advice for any player: Watch your body language—your competitors, your teammates, and your coaches are watching.
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Athletes tend to get excited when great things happen, or get frustrated when things don't go their way—it is the nature of a competitor. The player who is astute at controlling their body language, in both success and failure, is the player who will win the mental battle of competing.
What is your body language saying about you in your workplace?? What assessment might an observer, teammate, or competitor make about you?
We all have micro-expressions and non-verbal cues that contribute to how we present ourselves. It can be as simple as maintaining eye contact or taking a deep breath that can make an observer think “They look determined and approachable” OR “They look distracted and apprehensive”.
I ask you to think of three attributes you will demonstrate with your body language during your next interaction. What changes will you make to exude confidence and strike out the next batter?
CEO | Presentation & Communication Specialist | Keynote Speaker
4 个月Gino has won 11 National Championships at UCONN.
Member at Spector Gadon & Rosen
4 个月Interesting article.I look at baseball players who were in the minor leages for several years before getting to Playing in the majors and the work they put in to baseball to progress to the majors and how it helped them in business success after their playing days are over. In Basketball , Ice Hockey, and , and Football where they go right from high school to the pros they mature faster snd have more success in business upon retirement. Similarly with D-1 baseball with the challenges of studies, weight training, and playing 3-4 games each week is grinding and matures them so when their playing days are over they have success in business and life.
Social Media @ CBRE | MBA Candidate at Villanova School of Business
4 个月Love this advice, Dana. As a remote employee, I always join my calls with my camera on to show that I am physically present and ready to engage in the conversation. I think showing yourself can go such a long way in letting your colleagues know that you are invested in the conversation and ready to collaborate, similar to what body language can do in physical interactions.