Would it surprise you to learn that less than 10% of the messages we communicate face-to-face occur through the words we use? If we told you that tone of voice accounts for nearly 40% of messages and posture and gesture 50%, would you believe us?
Well, according to the findings of current research into body language all of the above is true.
Language is concerned with the expression of thoughts, feelings and ideas. Its function is to enable communication to take place. It doesn’t have to be in the form of words, though – provided that we understand and grasp the meaning of that which is being conveyed.
Body language does precisely this. By means of non-verbal communication we can convey what we think, how we are feeling and what it is that we want. But how is this done? Simple. By means of physical posturing and facial expression. It’s about more than just physical posture, though. Granted, posture and gesture can convey a great deal, but so do less obvious mannerisms like eye contact and non-verbal sounds – the common-or-garden sigh being a typical example.
Without doubt, there is now a firm belief that understanding body language during the course of our working lives can help us get on, not just because we may look the part, emit confidence and act assertively, but because we can look beyond what people say to what they really mean. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the field of security and control.
Body language in security
In essence, those who guard, control, observe or investigate are tasked with the responsibility of protecting their clients and/or the general public. They have to perform what is best described as a helping function, a protection function, yet their very presence can – under certain circumstances – appear threatening.
For those directly involved in security activities there is, then, a distinct need to balance the perception of the helping function with that of control – particularly if your clients or the public at large are to view your services in a positive light. It’s really the ability to spot inappropriate or “out of place” body language in others that enables security personnel to respond quickly to complex or dangerous situations where a breach of security is imminent, and to distinguish between those that carry a threat and those that don’t.
For example, the panic engendered by a mother losing her child in, say, a shopping centre would not be interpreted as threatening, even though the body language of those involved might indicate high levels of anxiety. During one particular training course at The Institute of Management a female airport security officer reported that she had apprehended a woman who had been carrying drugs strapped to her body. The woman looked pregnant but, according to the security officer, her suspicions were aroused when she noticed that the suspect didn’t have a ‘pregnant face’. Such sensitivity to detail (ie the language of the body) has much to do with intuition, or ‘having an experienced eye for the unexpected’.
In his popular book ‘Manwatching’, Desmond Morris suggests that more verbal and physical aggression is exhibited at airports, railway stations, bus stations and ports than in any other public areas.
Airports in particular are subject to high levels of such stress-related behaviour. The two most common causes of anxiety, states Morris, are the fear of flying and loss of personal space. In his research, Morris suggests that aggressive body language arises when people are forced to wait in queues, are crowded into restrictive spaces or feel ‘cornered’.
The notion of ‘personal space’ is also culturally determined. In the US and throughout western Europe, ‘one’s own space’ is said to be anything under arm’s length. However, in Mediterranean cultures it’s under elbow length, while in eastern Europe it’s about wrist length. Given that people of all cultures regularly mix at airports this means that tolerance levels are bound to differ, and clashes likely to occur. When they do, those who are in the front line and responsible for managing the public – ie immigration and customs and excise officials, airline personnel, the police and security guards/managers – have to deal with whatever situation might arise, while remaining calm, polite and in control. That is true of the security function whether the incident occurs at an airport, in a corporate hq, at a bank or a remote research laboratory like that of Huntingdon Life Sciences in Cambridgeshire.
Learning to recognise tension
Being able to recognise tension in others is a first step towards limiting confrontation and alleviating stress. Cabin crew on aircraft, for example, are specially trained to watch for tell-tale signs of tension, particularly among fidgeting passengers. These signs can include repeatedly checking tickets or passports, rearranging hand luggage, constantly making those vital ‘last-minute checks’, changing position in their seats and lighting – but not smoking – cigarettes.
When tension cannot be displaced in these ways, it begins to flow over in the form of aggression. Sometimes this may be directed at inanimate objects like furniture, or through door slamming. At other times it may be directed at security staff through verbal arguments and confrontation, or non-verbally in the form of aggressive body language.
Security managers and officers who find themselves at the centre of an ‘incident’ – the time when a disagreement threatens to become physically aggressive – may, quite simply, have been insensitive to the moods and feelings of those with whom they are dealing.
Through time, it’s been well-documented that security staff tend to be involved in more incidents than those in most other professions, and that it’s their body language, tone of voice or other mannerisms that tend to make them ‘incident prone’.
To put it simply, it’s often the case that security personnel inadvertently cause any problems that confront them to escalate.
One of the problems with gestures that people use when they’re anxious, angry, frightened or belligerent is that they can mean different things to those of different ethnic or cultural backgrounds. What might be insulting to the typical national of one particular country might not be to that of another, and what might be considered by some to be a light-hearted gesture may not be so to others. For example, to those of a Saudi Arabian origin touching the lower eyelid with the forefinger indicates stupidity, although in other cultures the self-same gesture implies secrecy or disbelief.
Similarly, the Greek Moutza (in which an open hand is thrust towards another person, meaning ‘get lost’) is construed as meaning ‘stop there’ by UK police and security officers. Using both hands with the palms held vertically might reduce the risk of misunderstanding.
Predicting aggressive behaviour
There are a number of gestures that exemplify aggressive behaviour, and as such can be useful predictors of potential conflict situations that must be faced – and subsequently dealt with – by the security team. Typically, these would include: n Shaking a fist at someone, an obvious expression of contempt;
- A hand chop or slice (whereby the hand is used somewhat like an axe to suggest execution);
- Prodding with the fingertips in the direction of another person’s eyes, or finger pointing;
- Staring or ‘eyeballing’, much like boxers would do before a fight, is designed to intimidate or control a situation;
- Crowding or invading someone’s personal space is also about control (standing in close proximity has long been known as a means of exerting pressure on someone, thereby serving to raise their stress levels).
One of the dead giveaways in this respect is what has come to be known as ‘adrenalising’ – part of the body’s fight response when adrenaline is pumping around the body’s system in preparation for action.
In such cases, breathing tends to speed up and deepen, sweating occurs, the mouth begins to feel dry and the individual in question may lick his/her lips and start swallowing. Face tone turns pale and shivering may begin – combined symptoms that Desmond Morris describes as “the cold sweat of fear”.
Steps for avoiding confrontation
There are certain basic rules that security personnel need to follow if they are to resolve any confrontational situation. First of all, they must be assertive, and in no way confrontational. Remaining calm, they must ensure that their body language is neither defensive nor threatening. They must also keep themselves at arm’s length. This will allow them to step aside should an individual lunge forward at them.
Never attempt to touch or grab someone who is angry, as this can only serve to encourage retaliation. You can always tell if you are getting too close to someone as they will usually step back, lean back or fold their arms.
Security personnel must never ‘talk down’ to an aggressor, or use gestures to imply that the would-be assailant is stupid. People are not stupid. They may well be difficult, confused, slow, muddled, or even disabled in some way, and the benefit of the doubt must always be given to someone with sight or hearing difficulties. In no circumstances should you raise your voice if at all possible.
Making a point – the right way
Pointing is an aggressive gesture, and should be avoided at all costs. In addition, never beckon by using only your forefinger, as this is often perceived by many as being demeaning or sarcastic. Retain eye contact – this shows that you are interested and concerned – and avoid dissent (in other words, try not to shake your head or wag your finger if at all possible).
Always maintain an upright posture when sitting, as this appears attentive, professional and lacking in tension.
Another good tip for the security manager and/or officer is to avoid ‘picking lint’. The common gesture of removing imaginary pieces of fluff from your jacket indicates that you disagree with the other person, but cannot be bothered to argue with them.
Finally, you must be able to show understanding. Saying that you understand someone by no means implies that you agree with them. Showing that you are willing to talk things through, however, can go a long way towards reducing the potential for conflict.
From manager to coach and facilitator
At the end of the day, the understanding and awareness of body language gives the practising security manager clues and insights that will prove to be essential if he or she is to move from mere management to the more modern role of coach and facilitator.
Body language provides the manager and his or her guards with a whole new world of insight and understanding. It’s just like putting on glasses for the first time if you become short-sighted – and for those of us who do wear spectacles, we can truly hear better with our glasses on.
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