What Men and Women do With their Hands and their Corresponding Representation

A number of frequently used gestures either undermine or expand one’s credibility and power. As we have seen with the nonverbal behaviors explored in previous chapters, men are more likely to use those gestures that augment their power, whereas women are apt to use gestures that diminish theirs.

According to communication professors Virginia Richmond and James McCroskey

“Males tend to use more dominant-type gestures and movement when communicating with females, as compared to their female partners. Similarly, as compared to their male partners, females tend to use more submissive-type gestures…”

What are dominant and submissive-type gestures? Men are more apt to be expansive and powerful in their hand movements. We know for, example, that anger is the one emotion men are permitted to display publicly. A clenched fist will communicate tension, irritation, and anger. Which is dominant gesture

Adaptors: These gestures learned in childhood (often involving self-touching) are a form of self-soothing: rubbing the nose, tapping on a leg, twisting fingers, chipping off nail polish, twirling hair, or even shaking a leg. We can also engage in adaptors with objects if we adjust clothing or play with jewelry, a pencil, or pocket change.Adaptors are distracting. Submissive gestures

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Example: Ngozi, sitting in on a board meeting, twisting her rings and shaking her leg. Some people will pay more attention to the adaptors than Ngozi’s words, because her activity not only draws their attention but also conveys anxiety. We also know that people who engage in these kinds of self-adaptors are generally perceived as less persuasive. The behaviors erode credibility.

As we’ve already discussed, men do not want to convey that they are out of control because this is synonymous with losing power. They are also good at body management. Consequently men don’t use adaptors as frequently as women do.

Indeed, women generally employ more self-touching and other adaptors more often than men. As a result, women are at greater risk for undermining their own credibility. The most common adaptors that women use: playing with their hair; rubbing, squeezing, or wringing their hands; cracking knuckles; picking at their cuticles; touching or adjusting their clothing; and picking or pinching flesh of an arm or hand.
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Studies have revealed that women tend to put their hands in their laps or on their hips, tap their hands on the table or on their leg and pull in their gestures as if their elbows were surgically attached to the waists. They also incorporate more bonding gestures.

These are “openness” behaviors such as the hands and arms being outstretched toward the other person as if to say, “I invite you to participate and be my partner.” These are meant to facilitate interaction and invite the listener to participate. And women are more expressive. Just as they incorporate more facial expressions.
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So inclusion, the women (with respect to business) with their gestures and different expression would bring in the client while the man with the more dorminant gesture will seal the deal.

Lesson: we are all important in our own ways don't look down on yourself rather build yourself...
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