5 mistakes youre probably making with your body language at the office

5 mistakes youre probably making with yur body language at the office5 mistakes youre probably making with your body language at the officeThough your co-workers and manager might not understand tiny shifts in your behavior instantly, youre giving away many invites into your psyche, simply via your body language.According to professional corporate trainer, business consultant, and entrepreneur Denise M. Dudley, PhD, all people communicate using seven channels facial expressions, eye contact, posture, hand gestures, voice tone, voice loudness, and verbal content. While she explains that many professionals are picky with their word choices, very few practice or give a second thought to the other six venues.This is a big loss, considering many studies indicate difficulty pairing sentences with sentiments. Our bodies are actually revealing more about our messages than our voices ever do, Dudley told Ladders. When were delivering a message - any message, good or bad, large or small, how we look as were delivering the message is probably more important than our words, if we intend to be understood.Especially in the office setting, where everything from words to presentation to inaction mean something, understanding how youre perceived by the way you hold yourself is key. Even if youre not intentionally sending out a particular message, your hand movements or facial expressions could tell another story.Here, experts decode office body language and give their best tips on how to match your mind to your mannerismsAssertive eye contact shows confidenceYour parents probably encouraged you to always meet the eyes of friends, family members, or teachers when you were growing up, but now that your mom isnt there to subtly reprimand you for darting your eyes, you might be slacking. Dudley says there are two times when making clear, assertive eye contact is important in business when youre giving instructions and when youre sharing information. This is because when youre bein g intentional and purposeful with your baby blues (or greens or browns) youre demonstrating your confidence. It also helps, according to Dudley, to ensure the other half in your conversation feels connected and at ease around you.Dont think you can win a staring contest during a long discussion? Thats okay. Dudley adds that breaking eye contact for a mere few seconds is welcome, since it indicates youre positive, too. Youre showing that youre engaged in the conversation, youre confident about what youre saying, and youre an open, friendly person, she adds.Glancing upwards or rolling your eyes looks untrustworthyWhen youre uncomfortable, you might tend to look up, down, left or right, or frankly, anywhere to avoid locking glances with whoever is causing you distress. Or, when youre inwardly frustrated, you might not be able to conceal your dissatisfaction on your face, mimicking the emoji you overuse. Dudley explains these habits are very common - and all send the wrong message.When you avoid eye contact, you signal that youre not engaged with the person youre communicating with, youre distracted, youre painfully shy or you dont like them. When you frequently glance upward, you signal that youre unsure of yourself, you dont believe or trust what the other person is saying, or that you wish you were someplace else, she says. Rolling your eyes is universal body language. Its sarcastic, dismissive, disapproving and downright rude.When you need to let out your stress, take a walk around the block or find a private conference room to blow off steam. The office isnt a place for a meltdown.Good posture shows youre openEver been on a first date when your could-be love interest appears overly charismatic, but you cant pinpoint why you feel that way? Even if they arent overly funny or witty, something about the way theyre simply sitting across from you has you soaking up their good vibes. Dudley says an open, relaxed, and strong posture can speak volumes about a person, without uttering a single word. When you do this, you look open and non-judgmental, ready to handle whatever comes your way. Putting your shoulders back signals that youre comfortable with yourself, able to own your own space, confident, and unafraid, she explains.Throw in a cup of coffee when youre meeting with your direct report to make their weekly 11 laid back and friendly, and youll find theyll be more willing to brainstorm ideas, air grievances, divulge where they are struggling and how they hope to prosper.Folding your arms makes you unapproachableOn the other hand, when another verbunden dating app match cant seem to unglue their arms from their chest, youll likely wonder if theyre interested in you at all. As a frequent habit of professionals when theyre in a situation where they dont feel comfortable to express themselves, this motion has the same effect. This signals that youre closed, not open to new ideas, uptight, unapproachable, unfriendly, or not wanting to communic ate - or maybe all of the above, Dudley says.Want to argue that hey, youre just cold in the arctic of your over-air-conditioned office? Dudley says to throw on a sweater, or better yet, target your self-esteem. Make a concerted effort to place your arms at your sides. If this feels too exposed, some people find it easier to hold a notebook or a pen, which then gives one of your hands something to do while youre standing or sitting, she recommends.Leaning forward shows youre listeningEver have someone in your life do anything - and everything - while youre trying to update them on the latest development in your life? Its an annoying habit for a generation thats glued to their phones and always thinking about whats next, instead of living in the moment.Dudley says you can ensure your colleagues trust you - and that feel like theyre being heard - by doing a simple move leaning in.This subtle shift indicates youre not only ready, but youre all ears. This signals to the other person that were interested, engaged, and actively listening to them. Most people know what this leaning forward action feels like, because we all do it naturally when were hearing something important. So, given that its practically a universal component of our body language, everyone understands what it means it encourages the other person and gives them positive reinforcement while theyre speaking, she explains.Looking for an inspiring way to start your day? Sign up forMorning MotivationIts our friendly Facebook ? that will send you a quick note every weekday morning to help you start strong. 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Bobbing for Power

Bobbing for Power Bobbing for Power Bobbing for PowerOregons 363-mile shoreline absorbs some of the Pacific Oceans mightiest and most notorious waves, powered by offshore storms and fed by long expanses of ocean that produce waves of 20 feet and more. Those conditions have drawn developers seeking to harness that energy and convert it to electricity, making Oregon a flash point of hydrokinetic power development in North America. The first project, a 150-kW unit that is the first of a planned 1.5-MW array and the first commercial wave-power project in the U.S., is a power-packed buoy that mechanically captures energy as it rides up and down on the waves. Offshore Power Technology, its Pennington, NJ-based developer, is betting the device will bolster not only Oregons portfolio of alternative power development, but others in the United States and Europe.PowerBuoy is fitted to stationary spar and foundation that will be moored to the ocean floor. Image OPTOPT has already invested betwee n $4 1000000 and $6 million in the PowerBuoy, a smart ocean-going buoy that uses piston-like motion in the float relative to its stationary spar to mechanically convert energy into electricity as it rides the waves. The mechanical stroking is converted using what OPT calls a sophisticated power take-off to drive a generator. The electricity is then transmitted to shore using the firms Undersea Substation Pod, which steps up low voltages produced by the buoy to higher voltages compatible with the onshore distribution network. The pod can handle up to 10 offshore power devices of any type, according to OTP.The Oregon Innovation Council, which shepherds business development through funds from the states general fund, has steered nearly $10 million to the Oregon Wave Energy Trust and others. Private forecasts claim a power build-out of wave power would garner the state $2.4 billion and 3,000 jobs. The PowerBuoy is the vanguard in the effort.Big BuoyLater this year, OPT will install the first PB150 some 2.5 miles off the coast from Reedsport, just north of California. Although the buoy packs some heftit measures 150 ft tall by 40 ft widemost of it will be underwater, leaving the top 30 feet of the buoy above the surface. Viewed from shore, company officials say it will be barely visible, if at all.Assembled wave-power unit awaits towing to site.Image OPTThe devices main components have been fabricated and are awaiting assembly at a site in Portland, says Greg Lennon, OPT business development director. From there it will be towed down the Willamette River to the Columbia River, the ocean and its installation site. After being untethered, it will naturally right itself as the spar moves vertically, and be moored to the ocean floor with a three-point setup.Lennon says the initial version of the PB150, successfully tested over a six-month period in waters off of Invergordon, Scotland, relied on a hydraulic mechanical package to produce power. The PB150 is designed to w ork in waves across a sortiment of 4.9 to 22.9 feet. In Scotland, OPT engineers confirmed the test buoy had production peaks of over 400 kW and averaged 45 kW at wave heights as low as two meters. Company officials say the results exceeded expectations and verified the system could produce an average of 150 kW in higher wave conditions. OPT expects capital costs of $1,000 per kW.In Oregon, OPT has fitted the PB150 with a rack-and-pinion system to replace the hydraulics of the Scottish machine. Lennon notes the buoy is programmed to stop operations when wave heights exceed the design limits. The Bonneville Power Administration will distribute the power along its grid.VarietyThe PowerBuoy is not the only wave-power system under development. U.K.-based Pelamis Wave Power has several projects off the coasts of Scotland and Portugal, the latter having been producing power for three years. Its design differs from OPTs PowerBuoy in that it is made up of five tube sections linked by univers al joints, allowing flexing in two directions. It floats semi-submerged on the surface, facing into the direction of the waves. As the sections bend from the waves reisepassing down their length, the movement is converted into electricity using a hydraulic power take-off system housed within the joints of the tubes. Power is transmitted using voreingestellt subsea cables.OPT, with grants from the U.S. Dept. of Energy and input from the U.S. Navy and other partners, has worked on its technology since 2005, when a 40-kW test unit was installed off of Atlantic City, NJ. Its success led to a more advanced unit in 100 ft of water at U.S. Marine Corps Base Hawaii at Kaneohe Bay. From there, the unit increased to 150 kW, tested off of Scotland and Spain.OPT hoped to begin operating off of Oregon in October 2012, but poor weather and high waves at the installation site threatened worker safety, as did towing the 140-ft-long buoy down river in heavy traffic hampered by seasonally violent wav es, says Lennon.OPT has not established a firm installation date, although it had hoped to work in the spring. The firm must also contend with other environmental concerns and permit restrictions, Lennon says. Spring is when the seasonal migration of gray whales pass on their way to summer feeding areas off of Alaska. Their route directly intersects with OPTs site and environmental advocates worry about whether the PowerBuoy will interfere with the whales.We have the permit, but it is an adaptive management approach, says Lennon. This is new technology and there is a lack of true understanding of how it will respond to the environment.The buoy is programmed to stop operations when wave heights exceed the design limits.Greg Lennon, OPT business development director

Top trends in Silicon Valley Hiring

Top trends in Silicon Valley HiringTop trends in Silicon Valley HiringTop trends in Silicon Valley HiringIntelligence dug into whos hiring and for what in Silicon Valley these days. If youre recruiting in this sector, youll want to know what we found.Located around San Jose, CA near the San Francisco Bay Area, Silicon Valley is the tech-centric brain pool of California. A center for innovation, Silicon Valley is the heart and soul of computer technology and a strong contributor to new high-tech jobs. Evolving from hard tech (computers, semiconductors, and peripherals) to soft tech ( software and applications), the state has created 42,000 new jobs over the past 12-months the unemployment rate in the Silicon Valley area was 3.7% in April 2016 which was 1.3 percentage points below the national rate of 5.0%.By April 2016, 1.1 million workers were employed in the Silicon Valley area and accounts for 11% of all California jobs posted on Monster. To give you some insight into what your rec ruiting competitors are up to, our Intelligence kollektiv analyzed data from the CEB TalentNeuron tool to identify which companies are posting the most jobs, and which jobs are most listed, and which jobs are most searched. As expected, most in-demand positions are in information technology, e.g., software developers, web developers and more.What are companies hiring for?Top Silicon Valley Occupations by EmploymentExecutivesComputer, IT Scientists, and AnalystsRetail SupervisorsAdministrative SupervisorsHuman ResourcesTop Jobs in Silicon ValleySoftware Developers, ApplicationsMarketing ManagersWeb DevelopersNetwork and Computer Systems AdministratorsRegistered Nurses, RNsSilicon Valley Jobs33% of available Silicon Valley jobs are for Technology workersOf all open Silicon Valley positions, 54% of available Technology jobs are for Software DevelopersMost Common Technology Jobs in the Silicon Valley IncludeSoftware Developers, Applications employed 42,650 employedzentralwert pay $147,2 20Web Developers employed 2,930Median pay $107,500Systems Administrators employed 6,270Median pay $103,870Software Developers, Software employed 27,260Median pay $142,950What are job seekers looking for?Most viewed jobs in the Silicon Valley areaSoftware Developers and ProgrammersMiscellaneous Engineers (e.g., Validation Engineer, Manufacturing Engineer, etc.)Secretaries and Administrative AssistantsSales Representatives, Wholesale and ManufacturingMiscellaneous Business Operations Specialists (e.g., Project Managers, Program Managers, etc.)Top Technology searches in the Silicon Valley areaInformation TechnologySoftware EngineerJavaITDesktop SupportC++IT ManagerSQLWeb DeveloperJavaScriptWant to know more about the top trends in Silicon Valley hiring? Check out the Silicon Valley Market Overview from Intelligence.Data finding are based on analysis of all available online jobs reported by the TalentNeuron tool and job seeking activity from more than 22 million unique visitors1.1comSco re Media Metrix, 1Q 2016, 3-month average, (includes all US Mobile + PC traffic)