Is It Better to Sit, Stand or Walk When Communicating

Is it better to sit, stand, or even walk when communicating with people? Well, it all depends. It depends on the context, the size of the audience, what the situation is. If you're in a conference room and there are 30 people there and the first two presenters have been seated, you very well may want to stand. It's just easier for 30 people to see you if you're standing. It's easier for them to hear you, easier for them to see your face, your body language. It's easier for you to move, be more expressive, and seem more confident, more authoritative. And it also shows a level of importance you're putting on your words by standing. If you're in a conference room and you're talking to one prospect, one client, one colleague, and they've been sitting, talking to you, if you all of a sudden stand, it may seem really weird and it may seem artificial and contrived. So standing isn't always better, but it often is if you are talking to one person. Seated is often what will make most people most comfortable. There is an option of walking. Steve Jobs famously liked to have meetings walking. He found it more conducive to reflective thought, relaxed conversation. There's something to do. You're not looking at the person in the eye the whole time, and if you have any kind of nervous energy, you're doing something. So sometimes a walking meeting, a walking conversation is the best way to have a talk, a meeting, a communication about issues, sensitive or otherwise. So there's no one perfect way of being sitting, standing or walking around. For a presentation or a meeting or a conversation, you've got to look at the immediate context, what your goals are, ultimately, what is going to make your audience most comfortable and most able to focus on what you're saying.