Waggle While You Work

In today’s Wall Street Journal, science writer Sharon Begley describes how physical gestures improve communication. Beyond body language, the research of University of Chicago professor Susan Goldin-Meadow indicates that hand gestures and other expressive physical movements that accompany speech do as much for the speaker as well as the listener. In fact, “gesturing seems to decrease ‘cognitive load,’ the amount of mental effort needed to perform some task.” Interesting — and perhaps fodder for a forthcoming chapter in Fast Company‘s Office Handbook: Workplace waves and waggles?