Body language and presence speaks volumes whether you articulate your intent or not. The universal symbol of defensive is crossed arms, according to communication and negotiation experts Henry Calero and Gerard Nierenburg in their book How to Read a Person Like a Book.
If someone crosses their arms use their cue to discern your approach and style of effective communication. Engaging with someone crossing their arms while in dialog do a mental checklist to see if your body language approach or speech pattern in casing the shut down or defensive feelings. Set the goal to redirect and focus for open interactive communication. Communication is the key to success whether verbally or non-verbally. Think how many times you have disconnected from conversations and why. Change your image and credibility for redirection and optimum successful outcomes every time.
