Body language challenge

Thanks for reading this week’s 2 Minute Tips on facial and body language in virtual meetings. Luckily, the face is the most expressive part of the body.

Just look at advertisements or the photo at the top of this page. Cover up the model’s body and examine what the face is communicating. What information do you gain? What information do you lose?

Even though you may not be able to determine what the model is doing, you can still identify feelings and attitudes.

Are the eyebrows raised or lowered? Is the forehead wrinkled?

How about the chin? Is it hard and set?

Try it now by covering up everything but the eyes. What can you learn about the person’s feelings and attitudes just from the eyes?

How about with just the mouth? What feelings and attitudes are being expressed?

When on Zoom calls, you can collect all sorts of information about what people really think by looking at their faces.

It’s important, however, to act naturally when observing. A quick way to put someone off is to appear to be intrusive, to stare, or to make your intentions obvious. It may take time, but you can observe others without their knowing. Luckily this is easy to do on Zoom.

And keep learning and observing. Even the best readers of body language aren’t mind readers. They use the information they gather to help understand the people they’re communicating with and guide their conversations and decisions.

Here’s a learning challenge

Have fun while you learn with this experiment. For the rest of the day, try using different facial expressions than you normally would. Observe other people’s reactions.

Try smiling and looking directly at people whom you normally would not give the time of day.

Stare vacantly into space as you talk to a good friend.

Tell an amusing story with a straight face, then tell the same story again with animated facial expressions.

Deliver a very serious message with a broad smile, then again with a serious facial expression.

In each case, note both the reaction from the other person and how you feel about it.

What differences do you notice between being congruent and not?

Have fun