Establish a body language baseline

Yesterday’s 2 Minute Tip was about the first step in reading body language, paying attention to yourself. If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. That’s your cue to pay attention. Today, we’ll begin discussing what to pay attention to.

FBI interrogator Joe Navarro, author of What Every BODY is Saying: An Ex-FBI Agent's Guide to Speed-Reading People advises that when interpreting someone’s body language, to start by establishing a baseline, then look for changes.

People are unique, and it’s easy to mistake a gesture’s meaning if you don’t know what is normal for them or what they’re usually like.

I once worked with a senior VP who had a permanent scowl on his face. People were frightened of him, but if you got to know him, you realized that he was always just thinking really hard, and not angry.

Simply observe how people look normally, how they typically sit, where they place their hands, the usual position of their feet, their posture and common facial expressions, the tilt of their heads, and even how they hold their possessions.

In other words, get out of your own head and pay attention!

Then look for changes in a person’s behavior (usually in the face, hands, or feet) that can signal changes in thoughts, emotions, interest, or intent.

Sudden changes in behavior can help reveal how a person is processing information or adapting to emotional events. Think about a child who is giddy at the prospect of entering a theme park, and how her behavior changes immediately if she learns that the park is closed.

Adults are no different. When we receive information we don’t like, our bodies reflect that change immediately.

So what changes are we looking for? That’s for tomorrow’s 2 Minute Tip.