Your nonverbal communication is more powerful at conveying emotions than the content of your message itself
Do you know that your team is constantly evaluating your emotions through cues in your body language – and that they can do so in a fraction of a second? At the Center for Cognitive Neuroimaging at the University of Glasgow, researchers found that it takes only 200 miliseconds to read someone’s emotional state from…
We all tend to mimic the facial expressions and reflect the mood of those with whom we have contact
It started out a wonderful day. The sun was shining and I was singing along with my favourite radio station while driving through unusually light traffic to the San Francisco airport. Then, as I turned into the airport parking lot, a driver abruptly pulled in front of me and glared through his rear-view mirror. At…
Men lie about their accomplishments, salaries, and status. Women, by contrast, lie to minimize their perceived deficiencies
I don’t mean that men tell more lies, or are better at lying. But men and women lie about different things. When men lie, it’s often to look bigger – taller, richer, more powerful and more sexually attractive. In both personal ads and in face-to-face conversations, men tend to “inflate” the numbers by saying they…
Team spirit can quickly disintegrate as individuals who feel that they are being discounted simply withdraw
You are brought into a room to play a computer game. On the screen you see your avatar, a computerized graphic that represents you in this virtual environment. You also spot the avatars for two other players, both of whom you assume are physically located with their own computers in similar rooms. At first it…
Discontinuous change is like leaping off a cliff while building your parachute on the way down
There are two kinds of change – incremental and discontinuous – that are taking place simultaneously and constantly in today’s business organizations. Incremental change is the process of continuous improvement – what the Japanese refer to as “kaizen.” Discontinuous change is the kind of large-scale transformation that turns organizations inside out and upside down. Incremental…
As a leader you must make it a routine part of your decision-making process to ask the question: Will this be perceived as equitable?
Let's play a game. Here are the rules: We'll be asked to split a sum of money. I get to make the split and you get to choose whether to accept or reject the split. And if you reject it, both of us will walk away empty-handed. Rationally, I should realize my advantage and offer…
Don’t pass up the opportunity to expand your network and build your personal brand
The holiday office party is a wonderful time to mingle with colleagues in a less pressured setting. Which makes it a great time for networking. Never thought of an office party as a networking event? Then you are missing a key opportunity to develop or deepen relationships with co-workers, to personally thank those who have…
Respecting another person's space can help you build rapport with your colleagues and close sales with your clients
As a consultant and professional speaker, I often travel by myself and frequently dine alone. This affords me the opportunity to combine two of my favourite pastimes: eating great food and watching people. One night at dinner in an ocean-side resort, I noticed a man and a woman seated across the room. It was a…
10 tips to insure that you make a great impression while you mix and mingle at the office party
Are you planning to attend your office holiday party? I hope so. This is a great occasion to relax and have a good time – and can be a highly anticipated, positive antidote to year-end stress. But anytime you combine fun with professionalism, it can also be a challenge. Here are 10 tips to insure…
When asked what they most want from their employers, four categories are always at the top of a young workers' list
Kendra is majoring in Finance in of one of the top universities in the United States. With one semester of schooling to complete, Kendra spent the summer as an intern in one of the leading high-tech companies in Silicon Valley. That company just made her an offer for full-time employment after graduation, which Kendra will…