You ask a colleague if his portion of the project will be delivered on time.
He says, “Yes”, with the confidence of Muhammad Ali, yet at the same time he feverishly scratches his chin or neck.
Normally, you’d overlook this and think ‘everything’s on track.’ You’d breathe a sigh of relief knowing all is well.
You might be wrong.
In his book ‘What Every Body is Saying
Back to our scenario:
Navarro firmly believes and presents solid evidence to show that ‘feverish scratching of the neck or chin’ tells of: nervousness, doubt, and disbelief.
Another tip that will get you walking towards that next promotion or lasting relationship: Look to the feet to tell the truth. Over time, we’ve become highly-skilled at putting on a poker face (masking the real truth inside – fear, pain, anger, nervousness).
If you approach a group (at a cocktail party or work setting), look to the feet to see if you are an invited guest into their conversation. The group’s faces may turn towards you and be ‘all smiles’, yet if their feet don’t ‘splay’ open and adjust to welcome you, it may be wise to just keep walking. Don’t be fooled by the hips. The hips might face you, but it’s the direction of the feet that signal the truth.
We are just touching the surface on the critical insight that Navarro shares in ‘What Every Body is Saying’.
Pick it up and you’ll grow astronomically.
Until next time,
Dan Naden
Thank you for reviewing the book What Every Body Is Saying. You clearly devoted time and careful thought to your review. Particularly because you mention the utility of nonverbals on the job, you might also wish to know about Joe’s new book on nonverbal communication in the workplace: Louder Than Words (HarperBusiness). I worked with Joe on the book and it has changed my approach to meeting and greeting clients, conducting meetings, making presentations, and dealing with emotions and challenges in the workplace. The book also goes beyond nonverbals of the body and into nonverbals of the business environment itself (workspaces, seating arrangements, even our websites–all geared to making a positive impression, maximizing influence and cooperation, and facilitating communications). I hope you will consider taking a look at it and, if you find it worthy, reviewing it.Thank you again for your perceptive article.
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