C-Level Mindreading
December 14th, 2004 by Adam Cuothe
Meridith Levinson has done a pleasant little write-up for the CIO:
Reading facial expressions is a particularly useful skill for business executives because, so often in business settings, people don’t say what they really think… This knowledge and ability can make CIOs more aware of unspoken political tensions in board or executive committee meetings.
I do enjoy these body language segments, especially when they’re applied to political situations on television: “Let’s review the internal life of Paul Martin and George Bush as they jockey for the spirit of their spectators.”
Being more tentative and aware of one’s peers or colleagues ought to be both a useful technique and a good thing to practice simply for improving communication. Actually, I’d venture to say that there is a much large population of non-C-level laborers that might benefit by springing for the Paul Ekman CD, the CIO article is hawking. I suppose most people are in subtle ways, aware, and respond likewise. The constant push of sites bearing ONE HUNDRED NEW SMILIES, reminds me of this impulse. E-mail and the web tend to leave out the possibility for body language interpretation.
Except the CIO article offers a scary test, which brings it all into the present.
August 9th, 2005 at 09:37
The flip side of reading body language is speaking body language. As an IT consultant, I have become much more successful since I’ve learned to speak body language. I can put my customers at easy, more easily engaging them and soliciting their project requirements. And it doesn’t hurt with the ladies, either. Win Friends and Influence People is a classic introduction and a great place to start.
August 9th, 2005 at 09:38
The flip side of reading body language is speaking body language. As an IT consultant, I have become much more successful since I’ve learned to speak body language. I can put my customers at easy, more easily engaging them and soliciting their project requirements. And it doesn’t hurt with the ladies, either.
Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People is a classic introduction and a great place to start.