Present your best face to the world

Good communication can make the difference between a happy and successful workplace and a place people dread coming to every morning. Since this is my area of expertise, I’m going to post a series of simple tips to help you communicate more effectively at work. Here’s the first one.

How does your face look when you are listening intently? One day my husband was telling me a story, to which I was listening with great interest. Suddenly he stopped and asked me what was wrong. That’s when I found out that my listening carefully expression was more of a frown and could easily be misinterpreted.

While looking in a mirror, pretend you are listening to something fascinating and complicated. When you are in the moment, look at your expression. If you look fierce or intimidating, you need to work to change that!

Usually we are not aware of our own facial expressions and the impression they create. For instance, when you are walking down the corridor at work, thinking about something you have to dodo you look as if you are mad at the world? Look around and you’ll see this is a common condition! But it’s just a matter of awareness.

Again, stand in front of a mirror and practice pleasant expressions. Now close your eyes and think about your facial muscles. That will tell you how it FEELS to project a friendly face to the world, so you can make it a new and pleasant habit. Your colleagues will thank you for it.

Watch for more tips coming soon.