Sitting in a meeting of 15 people, I noticed the atmosphere was stuffy, to say the least. As I looked around the table, I was dumbfounded at the non-verbals being communicated:
- blank stares
- body agitation
- impatient “I’m too busy to be here” looks
- pouty “I don’t want to be here and I’m mad” looks
- eye-rolling
- angry glares
- no response to questions being asked
This is the kind of behavior one expects from a 15-year-old at a family reunion, not a management meeting. Some might say this is a reflection of poor leadership. I say it is a reflection of people who are unprofessional and behaving poorly. The words self-absorbed and immature come to mind.
At the very least, this reflects poor listening skills; the more glaring truth is that it is about character. Integrity and trust are entry-level behaviors for team members. Lack of self-awareness and self-control are poor habits which get all of us into trouble and certainly do not promote a strong team much less achieve the mission.
Too many of us simply don’t know the impact of our behavior and have no idea of how we come across. Your body language is easily read by others who know exactly what you are saying – make sure that you do.
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