1Competent or Conniving?
You’re in the middle of a negotiation and someone in the other party displays this still gesture as he’s talking. You feel that he is:
- Competent
- Conniving
2In which picture do you think the person has just told a lie?
You have three separate conversations with team members 1, 2 and 3. In each conversation you casually enquire about their individual progress in a particular project. Below are the gestures each person displayed when they answered you.
Which would be true:
- You’re certain that all three of them are being open and honest
- ‘1’ is being honest, but ‘2’ and ‘3’ are probably lying to you
- ‘2’ is displaying signs of lying, and you feel neutral about the others
- ‘3’ is probably lying, ‘1’ is nervous, and ‘2’ seemed contemplative but neutral.
- All three of them are lying scum of the earth.
3Where would you sit?
You walk into the boardroom to deliver a presentation to a person who is already seating at ‘A’. You need to decide whether to sit at any of the seats from 1 – 6. Which seat do you choose to have the best chance of influencing the other person?
- Seat 1
- Seat 2
- Seat 3
- Seat 4
- Seat 5
- Seat 6
- All the empty seats overwhelm me and I leave the room.
4Which pose would you use to connect quickly with the other person?
You’re meeting a potential client (person ‘A’ in the image) for a casual coffee meeting at a restaurant. You really want to create a good rapport and a quick connection with this person. Which pose would you use, between the three options below?
- Pose 1
- Pose 2
- Pose 3
5What is she thinking?
You’re at a shopping strip, walking back to your car. You happen to notice one of your top clients walking towards her car too. You’re considering going over to say hello, but you’re unsure what her body language is suggesting. As you’re reading the situation, what do you think she’s thinking?
- She’s probably angry at something
- She’s not open to conversation right now
- She’s trying to keep herself comfortable
- None of the above
6Reprimanding
You’re having a serious discussion with someone about something they had committed to do, but let you down. You let them know how you feel, and they display this gesture…
Are they:
- Full of contempt
- Surprised at the conversation
- Amused at your complaining
- Embarrassed that they let you down
- Sad that they have failed.
7Which hand gesture should you use?
There’s some office politics going on and you witness two colleagues having a discussion. Your one colleague, Peter, is trying to convince the other, Paul, that he honestly meant well and that he’s sorry. If Peter is being genuine, which hand gesture would he be using the most?
- Gesture 1: Palms up
- Gesture 2: Palms parallel
- Gesture 3: Palms down
- If he uses any of these three gestures he’s being insincere and conniving.
8Are you engaged?
You’re at a social gathering full of influential people in your industry. You notice two of them having a conversation, and you wonder if it’s a good time to join in. Based on their poses:
- They both seem actively engaged in their conversation
- Neither of the guys seem engaged in their current conversation
- Only one guy is engaged and the other is likely not.
9Are they just being polite?
You’re in the middle of a meeting, and the business associate from whom you’re trying to get buy-in smiles at you and says “That’s really impressive…” You want to know if she’s just being polite or if you need to change gears to genuinely engage her. She’s smiling, but is she just being polite?
- No – We’re connecting well, and she’s engaged.
- Yes – She’s just being polite, and not as engaged as I’d like her to be.
10Are they going to buy-in or sell-out?
You’re discussing the way forward for a project and selling your team what you require of them to make it all work out. You turn to one member of your team and tell him the type of involvement you have in mind for him. He displays this gesture:
He is displaying:
- Thoughtfulness about your idea and plans
- Shamefulness, possibly because he doesn’t feel he’s able to fulfil this important role
- Sadness, possibly because he wanted a different role
- Contempt towards you and your plans.
AnswersFind the answers here.