LIE TO ME is a TV series inspired by the scientific discoveries of a real-life psychologist who can read clues embedded in the human face, body and voice to expose the truth and lies in criminal investigations.
DR. Cal Lightman (Tim Roth) is the world's leading deception expert. By analyzing facial expressions and involuntary body language, he can read feelings ranging from hidden resentment to sexual attraction to jealousy.
I was really intrigued by the idea of – if I as a Project Manager could only have some parts of Dr. Lightman skill, it would really be helping my team to move forward.
PMBOK includes communication as one of the Project Management Knowledge area – Project Communications Management. And under Project Communication Management tools and techniques state that the art of communication is including ‘Presentation techniques. Body Language and design of visual aids.
Now that I have found my excuse to bring up a more psychological stuff in what was supposed to be my project management site (thanks to PMBOK :D), shall we go further?
Body Language – Facial Expression
Facial coding is not an exact science, and is only now starting to find business applications. It dates back to the 1960s when San Francisco psychologist Paul Ekman found that expressions are learned early and are the same in Japan and Argentina as they are in the USA.
Paul Ekman, is also the expert behind all the episodes of LIE TO ME.
According to Ekman, when people deliberately try to conceal their emotions (or unconsciously repress their emotions), a very brief–1/15 to 1/25 of a second– facial expression often occurs, invisible to nearly everyone except surely those that are skillfully trained to look at these micro expressions.
Despite efforts to conceal any sign of emotion that is felt, leakage may occur in very small hard to recognize fragments of expression. These tiny changes also can occur when an emotion is just beginning, often before the person knows they are about to act emotionally.
On his article in USAtoday, It’s Written All over Their Faces, Del Jones a facial coding expert, bring up several of his observation on some well known executives, based on their facial expression.
Quoting on his observation:
• Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos was evenly split with 51% positive and 49% negative expressions. He had 20% true smiles with laughter, but they were combined with the lowering and knitting of his eyebrows and the wrinkling of his nose. Net effect: "Enjoyment tinged with disgust and negativity," Hill says
• Microsoft Chairman Gates was 73% positive. He was at ease, affable and low key, but displayed "small, weak social smiles, and touches of contempt.
• Berkshire Hathaway CEO Buffett scored 69% positive and was affable, assured and low-key. He also had many weak social smiles and "a fair amount of smiling while making ironic comments," Hill says.
• Dell CEO Michael Dell was 47% positive and "strikes me as chagrined and a little defiant." He managed some weak smiles, but they came in the vicinity of skepticism.
• Apple CEO Steve Jobs scored 48% positive and topped all CEOs examined for making no attempt to hide his emotions. Apple employees don't have to guess what this CEO is thinking. "Lots of emoting, enjoyment mingled with frustration," Hill says.
• News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch scored 83% negative. Lower chin raises show disgust, tightened lips anger. "He knits his eyebrows together very severely, a sign of anger, but also fear and sadness."
• Donald Trump was 84% negative, second to Ellison. Hill says he smiles while making negative comments that show disgust, contempt and skepticism.
If only all Project Managers are required to master these skills, don’t you think it will significantly increase the success rate of projects?
Reference:
- LIE TO ME TV Series Official Site, http://www.fox.com/lietome/
- Paul Ekman Site, http://www.paulekman.com/
- USAtoday, http://www.usatoday.com
- PMBOK, Project Management Institute, www.pmi.org
No comments:
Post a Comment