I was reminded today of the power of facial expressions. In visiting a local business, one of the supervisors did not look very happy. I don’t know if she had a rough day, or if there were other things on her mind, but her face did not convey that she was happy to be there. And those facial expressions affected the feeling in the room.
Although I’m not advocating that we should always be smiling, regardless of the occasion, it is important to remember the power of our facial expressions. A simple smile can help put another at ease, but a scowl can put a damper on the conversation.
For those we come in contact with, the primary way they can tell how we feel is through the expressions we make. So even if everything is going well, and we’re doing fine, if our face doesn’t convey the same thing, they’ll never know. And we may give off the wrong signals through the looks we make — whether unintentional or not.
Remember, it’s not just what we say, it’s how we say it. And the look on our face is a big part of that equation.