Daily Leadership Thought #81 – Make Eye Contact and Smile
Numerous studies have demonstrated the importance of maintaining eye contact and smiling when communicating. Interestingly, many people still struggle with these fundamental communication tools. I encourage you to take one day to observe how people communicate. It usually involves minimal eye contact. Smiling not triggered by laughter is rare. This is true even for parents and children once they reach a certain age. In fact, many people avert their eyes and frown more often than they think. This is sad when you consider that one-on-one conversation is the most important thing we do every day.
I’ve written about the need that all of us have for personal validation and acknowledgement several times. One simple method to achieve this is by maintaining eye contact, attentively listening to their words, and smiling when appropriate. Greeting someone with a smile always makes a world of difference. I’m not advocating that you stare intently throughout the conversation (that will freak people out), but do try to lock your eyes with them occasionally and hold it for a few seconds. A person’s eyes truly are the “window of their soul.” Words are only ever a part of the conversation. Think about the people in your life. My guess is that you feel more connected and hold favorable views of the ones who make good eye contact and smile.
Related articles
- Eye Contact & People (bloggingonthejohn.wordpress.com)
- 5 Reasons Why Eye Contact Is Important (hellobeautiful.com)
- What your eyes are really saying (chicagonow.com)
- Making eye contact as one form of coordination between store clerks and shoppers (sportlinguist.com)
- Look at me, Dammit! (craigramsayfitness.wordpress.com)
- The body language of disengagement—and how to deal with it (forbes.com)
