MANAGERS’ HIDDEN MESSAGES

Gaffers are often giving away more information than they really intend, explains body language expert Geoffrey Beattie

THE JOKER’S LAUGH

Some managers will project this image of being super-happy all of the time – but obviously that isn’t possible. It could well be a coping mechanism to disguise any negative emotions. It’s very difficult not to reciprocate a laugh or smile so it can change atmospheres. Chimps will bare their teeth to signal a lack of fear – perhaps that is what the managers are doing as well.

STANDING ROOM ONLY

Standing up is often an attempt to gain control of the situation. There is a link between height and power, so when someone stands above us, it can give them a certain air of authority. In the case of a manager, he will be looking over journalists like a teacher, which will then give him a strategic advantage. If his feet also remain planted on the ground, it will cover up any shifty movement, which could reveal his true emotions.

THE GALLIC SHRUG

A shrug of the shoulders with his palms faced up is often a gaffer’s way of saying he does not agree with something. It is a very defensive movement and almost a sign of surrender – he is bowing to the weight of pressure and expectation. However, sometimes a manager’s body language can quickly change from defeated to borderline aggressive – this is his way of saying: ‘I am not finished yet.’ He’s refusing to throw in the towel.