Daily Buzz: How Nonverbal Cues Can Create a Positive Meeting Environment

If you’ve ever been in a room of giggling people, you know that laughter and smiles are contagious. At meetings, the same rule applies: When authentic joy is felt, it spreads.

Why?

Vanessa Van Edwards, a behavioral investigator and author of Captivate: The Science of Succeeding with People, told Smart Meetings  (opens in a new tab) that people are continually reading others’ nonverbal cues to determine whether they are friends or foes.

So, the easiest way to communicate your conference’s message or goals might not be to say it, but rather to show it in your actions. Smile more, make eye contact, stand up straight—all of these tell attendees that you’re enjoying the event and attentive to what’s going on around you.

Besides body language, taking extra strides to make meetings memorable can also stir positivity among attendees. Banishing predictable interactions—the ever-looming “What do you do?” or “Where are you from?” questions, for example—can create more meaningful conversations. Try “What exciting projects are you working on?” or “What good thing happened today?” to avoid stock answers.

Know Your Benefits

Up to 80% of companies reported that their employees do not open or read benefit materials. Take a moment to understand why and help employees understand their benefits. @Forbes  (opens in a new tab) https://t.co/ySsdU2oO0v  (opens in a new tab)

— eSkill Corporation (@eSkillCorp) July 16, 2019  (opens in a new tab)

Do you understand your benefits? If the answer is no, you’re not alone. Data shows that up to 80 percent of companies reported  (opens in a new tab) that employees don’t read or open their benefit materials.

The reason? Benefits are complicated and often aren’t top of mind, says Chris Renz on Forbes  (opens in a new tab).

“Understanding the barriers that prevent employees from using the benefits is a crucial first step in adjusting and redesigning employee benefits programs,” he says. “By embracing simplicity by design and streamlining employee experience, companies can create benefit programs that truly matter to employees, and are both easy to understand and use.”

Other Links of Note

Can’t work from home? CMSWire offers other creative working space ideas outside of the office  (opens in a new tab).

An underrated way to minimize workload stress: asking for an extension  (opens in a new tab), according to nonprofit thought leader Beth Kanter.

Pride Month might be over, but the need for safe spaces in the workplace is not  (opens in a new tab), says Quartz at Work.

(Cecilie_Arcurs/E+/Getty Images Plus)