I crossed my arms and started rubbing them, trying to calm the goose bumps sprouting on my skin. If my jaws weren’t clamped tight they probably would have been chattering. A sweater would have been smart. And a coat. And a blanket. They should not let men in thick suits set the thermostat.
I tried to smile at the speaker, but guessed that it looked more like a grimace. My shoulder muscles tightened as I shivered. I pulled out my phone to check the time. Another hour until I could escape to my car and crank up the heat. I sighed. I’d looked forward to this conference, but I was too cold to focus.
Time crept by. After more periodic glances at my phone, I was relieved to hear the speaker make closing statements. I gathered my belongings and made a dash for the door.
“Tami, wait up!”
Drat. My heater would have to wait. I turned and plastered a smile on my face. “Hey. I’m glad you made it.”
“Me too. I wound up taking quite a few notes. Maybe you’ll enjoy the speaker more next time. Some people say you have to get used to his style.”
“What?” I rubbed my arms again. “The speaker was fine.”
“Oh. Well, it looked like you weren’t a fan. So will I see you tomorrow?”
“You bet.” I hustled to my car and waited impatiently for the heater to begin spurting warm air so I could thaw. My mind began replaying the conference, trying to find how I had given off the wrong vibe. My heart sank. In my struggle to endure the cold, I’d allowed my body language to send the wrong signals.
Here are 7 types of attentive body language that I will be careful to use in the future.
- Face the speaker
- Turn off technology
- Maintain eye contact
- Lean forward
- Keep arms uncrossed
- Smile or mirror the speaker’s facial expressions to show sympathy and empathy
- Nod occasionally
For the next conference, maybe I really will bring a blanket. I have a feeling the person setting the thermostat wasn’t attentive to my body language.