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Ten Behaviors That Could Get You Fired

Ten Behaviors That Could Get You Fired
Nonverbal Behaviors that are "You're Fired!" worthy
8 Ways You’re Telling Your Boss, "I Don't Want to be Here"
By Speaker and Consultant Patti Wood, MA, CSP

Sometimes you are unaware of how you look to others, or you don't think what you are doing or not doing at work is noticed.  But, your behavior is not invisible. What you do says volumes about you. What you don't do can also lead to people thinking your incompetent. When you try to keep your head down and not waste time talking to others, your lack of interaction and face time invisibly tends to make others guess at who you are and what your motivations are. Those guesses, according to research, tend to be negative perceptions about you, as in, “He never speaks up in meetings; he is just too lazy to care.” Or, “All I get from him are one-line emails asking me for something; he is such a jerk.” What behaviors do you do or not do that are dangerous to your job security? I was inspired to write this article after being interviewed by US News and World Report for the article, 8 Ways You're Telling Your Boss, "I Don't Want to be Here."

Following are people's perceptions toward behaviors. These are perceptions that could result in a less-than-stellar view of you in the workplace, and that could result in your management taking actions based on their perceptions, even so far as to remove you from your position.

1. Your posture is slumped down, informal and relaxed. 
Brian had been texting his team until 2:00 in the morning. He was tired and it was not his turn to talk so he slumped in his chair to rest up. 

Remember when your mom would chastise you when you made a rude facial expression, saying, “Don’t make a face like that or your face will freeze like that”? Have you noticed how your body language suddenly changes when you get out of your sweatpants into a suit and hard-soled shoes? Our bodies form in the way we hold and move them the most. We now spend the majority of our waking hours on our couches or in our cubicle and chair bent down and curled over our devices more than seven hours a day, on average. We forget we are very visible and all that slumping over in our muscle memory makes it harder to sit up straight! Have someone snap a photo of you hunched over your computer or tape you talking on the phone or watching TV. Now imagine your boss seeing you sit like that with him or her in a meeting. (Another incentive for not constantly checking your phone is research that shows that looking down at your phone can put a strain on your neck equivalent to the weight of 60 pounds.)  

2. You don’t give your full attention to your boss, from the feet up. 
Cam didn’t really like his boss and didn’t appreciate how he would go on and on. Without realizing it, when he would meet his boss in the hallway or sit in meetings with his boss, he would turn his lower body and feet away from his boss and toward the nearest exit route, ready to run as soon as his boss finished speaking. 

Interacting face-to-face or on the phone or via conference calls while doing something else, like checking your emails and texts, may seem a good use of your time, but your voice or body language might be sending messages to those you work with that you don’t really care. One specific non-verbal behavior area to focus on is your feet. Your feet are most frequently controlled by the limbic brain, so they reveal where you really want to be. For example, if you are in a meeting but really want to be back at your desk getting other work done, your feet may point toward the door. You might think that is a subtle cue that others couldn’t possibly notice, but where your feet point actually affects the rest of your body’s alignment. To be more present and train yourself to be fully attentive, point your feet and the rest of your body toward the speaker. (There are gender-based differences regarding how we like to have close, high-self-disclosure conversations but, generally, if you’re giving attention to a speaker at a meeting or your boss when he is speaking, point your feet toward him or her.)

3. You don’t get to the meeting a little early to talk and stay after the meeting to visit and debrief. 
Karl had a lot of irons in the fire and meeting with the team to go over progress every week and make small talk seemed like a big waste and, honestly, made him feel awkward because he didn’t know how to chit-chat. He was not a time waster, so he worked every minute up until the meeting started and, as soon as it was over, he grabbed his cell phone while still seated to check his messages. He was polite about checking his phone because, as he grabbed it, he would say, “I have to check my messages.”

Beginnings and endings are critical. By spending time visiting with people BEFORE the formal meeting begins and not getting up and leaving quickly or checking your phone while there is still someone with you (and you haven’t visited and said good-bye), you are saying non-verbally, “I am done with you and now I have more important things to do.” The time you spend visiting and interacting face-to-face can be extremely valuable. It helps you establish rapport and get an emotional read of each person. This helps you make connections and alliances, and makes you look better and helps you persuade others to see your viewpoint. On a very basic level, it puts credits in the “relationship account” of each person with whom you interact so he or she knows you care.

4. You don’t turn off technology or put it away before talking, or you focus on technology when people are with you in person. 
Jim carries his phone with him everywhere. It’s in his right hand where he can glance at it often, and you see him walking down the halls on the phone. 

Your computer, electronic pad or smartphone is just one place you should be working. Just a few years ago, you looked like an important, busy and hardworking employee if you brought your phone with you everywhere and were checking it constantly. But that image has since changed. Now, you just look like you’re rude, and that you believe your time and your needs are more important than the person(s) you are with. Yes, even you. I know you are an extremely busy person getting hundreds of texts and/or emails that you must respond to, but think of your device as you would your 3-year-old child. Ask yourself when you are with a work contact, “Would I have my 3-year-old with me during this conversation at work?” If the answer is no, put the device away or don’t even bring it. Challenge yourself to change your behavior in four important ways:

a.    Remember the person in front of you is always more important than anything on your device. He or she is the real, live person.
b.    If you can, don’t take your technology with you, or keep it turned off and completely out of sight. Don’t put it on the desk between you and the other person.
c.    When you get to the meeting, if you have a device that is visible make it a ritual to pick it up, set it on silent, and put it out of your line of sight. I would even recommend that if you are meeting with one to three people and you want to let them know why you are doing that and/or want them to do the same, say out loud something like, “I am putting this away so I can focus on you.” Or, “Let me turn this off and put this away while we talk.” Or, “I want to focus on our conversation (or, this important meeting).”
d.    Don’t pull out the phone to check your messages at the end of the meeting if the people with          whom you are meeting are still in the room. Say good-bye, get out of their visual 
     and auditory field, and then check your messages. 


5. You only email or text; you don’t give face-to-face time to create trust. 
Nicole doesn’t really like one of her co-workers, Jess, and finds it easier if she insists that all their communication be by text. That way, she doesn’t have to hear Jess’s unwanted advice or demands, and she has a record of everything she has done for Jess or her reasons why it’s not her responsibility. 

Recent research by Gregory Northcraft, a professor in executive leadership at the University of Illinois, shows when projects are managed by way of detached, high-tech means rather than face-to-face, people will have less confidence that others will do what they say they’ll do. He says if your communication is mainly through email, coworkers will trust you less. Face-to-face contact yields the most trust and cooperation while e-mail nets the least, with videoconference interaction ranking somewhere in between. Your boss and coworkers need to be face-to- face to read the thousands of non-verbal cues that give them a read of you and help them decide the best way to interact with you. Nicole is not building a positive relationship with Jess. This, like our other examples here, is a real-life example. Guess what? Jess had the email trail as well, and Nicole’s boss was upset to learn that Nicole wasn’t taking the time to work with Jess but was, instead, making excuses and abdicating responsibility rather than doing her work and interacting positively with everyone on her team.

6. You are invisible; you keep your head down, don’t socialize and think your work speaks for itself. 
Karl was very good at his job. He came in early and left late, tried not to bother people during the day, and ate at his desk as he worked to be more productive.

You need to say hello or good-bye as you arrive or leave work. You also need to visit or socialize, speak up and contribute in meetings, ask for time to discuss projects face-to-face, go to lunch with your boss and team, and compliment others’ success or work effort. Again, face-to-face contact builds trust. A heavy workload can be lightened when you feel you’re working with others rather than avoiding others. Your boss is looking and listening for what you contribute to the group, so you need to participate and collaborate. If you don’t know what to say or are anxious about being correct in what you say, use a magic phrase to voice your thoughts such as, “Have we thought about…”, “Did anyone mention…,” or, “Another option we might want to consider is... .”

7. You are "Uber" brief and direct and focus on your needs first instead of considering the other person before you focus on yourself. 
Mark is a busy guy with a lot on his plate and feels he respects others’ time as well. He keeps his requests of others short and to-the-point. There’s no hello or talk about the weekend; just, “I need this by this time.” 

Everybody is different. Some bosses and coworkers want you to think about them and be a person before you make a request. Texts and emails make direct requests seem cold and demanding, and make you look like an egotistical jerk. Whether in a phone call, an email, or a text, ask about the recipient or make a statement about them before you talk about yourself or make a request. You don’t have to do this every time with people you contact every day, and you don’t have to be verbose. Just one or two sentences are fine; this creates rapport and puts credits in the relationship account. Those extra salutations and sentences show, non-verbally, that the person you are sending a message to matters and that you have thought about them as an individual. It also helps others recognize you, gives you a personality, and makes you stand out. Remember – you don’t want to be invisible!

8. You’re purposefully late when you could be on time. 
Reese was busy and thought the Friday morning meetings were ridiculous and a waste of her valuable time. She would come in when she was through with her important work, and would be very sociable, greeting people by the coffee pot as she grabbed a coffee from the back of the room and caught up with people sitting next to her. She loved how everyone looked up and noticed when she came in; it showed they knew she was an important, busy person.

There are people who are late because they are adrenaline junkies or time-challenged or are having problems in their personal lives, but there are also people who are late as a form of passive-aggressive control over those they make late. This person is saying by arriving late, “I am more important than you” and, “You must wait for me.”  There are no good reasons to constantly be late for work or work meetings.

9. You don’t respond to emails. 
Jim had way too much work to do and far too many people pestered him with unimportant things. He really didn’t have time for all those emails and sometimes he really didn’t know how to respond correctly. He paid attention to the important emails from clients, and thought if his coworker's issues were really important they would come and talk to him.

 If you don’t respond in any way to an email, people will make assumptions as to why. Remember: when you don’t give a reasonable behavior, people will guess why and those assumptions tend to be negative. If you put off answering or don’t respond, you could get yourself in trouble. At least say, “I will get back soon.” Or, “I read your email and I will be responding soon.” Otherwise, people think you just don’t care. 

10. You don’t think about others when you get dressed for work. 
Chris was planning to lose weight and didn’t want to waste money on clothes. He saw his coworkers wearing khakis and casual shirts and that’s what he wore; he just didn’t need them to fit perfectly, or be so expensive, or fresh-pressed, or non-faded. He made an extra hole in his belt with a screwdriver so it still worked, and his shoes were old but his pants covered them, for the most part. No customers ever saw him, so all in all, really, his clothes didn’t matter.

News flash! You don’t dress just for you. How you dress shows your respect – or lack of respect – for others. It is actually discourteous to dress inappropriately for work. Other studies show that 75% of Americans think a well-dressed man is more successful than his causal coworkers and more than one-fifth of men think they would make more money if they dressed better than they do.

If you’re a woman, not wearing makeup might not get you fired, but it could still hurt you. Here’s more about this bonus 11th point:

11. You’re a woman who does not wear makeup. 
Samantha had been promoted to manager of her team. She had never worn makeup; she preferred to look natural and, after all, who has that kind of time in the morning? 

Research shows people judge the beauty of a woman based on how much makeup she is wearing. Research quoted in the London Times said that, "64 percent of directors said that women who wore makeup looked more professional.” Women who wear makeup also rank higher in competence and trustworthiness, according to a study funded by Procter & Gamble, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston University, and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. A study in the American Economic Review said women who wear makeup can earn more than 30 percent more in pay than female employees who don’t wear makeup. Warning: don’t overdo it. Too much makeup can make it appear you are interested in dating and mating rather than your career.



Research says, Your Facebook-checking, constant-texting lifestyle may be taking a toll on your neck. Looking down at your phone can put a strain on your neck equivalent to the weight of 60 pounds, a study finds. To put that in perspective, 60 pounds is the weight of an 8-year-old or four bowling balls, the Atlantic reports. That's if you're leaning forward at a 60-degree angle; at 45 degrees, it's 49 pounds, while at 30 degrees, it's 40 pounds. Even at a 15-degree angle, you might as well be carrying 27 pounds of weight. That's because a human head weighs 10 to 12 pounds, and tilting it forward increases gravity's pull on it. All that tilting is, unsurprisingly, not good for your spine, researchers say after making their findings using a computer model of a spine. "These [cervical spine] stresses," they write, "may lead to early wear, tear, degeneration, and possibly surgeries." Their advice, per CBS News: "While it is nearly impossible to avoid the technologies that cause these issues, individuals should make an effort to look at their phones with a neutral spine and to avoid spending hours each day hunched over."


Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

Inspire Smiles: Personable Approach Ups Relationships, Smiling Improves Sales and Customer Service

Patti was interview by Sonja Carberry for Investors Business Daily regarding Smiles. Ways that smiling in business interactions can improve sales and enhance customer service.  You can read Patti's  insights highlighted in yellow below. Or check out the actual article at the link below.
A pleasing delivery generates good vibes with clients. How to connect:
Delight them. First impressions count. How one hotel charms: Its bellman reads luggage tags as he assists new arrivals and he walkie-talkies the information ahead so the front desk clerk can greet lodgers by name.
"It's just a simple touch, but for me that inspires a wow reaction," said Liz Jazwiec, author of "Service Excellence Is as Easy as PIE (Perception Is Everything)."
You don't have to move heaven and earth to win a grin, "though it might require some outside-the-box thinking and a willingness to engage with your customers on a personal level," Jazwiec told IBD.
Extend yourself. The most important question you can ask, even at your busiest: Is there anything else I can do for you? "I'm here to tell you that when you ask people this question, they don't make up frivolous stuff," Jazwiec said.
By offering further assistance, you're perceived as helpful. Rush your customer off, and he or she will return with the same request — and a less-than-positive attitude.
Get together. So much business is done via email, text and Twitter (NYSE:TWTR), people forget the power of sitting face to face. "Social media and technology do have their place, but they are not, and never will be, a substitute for in-person interaction," said Michael Houlihan, Barefoot Wine founder and co-author of "The Barefoot Spirit."
The personal touch strengthens the wine maker's rapport with retailers and customers.
"People don't just buy your product. They buy you," he said.
Pay attention. Make the most of a get-together by tuning in completely. "In my experience, when you use someone's name along with eye contact and an attentive demeanor, they're more likely to be agreeable," Houlihan said.
Close the gap. When distance prevents physical meetings, Houlihan goes virtual with Skype.
"I love that I can make eye contact with someone who is sitting on the opposite side of the country," he said. "We can accomplish so much more when we become more than just an email address or a disembodied voice to one another."
Get clued in. Pay attention to the other person's facial expressions and verbal inflections. Picking up on those cues speeds comprehension. "It's much easier to get intentions behind the spoken word," Houlihan said.
Greet and grin. Facial expressions prompt reactions.
"A smile typically generates a smile from the other person," said Patti Wood, body language expert and author of "Snap: Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma."
To bump up your approachability, raise your eyebrows slightly when you meet someone.
Control reactions. You might smile and say yes when asked to take on a weekend project.
But if the slightest grimace crosses your face, your true mood will show through. Wood calls that fleeting expression a microfacial cue. "It reveals your true emotional state," Wood said. "You'd be surprised how often that happens."


Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

Great Music Videos of the Band Of Heathens



My Seatmate the Rock Singer 

I went to take my seat on a flight recently and looked at my seat mate. He was tall, with long black hair and beard and was wearing a vest and a leather cap and I thought, “He looks like the lead singer in rock band.”  We started talking and yes, my seat mate was indeed, Ed Jurdi, lead singer for the Band of Heathens.  Aren’t body language reads amazing? But really he looked just like a lead singer. Smile.   I knew his music, but not his face. In that moment, some women would have had thoughts of being a groupie, I had a two hour flight, and so I thought, “I will be a groupie light.”  Ed and I had a fantastic conversation about our creative process, the high we get from performing, the magic of connecting with audiences and what it’s like being on the road. You can link below to videos of three of his band’s songs that I love. I have two of their albums on my ITunes. 

Ed, who has been a musician for a very long time and tours three weeks out of the month, talked about how audiences have changed. Believe it or not, though most audiences are having a blast, some audience members are coming to concerts and spending the time they use to spend rocking out, connecting and enjoying themselves, texting! That’s right, even when the event is awesome and music should engage them, people are texting. As someone who loves music and finds it to be one of the most singular most transporting experiences we can have, I am stunned. It’s been awhile since I was at a live concert, but I have great memories of rocking out and signing to everyone from Rod Stewart, the Pointer Sisters, The Eagles, The Cars, The Beach Boys, Diana Krall, Chicago, and so many more.  Do you remember your first concert?  Listen to the music and go download one of Band of Heathens Albums.

Each song is very different. The first one is country, the second is rock and the third is rock out blues.  If you have a music preference play it first. In the first Ed with the black hair and beard and the band playing on Austin City Limits a song called LA County Blues.

This song makes me want to be a roadie working and traveling with the band, just so I could be back stage rocking out to this song every night.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-6EAqyZJgw  - Your Goanna Miss Me When I am Gone

Incredibly fun and funky blues tune. You will be rocking out and nodding your head and dancing in your seat.” This is the song you will find yourself singing the rest of the day.




Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

Body Language Read of Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick



What I love about this kissing photo is how emotional she is. Her eyes are lowered, and facial muscles curled up in tenderness, cherishment as if she can't believe she has him. 
He is lowering his check and body to her with gentle yielding, saying finally I can feel safe. I just love how both of them have their eyes closed to make it an especially intimate moment with each other rather than for the camera. I give them a 4 and half.




In this photo above they are so uncomfortable. Having said that, you see how they are overlapping their bodies, in a way that communicates they are still a couple. Also note how his back foot is pointed right at her and her shoulder is leaning down toward him and her pelvis is angled slightly toward him. My read of her with the "double cross" of arms and feet, hidden and tight pulled to her far right smile is she is mad at him on this day but his awe shucks I messed up downward turn smile and hands in pockets and other cues I mentioned indicate that and that he still loves her.  I give this photo a 2.



Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.

Body Language Read of Andi Dorfman and Josh Murray



Shortly after their engagement aired on national television, Andi Dorfman, 27, and Josh Murray, 30, sported matching frowns during a July trip to NYC.  "They seem stressed here," observes Patti.  "There's very little connection between them."

Patti gives this couple a 2 on the Life & Style True Love Rating Scale.

But the twosome had a glow about them as they confidently strode through LAX.  Although Andi pulls away from him, "Josh doesn't mind," says Patti.  "He's holding his hand in a way that shows that he's supporting her unconditionally."

Patti gives this couple a 4 on the Life & Style True Love Rating Scale.

Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.