Body Language Experts Analyze the Royal Family at Prince Louis's Christening Prince William's facial expressions say EVERYTHING.

"Prince William gives off this 'photos ... now ... really?' vibe," Susan Constantine, human behavioral expert and author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Reading Body Language, tells GoodHousekeeping.com. "His pursed lips, intense eyes, and stern face show he was irritated with the moment, not his family."

Still, he takes initiative and serves as the protector of his family. He takes charge with Prince George and Princess Charlotte (TBH, they probably are the real bosses here) and instructs them to greet the Archbishop of Canterbury. "It's evident that he's an active father and totally present with his children in this moment," explains Constantine. "He divides (and conquers) his attention between George and Charlotte, while still keeping Kate and his newborn nearby."

Kate, on the other hand, is cradling the person of the hour: Prince Louis. "Her hand is perfectly bent to cradle the baby, giving him a security," says Wood. "But what's really significant is Kate's spontaneous and joyous expression, a rather unusual sight compared to her shy and restrained demeanor." Her open-toothed smile and raised eyebrows indicate that she's attentive and experiencing some kind of surprise (joking by the Archbishop, perhaps?).

"Her 'up' body language literally brings up the energy of those around her, including spectators like us," Wood tells us. "The definition in her neck, open mouth, and raised eyebrows show that she's not only listening to what the Archbishop has to say but she's actually interested."

Following the service, the family exited the Chapel giving us one of their finest Kodak moments yet. We're talking Christmas card 2018 material.

 "In this moment, Kate's face is nearly identical to when she exited the Lindo wing after giving birth," says Wood. "She's totally enamored with this baby and exclaiming 'OMG, look at what we did!'"

Take a look for yourself:

Later in the day, Prince William has also eased up a bit and looks more relaxed in this moment, according to Constantine. "Even better, the family is walking in unison and their feet mirror one another's." Same goes for Prince George and Princess Charlotte. Precious!

But it's not all about Kate, William, and their adorable offspring: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also gave us something to gush about. "When leaving, Meghan reaches for Harry's hand, which is obviously a norm for her," says Constantine. "However, she quickly pulls back because she knows that's not royal protocol." Meghan, the heart wants what it wants, eh?

 The bottom line: This family's love knows no bounds. The body language experts agree that Prince William and Kate Middleton are doting parents and 100% smitten with their little ones. Plus, Kate has totally mastered carrying a sleeping baby while walking in stilettos. Now, that's a true queen ... we mean, Duchess.

Link t article: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/a22094009/prince-louis-christening-body-language/

Patti Wood, MA - 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.
     

Giving Praise and Tagging for Talent: The Power of Social Recognition in the Workplace

Recognizing talent and giving praise is an important part of being a good leader and or team member. In my book People Savvy Leadership, I give the following tip. 

Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com.Compliment others easily!  

When you focus on others accomplishments and notice what is worthy of praise your energy is lifted and you build successful interactions.

Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com.A simple way to give praise is with an introduction. For example, when you introduce your female friends, coworkers and business friends to someone new share their name and an accomplishment. "Jim, this is Sara Beckman, she just headed up the committee for our new quarter sales meeting and it was fantastic." "Tom, this is Morgan Tyler, she just spearheaded the new marketing project." "Karl, this is Veronica Mann, she works with our top client Prudential." 

It's important to recognize talent. I am excited to be quoted in Michael Salone, my former FSU Nonverbal Communication and Body Language class student book "Tagging for Talent"@Michael Salone.  Michael, I'm so proud of you and this is such a great concept for finding hidden talent.

 Tagging for Talent: The Hidden Power of Social Recognition in the Workplace

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And in Audio: http://bit.ly/AUDIO-TaggingForTalent

 





 

There Are Angels Amongst Us!

There are some people on this planet that walk in love and grace and healing energy. 
I got to give the opening keynote for nearly 500 of these angels on earth for the second time yesterday. The National Alliance for Grieving Children is made up of therapists,  counselors,  social workers and other incredible people that help children and family members going through loss and trauma.
The video is a few seconds of my opening exercise. My speech was on body language tools to help children and parents dealing with loss and trauma.

It’s such an honor and a gift to be in the presence of these people and a special joy to have so many of them share with me that my presentation affected them profoundly.If you're having a hard time dealing with the news and the reality of what’s going on know that these angels are amongst us!!I am tearing up knowing that I had parents in my audience that lost children in school shootings that have started camps and foundations I had social workers that work with murder victims families, I had an entire group from Houston that are helping children in the detention camps in Texas, I had a therapist that counsels children with PTSD ... the love goes on and on.As always, know that you can take action to make this world better. Check out volunteer services in your town. In Atlanta try Hands on Atlanta.

Patti Wood, MA - 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.
     

What Did You Think Of Me When You First Met Me? First Impressions, Online Photos and Videos

“What did you think of me when you first met me?” This is a question I am asked often. Do you ever wonder how you and your work team look to your customers/clients online vs. face-to-face interactions? One of my areas of research and one of my body language books and my most popular keynote speech is on first impressions. I do research and consult with my clients business first impression and one of the things you may not know is that online your first impression is likely to be perceived more negatively than a first impression you give out face-to-face

So if you have photos of yourself on linked in and or photos and videos of you online for your business or you skype for some of your initial business meetings be aware that you may want to be the very best you!

 
Here is the research article that discusses why this negative bias occurs.

“If you want to make a good impression, it is critical that it is done in person,” said Jeremy Biesanz, Ph.D., of the University of British Columbia, who conducted three studies comparing the accuracy and bias of first impressions when formed under different circumstances.

The first study analyzed a series of experiments involving more than 1,000 participants who met each other through either a three-minute speed-dating style interview or by watching a video of the person.

“What we observe here is that the accuracy of impressions is the same when you meet someone face to face or simply watch a video of them,” Biesanz said. “However, impressions are much more negative when you form impressions more passively through watching videotapes.”

While people could accurately attribute certain personality traits, such as extroverted, arrogant, or sociable, to others in person or by video, the magnitude of the positive attributes was lower via video, while the negatives attributes were higher.

The researchers found similar results in two other studies, including one that compared in-person impressions to those obtained by looking at Facebook photos. The other study compared in-person meetings to simply watching someone as a passive observer. In all cases, the passive means of making impressions were as accurate as the active ones, according to the researchers.

“However, there is an extremely large difference in the positivity of impressions,” he said. “More passive impressions are substantially more negative.”

Patti Wood, MA - 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.

     

Body Language Experts Analyze Chip and Joanna Gaines With Their New Baby Crew We all missed a major moment between Joanna and her new son.

Joanna Gaines via Instagram

Chip and Joanna Gaines have welcomed fans into their home for years through their show, Fixer Upper, as well as their social media accounts. And in photos posted this weekend, they also welcomed us into the hospital room where their new baby boy was born.

Judging by the millions of interactions, it's safe to say people were excited to meet the baby boy, Crew Gaines, as the couple named him. But no emotions could compare to the ones experienced by the parents and their four older children. In the comments, people couldn't get over how beautiful and calm Joanna looked shortly after giving birth. It turns out, there's a reason for that

"That particular [expression] is wonder," Susan Constantine, human behavioral expert and author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Reading Body Language, told CountryLiving.com. "When you're having those moments where you realize a miracle has happened, and it's a time of reflection."

Susan, an avid watcher of the HGTV show herself, sees Joanna as "a very spiritual person with a quiet demeanor" and this moment as an "intimate connection with God."

Joanna is similarly serene in the next photo, as is her husband Chip. "When something is so overwhelming, it's what we call 'flooding' of emotion," Constantine continues. "You don't always have to show great smiles and laughing. It's that deep look into the eyes like there's no words to express the emotions they feel—a very deep, passionate moment between the two of them."

Meanwhile, Patti Wood, body language expert and author of SNAP: Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language, and Charisma called attention to Chip's comforting embrace.

"See how his shoulders are hunched over and round and those bones are sticking out?" she says. "He really wants to hug her but he wants to be careful at the same time."

This is a sweet, tender departure from the playful demeanor we usually see from Chip, Wood, also a self-confessed fan, adds.

Constantine calls the next photo, in which Joanna holds Crew close, the picture of endearment, and Wood adds that it's clearly not posed. Joanna's sweet, soft smile says she is in the moment with her baby.

"If you look at her bottom hand, how it's fully surrounding Crew and cupping over the edge so that it's protective and wanting to bring back into her belly," Wood explains, "and then the top hand is very relaxed so that she knows she doesn't want to be too overwhelming for the baby."

Both pros point out how natural and connected the kids are with their parents in the next pictures (not to mention consistently on the TV series). While each of the children has a look of "deep joy and excitement," Constantine says the oldest, Drake's pursed lips and hands in his pockets mean he might be "more reserved and introverted" than Duke, Ella, and Emmie, and "just trying to play it cool."

"Chip's looking right at him like, 'Dude, do you see what we just did here?'" Constantine laughs, "and he's kind of speechless."

Like father, like son! The way Chip is mirroring Drake, with his fingers in his pocket and his elbow pulled back, shows that the two have a connection and that "Chip's trying to be cool guy and restrained," Wood says. "He's trying not to be too over-the-top about how excited he is."

In the snapshot of the big brothers- and sisters-to-be waiting outside the hospital room, there's a sense of anticipation. Once again, the Gaines family is perfectly in sync, mirroring one another's body language.

"It's interesting when you look at Drake, the oldest, he's in a position where even though he's listening, when I look at that I think of gratefulness, kind of like a Tim Tebow moment going on there where you're almost in prayer," Constantine says.

Chip and Joanna have previously worked with the Tim Tebow Foundation, so it's possible Drake does look to the athlete as a role model.

And finally, the sweet selfie Joanna shared with baby Crew conveys nesting behavior typical of newborns. "Look at the baby's arm kind of wrapped around Joanna's arm," Constantine notices. "It's just kind of a natural instinct to pull himself up around his mom as a form of covering and protection."

Most telling is how comfortable Joanna is with her new little one, both pros point out.

"She's been here so many times before, she's relaxed, she knows the baby is secure there, she doesn't feel the need to hold on tight," Wood says. "It tells me she's a knowledgeable mother, very secure in her nurturing abilities. And you'll see that too in how relaxed her facial expression is, how beatific—it's very Mona Lisa-like."

Once again, her lack of smile here does not mean a lack of emotion. "It's not that she's not happy," Constantine concludes. "She's very happy. But Joanna in all of these photographs is a person that is constantly reflecting on the awe and wonder of this child being born. She looks at her children as miracles. You can just see the amazing amount of glory and peace that comes over her face when you see her with her newborn kids."

Link to article:

https://www.countryliving.com/life/entertainment/a21939981/chip-joanna-gaines-baby-crew-body-language/

Patti Wood, MA - 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.