I once had a colleague that would roll his eyes at almost every idea that wasn’t his own. Additional facial expressions that complemented the eye-rolling were typically easy to spot as well: puffed cheeks then a release of air, sighs, furrowed brows, and other assorted expressions that gave everyone around the distinct impression that this individual thought he was way too smart to have to sit in meetings with the rest of us. One time someone called him out on it. The most interesting part of all of this was that he really didn’t have a clue that he was an eye-roller. He truly was not aware of the expressions he was making and even more importantly how they were negatively impacting the rest of the team.


I’ve found two factors that can lead to problems with facial expressions. The first is the person being completely unaware of the face they are donning. Individuals who are not conscious of the picture they’ve painted on their face for others to see are usually also not fully aware of the impact they have on their group. The second factor that can lead to problems is in misreading the facial expressions in front of us. Concern may be misconstrued as disapproval. A lingering furrowed brow from a prior meeting may be taken as frustration around the topic you are putting on the table.

Have you ever stopped and thought about the face you are wearing?
The expression it holds during a team meeting.
The signal it gives off that says ‘don’t talk to me right now’ as you’re walking down the hall.
The ‘I’m in trouble’ or ‘life is great’ face after you leave your manager’s office.

Unless you have a particularly good poker face and wear it all day long; you probably show a lot about what you’re thinking and feeling in your face, like the rest of us. While it’s usually not a problem to wear your emotions on your face; it makes sense to understand how people around you will perceive the expression you’re wearing. From a scowl to a smile your face paints a picture and the people around you read meaning into the pictures they see. If you manage others it’s particularly important to understand the messages you’re transmitting through your facial expressions.


Let me share with you another story. This one is about P.J., a mid-level manager of about 30 people. Part of what P.J. was known for was wearing his feelings on his sleeve. The employees used to wait for P.J. to walk by their desks after a management meeting. They were sure they knew what was going on by the look on P.J.’s face. When P.J. looked worried they all assumed something bad was about to come down the pike. They kibitzed and shuffled around for the rest of day and theorized about what was to come. Nothing productive was accomplished the rest of the day. However, when he walked out smiling and, by the expression he wore, obviously happy people were eager to find out what was up. They’d go right up and ask what was going on. The rest of the day the team would be humming away like a well oiled machine. The team remained on this roller coaster ride until P.J. realized the impact he was having on the team. At first he didn’t really believe that they paid that much attention to him. But he couldn’t let go of the idea so he decided to test the waters. He’d leave meetings purposely very serious. For the rest of the day he kept an eye on the team. It was true. They scuttled around and kibitzed and were completely unproductive. When he left meetings cheery there was a 180 degree shift in the vibe of the office. Back to the well oiled machine. This information didn’t stop P.J. from reacting to the business at hand, but it did help him understand when he needed to put a little control on his emotions. It also helped him realize that he needed to communicate with his team and explain the expressions they were seeing. They needed to understand when he was worried or frustrated just as much as when he was excited or happy.


So what do you do? P.J. is a great example of what to do. Pay attention to how you’re feeling and how you’re expressing yourself in your everyday work situations. Pay attention to the reactions of those around you. Allow your facial expressions to support your managerial ability.