Years back, I facilitated communication training with women and men starting work at a global bank.
Much of the two-day program is spent in role-play where the small group got feedback and coaching.
One young woman gave her presentation. She was clearly the smartest person in the room. Simply brilliant in some respects. Though you wouldn’t even know it.
She was devoid of any affect. That is, her face was frozen as was her voice and gesture. A crime. No one would know how incredibly talented and intelligent she is. I asked her to give her presentation all over again.
“This time, can you deliver it with the Half Smile of the Buddha?”
She did. The room erupted. What took over for her? This very slight adjustment worked. It was the change she needed. Her colleagues were astounded how brilliant she is.
The lesson is we can be the most talented, smartest person in room yet without using our full physical expression and energy, no one will ever know.
If you don't show it, they don't know it.
We were gratified by her full smile due to her colleagues cheering for her. I don’t believe she had ever received this response before and she was fully appreciative.
