Museum Leaders and What You Say When You're Not Talking

power posing. What's that, you ask? It involves where you sit or stand. And with a classroom of 15-year olds, perhaps the most judgmental individuals on the planet, this matters. In your world this may mean thinking about where you sit when staff come to your office. Do you move out from behind your desk and sit opposite one another? Do you speak to staff with your arms by your sides--as opposed to crossing them over your chest? Do you lower your voice? Lest you think this is just woo-woo armchair psychology, know that studies show that nonverbal communication carries between 65 and 95-percent more impact than the words we carefully parse. So the next time an employee is red in the face and turned away in his chair, "listen" to what you are seeing as carefully as you listen to him telling you he's fine. If you are a staff person, there is another set of cues: direct eye contact, smiling, confident handshake and believe it or not that slightly Victorian idea that you shouldn't sprawl. Sit up and act like you want to be there. And if you're in your museum's education department or you do a lot of public speaking for your organization, review how you behave in front of a group. So as we head into the holiday season with its round of parties and hoopla, have a great time, but be mindful of your non-verbal clues. Joan Baldwin