Microexpressions: how we communicate without knowing

 Communication is a two-way street, but somebody’s got to start the process. When two people are speaking at the same time, not listening at the same time, or thinking of a clever response at the same time, communication is non-existent, or so it seems. Unfortunately, no matter what we say or fail to say, our nonverbal language still communicates, even at the level of subtle “microexpressions.” Communication is verbal, but most of it is nonverbal and although we think our negative thoughts and feelings are private, often they are not.

I worked for two bosses within the same department. When I asked the one who hired me about his philosophy on life, he told me, “I always try to say, yes.” He was followed by a new boss who always seemed to say, “No.” Their leadership styles were totally different, but they got things done in their individual ways. Still the office climate told the story.

The first boss got things done by creating a sense of ownership and mutual respect while the second boss got things done by creating a sense of intimidation and exclusion. The first boss seemed to be saying, “I respect what you do and there is something I can learn from you.” The second boss communicated feelings of superiority: “I know everything, just ask me.” If I correctly recall, both bosses communicated based more on what they did than what they said.

We communicate thoughts and feelings in the most subtle ways. Based on studies by Dr. Paul Eckman, a prominent clinical psychologist, Mike Krutza and Jodi Wiff explain that unknowingly, we are able to communicate on the level of “microexpressions,” which last a split second. We are all very aware of our nonverbal communication, but we are not so aware of subtle communication representing 7 universal human emotions that we all understand and share across cultures. “These are facial expressions that happen in approximately ½ second and manifest when a person consciously or unconsciously tries to repress or hide their feelings.” When different information is communicated via body language, tone of voice or microexpressions, we feel uncomfortable, confused or deceived because something seems out of synch.

7 Universal Microexpressions listed are as follows:

• Happiness--crow’s feet appear on someone's eyes when they smile, indicating genuine happiness.
• Sadness--the eyebrows are creasing towards the center.
• Surprise-- the eyebrows are raised, the eyes widen and the mouth opens.
• Fear--a facial expression that seems to say "eek," person unconsciously pulls back the corners of the mouth.
• Disgust-- a person's nose wrinkles but upper lip is relaxed, an immediate "ewwww" response.
• Contempt-- the right or left corner of the mouth pulls back.
• Anger-- the eyes are glaring with the eyebrows down altogether.

Studies show “microexpressions” translate across cultures, gender and other demographics. It’s important to remember, thoughts reflect action, no matter what we try to hide. It’s not only what we say, but also what we do, consciously or unconsciously. We have all noticed someone watching when we thought they were not, but we probably never suspected we were communicating thoughts and feelings at the most subtle level of communication—microexpressions. I’m sure the 7 universal microexpressions studied by Dr. Paul Eckman are not the only expressions we display, so it’s always good to think positive thoughts because this will naturally lead to good communication.

(c) M.D. Johnson (2013) based on the article: “Leadership Coaching: How Microexpressions Reveal Emotions” by Mike Krutza /Co-Author, Jodi Wiff
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