BEYOND THE MASK

"What stands in the way, becomes the way" Marcus Aurelius

Each of the twenty-six muscles of your face has an importance in understanding the character and the reaction of your interlocutor and with half of them now hidden, you are effectively one-eyed. Add to this the distance requirements and the fear of contamination and you have a real threat to the spontaneity and interpersonal relationships that lay at the very heart of the Hospitality industry. 

What the mask hides and more

Since birth, we have memorized an infinite number of verbal / non-verbal combinations that we have stored in our subconscient and are able to compare to each other in a fraction of second in order to recognize emotions. With only our eyes left, the movement of our eye lids and brows, guessing emotions from facial expressions will of course be much more complex.

Do also keep in mind how the tone of voice, filtered behind a mask and at times behind a plexiglas partition, will be affected, making it difficult to hear, leading to frustrating requests to repeat and a feeling of impatience from guests. 

More than ever, we will need to observe and actively decode subtle muscular movements which, although discreet, are generally enough to express the emotional state of a person. Here are a few tips to keep in mind.

Understand the impact of distance

Our body has its very own emotional logic. One of them relates to proximity. You naturally get closer when you have an interest to do so and likewise, you keep your distance when you don’t. Although you and your interlocutor might intellectually accept the need for distance, be mindful of a possible feeling of rejection, as interacting while standing far apart is counter-intuitive.

Aim for clarity

As clarity of speech is already affected by physical barriers, you also need to watch out for any form of speech that could add confusion. If sarcasm, irony or any other way to say the opposite of what you actually mean is your thing, then it’s important you reconsider these traits. Choose your words wisely in order to avoid ambiguity.

The importance of tolerance

You might have a great level of resilience and cruised through this crisis with high spirit, confidence and positivity, but don’t overlook the fact that some of your colleagues and guests might be different. Some people spent the last few months in a constant state of fear and stress, with defiance and sometimes anger towards others. These emotions are intense, negative, and although different, they often express themselves quite similarly, be it through muscle tension or a stare. The risk is to mistake one for another so make sure you always give it the benefit of the doubt.

Free your hands

Open hands, open thoughts; closed hands, closed thoughts… There is plenty of fine literature about this. Considering the current importance of genuinely being yourself so you can be fully understood, I wouldn’t overthink this too much. The body gives extra powers to the verb, let it express itself as it comes. There are no rules, good gestures are those that flow naturally in line with the content of your message.

Raise your eye game

Face masks are official enemies of fake smiles. If you felt you could get away with “grins on demand”, beware of the total absence of emotions you now display. While a genuine smile, utter joy or spontaneous pleasure are immediately visible around the eyes, forced standalone movements of the lower part of your face aren’t. So be particularly mindful of your eyes, the first second of an interaction require a strong visual contact that gives a feeling of security and care. When someone speaks to you, don't fix them in the eyes thinking that it is all you have left, use my favourite "triangle technique": left eye, right eye, mouth, repeat.

No guessing

Beware of guessing. The lack of information naturally leads to assumptions. If you struggle to read the emotions of your interlocutor, ask questions, drill, give words the opportunity to fill the gaps in your perception.

Check on your teams

Don’t forget that smiling affects the smiler too! Check on your teams often. Studies suggest that smiling enhances the mood, having a direct effect on your ambient emotional state. Therefore, wearing masks makes us insidiously more morose, so lifting your team’s spirit with your presence and kindness will be particularly important.

The power of intentions

All in all, the easiest way to naturally express care and benevolence throughout your interactions is to genuinely mean well. This remains the easiest way for your eyes and body to seamlessly synchronize with your intent. 

Finally, while we tend to feel like this new beginning is limitative, taking a bit of time working on your resilience might prove useful. Stop thinking about how much worse things are. One thing that hasn’t changed is YOU. You are still that passionate service professional priding yourself on providing excellence to guests only waiting to be beguiled. So embrace the situation, strive beyond the mask.