You Are Not Indifferent To Me

Question: How can we talk, behave, and think differently about DE&I to engage with others?

Abstract: Body Language and Human Behavior are key resources that I leverage in my Change Toolkit. As I continuously grow and learn, I am pondering how these two themes can be leverage beyond Change Management. What if we could do something to make a difference? Start with yourself, which is where sincere introspection and outcomes can occur.

Key Term: "Body Language" is the science of non-verbal signals such as gestures, facial expressions, and eye gazes that communicate a person’s emotions and intentions. In total, there are multiple types of body language that we use to communicate. Unlike words, body language is often done subconsciously and constitutes a large part of our communication. This language is even more diverse when we collaborate with #neurodiversity, cognitive realities, and physical abilities.

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What if we could learn strategies to consciously address the challenges we all encounter with people who are not like ourselves?

#LeadingChange can be a challenge. There are many types of change - organizational, cultural, societal, and more that can lead to transformation. Change also can delve into what we are seeing in today's events, such as racial divide, wars versus other countries, addressing the disability taboo, micro-aggressions in the workplace, and more...

As humans, we are typically social people. We maneuver resistance. We strive to find belonging and balance. We seek ways to make our life better. #EveryDay.

What if we could do something to make a difference? Starting with 1 person (yourself) at a time, which is where real transformation occurs. All of us have and utilize the area (aka the primitive brain) of our brain that makes snap decisions based on 4 questions of assessing one another:

1. is this person friendly/a friend?
2. is this person an enemy/a predator?
3. is this person a romantic partner/a significant other?
4. If no to all of the above, then is this person indifferent to me?

There are also 4 easy tactics that we can model that lead to a positive interaction with others.

• Smile for 3 seconds = I am friendly
• Open hands, palms up = I intend no harm
• Raise the eyebrows = I am interested in you
• Eye contact = I see you

How did I learn this? What am I doing to continuously learn and grow to offer this article? Three things.

1. I have been watching this video several times recently. It is brilliant and witty with the expertise of applying body language. Watch Mark Bowden share his knowledge in the link below. Well worth the ~15 minutes!

2. ...and guess what? It applies IRL (In Real Life) and on Video, Web Conferences, and other interactions. Erica Dhawan, author of "Digital Body Language", will speak to this very topic at our upcoming #ACMP Annual Conference next month. She will help us learn "how to build trust and connection, no matter the distance." Recently, I completed her #LinkedInLearning course 'Body Language for Authentic Leadership', started reading her book, and am in the process of also learning from her other video 'Digital Body Language'.

3. As a global leader of change and also a member of the ACMP Board of Directors, I am eagerly engaged in the formation of the ACMP DEI Committee with Jennifer Rhodes. Last year, ACMP released an official statement that was an extension of The Standard of Change Management. I am excited at the prospect of what we are doing and about to start sharing soon as thought leaders partnering DE&I with Change Management as disciplines. Look for more to come from our annual conference with news that will, in my opinion, become the guiding light on this topic.

What are you going to do to make a difference?