At the Movies
OK, I admit it, I was one of the millions (or is it billions?)
who watched the Oscars on Sunday night.
Yes, I love the fashion hits and misses (especially the misses), the
presenters, and the staging of this annual love fest to the movies. I love movies and was interested in which one
was going to be Best Movie. This year I’ve actually seen several of the movies
nominated, unlike other years when I’ve maybe seen one or none. I loved the family dynamics and George
Clooney in The Descendants; was
amazed by the effects and wonderful story in Hugo; cried for the awfulness of war in War Horse; and was charmed and completely mesmerized by The Artist.
After The Artist
won, it occurred to me that as communicators there’s a lot to be learned from The Artist. Just think, this is a movie with only 2 spoken words, and yet, we understand everything about the characters and
their lives. The actors’ body language
and facial expressions were powerful communicators. Sometimes it’s not so much what’s said aloud,
but what our bodies and faces are saying for us. Communication is as much about what’s not
being spoken or written as it is about the messages we’re unconsciously sending.
What is our body language saying? Are we unconsciously undermining our spoken words, or, are
we reinforcing our message? Even when
writing we sometimes use confusing words, and don’t reinforce the messages
we’re trying to send. Whether speaking
or writing, to be effective, messages need to be clear and unambiguous.
You are so right! Many times it is more about what my body language says to people than it is about the words that I use. If I say, "...would you move your car, please?" with a scowl, I might get road rage in response.
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