The Donald now reigns supreme in the art of Face-Making. Whom has not noticed that during every single debate which we view, The Donald makes a derogatory face as a reaction to a comment from the proponents he doesn’t like? Most times, the other speaker can see his reaction. After watching The Donald again and again, I am reminded that making faces at work can substantially diminish your reputation and alienate you from your colleagues.
I believe Mr. Trump uses this as a tactic to intimidate the other candidates. If this is done on purpose or not, only his campaign strategist knows. This behavior, though it may boost him in the polls by generating buzz, would not be tolerated for most of us working in companies.
When it comes to office politics, making faces is viewed as childish; it alienates, intimidates, and suppresses other opinions. Making faces at your employees and colleagues conveys the message that you do not value them and as a result you will lose their respect over time.
In the boardroom people who make faces, should consider the consequences before they actually put on that mug or show that puss.
Making faces is painful to watch, painful to endure, and your reputation is painful to repair once the damage is done.
In the real working world it is childish behavior, which would not be tolerated for long in a public company. It alienates and intimidates and suppresses other views. Count on your employees to lose respect for you over time by not being valued.
Think of your face as a storefront. Would you walk into a store with dirty windows or a nasty grease streak? What if the mannequin in the window looked scary? I would avoid that store. It is too much of an obvious risk and the pleasant storefront Next Door is a better, safer choice in which to accomplish your business.
Of course, we are humans and react to events as they happen, but remaining in control is critical to ensuring a professional decorum.
One group, which I refer my clients to notice, is newscasters. These professionals take pride in their neutral appearance, and an unflappable demeanor, even when talking about the best or worst of the news.
The goal is to stay conscious of your personal presentation at all times during the workday, and courteously listen to your colleagues respectfully sans the scowl. Mr. Trump gets away with it because he’s a billionaire, honestly doesn’t care, and has nothing to loose. He is financially set for life.
The rest of us need to “watch our p’s and q’s” and be alert each and every day we walk out that door and head to the office. Like it or not, our face is our storefront and that is a fact that’s hard to trump!