Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3287: Hillary Clinton, Email Servers and Crisis Management - Body Language (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Crisis Management, Crisis Management, Crisis Management.

What the vast majority of politicians (and those who coach them) never realize - is that their body language will dictate the whole flavor of a speech - the entire appearance. Otherwise, those who "steer with their words" leave us with the feeling of painting over dirt - it lowers likability and destroys rapport. It just doesn't feel right. The nonverbal signals are the foundation on which the feel of anyone's personality is projected. If you have any doubts at all on this point, please recall any awkward dates from your teenage years.

Of crucial importance during anything resembling a debate or question and answer session, quality body language engenders favorable vocal qualities (tone of voice and other paralanguage parameters) and these two together help the words to flow. Those who try to work with the words first will drown in an ocean of poor acting and insincerity (e.g. "The Emperor's New Clothes").

In her speech last week in Las Vegas, Hillary Clinton defended using a personal server for her U.S. State department emails. She reacted very poorly to questioning - particularly for a politician with her level of experience. One of many mistakes she committed is that she let her own nonverbal signals dial-up her anxiety and anger. She reinforced these negative emotions in a self-destructive feedback-loop because she simply does not recognize one fundamental use of body language.

One example (although there are many) is the manner in which the former Secretary of State does not understand that her high hand tension will also facilitate facial tension - therefore up-regulating anger, frustration, impatience, etc. (all of which she exhibited in this press conference). Conversely hand gestures (termed "Illustrators" in body language parlance) which are relaxed and open (yet still with some assertiveness - thus alpha-beta hybrids) will act as a control panel for her emotional tone, her facial expressions - and as far as this appearance is concerned - it also will elevate her credibility and trustworthiness.

 Mrs. Clinton is trying to use the politician's point - yet here she pinches her forefinger (aka index finger) together with her thumb. This action increases her facial tension. When Hillary is defensive or angry (like many other human beings) has a strong tendency to tilt her head/neck back and look "down her nose" at those to whom she's speaking. This loses her boatloads of likability

More hand tension - ergo more facial tension.

And .... Boom! Out comes anger.

Of course, like all of us, Mrs. Clinton is allowed to feel anger - yet if she wants to be elected President, she should NOT suppress it, but channel her anger. She's not doing this and the voting public can feel it.

Hillary in 2013 using the "Politician's Point". Note the correlation between a relaxed hand and a relaxed face. This is still assertive, still consistent with strong leadership qualities - and with the added benefit of Mrs. Clinton conducting her own emotional tempo.

Take care to avoid the "more is better" approach though - for the politician's point (and it's poorly used cousin, the pinch point and its variants) are considerably over-used by many politicians.


See also:

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3286: Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black & C'est la vie

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3264: Hillary Clinton, Likability, Perceived Trustworthiness and Body Language

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3141: Carly Fiorina "Higher than 90%" Chances She's Running for President

Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3281: Donald Trump on "Meet The Press" - Who Does He Talk to for Military Advice?

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Nonverbal Communication Analysis # 1553: Ann & Mitt Romney's Body Language at NRA Meeting

During her recent speech and introduction of her husband - the presumptive Republican Presidential nominee, at the NRA's Annual Meeting, Ann Romney displays some great body language "dos and don'ts". Mitt Romney showed us a few classic nonverbal tells as well. 

Throughout much of the video, Mrs. Romney grabs the sides of the lectern/podium, moreover she biases her hold towards the audience. This is an alpha display of dominance. John Kennedy popularized this in  the context of presidential speeches and Bill Clinton followed his lead. Interestingly, Kennedy arrived at this nonverbal dominance display by accident, as his forward lean on the lectern took pressure off his back and nagging pain from a severe injury suffered in the Second World War. 

The more we can see of a candidate, a witness, salesperson, negotiator, etc. - the more we trust them. The less we see, the less we trust - it makes us emotionally uncomfortable. An extreme example is someone wearing a mask. Can you trust a person in a mask? Even if we know who is behind it, we'd rather have it removed. The hands are also particularly important in this credibility display. In addition to being dominant with their forward-gripping, wide-spread body language - the hand-arm visibility factor lends believability to a speaker - even with an audience of one. When watching this video, note how you feel at the 1:45 time-mark, when Ann pulls down her hands so that they're no longer visible. She "feels" less credible, she transmits less rapport and she seems less self-confident. When she again shows us her hands, she re-establishes the positive emotional connections with all who are watching. This is very real psychological phenomenon and is cross-culturally valid (indeed in some countries, where women are oppressed, the hands-forward lectern nonverbal would considered be much too alpha). Accordingly, it is a trend, especially among political speakers, to have lecterns made out of Lucite, plexiglass or some similar transparent material. A less expensive compromise is one constructed with a thin metal or wooden central, vertical beam - so as to afford a near complete view of the speaker. 

Mrs. Romney commits a major faux pas on two occasions in this video.  At the 1:26 - 1:29 and again at the 2:09 - 2:15 time-marks, she gestures with an "Index Finger Point" (and more subtly with her hand on the lectern at the beginning of this clip). This nonverbal is universally and negatively received in all cultures and may even destroy rapport in the minds and hearts of supporters. In many countries it's a vulgarity, an insult, patronizing and in some scenarios may even provoke violence. Ann Romney would be better advised to use the palm-up, loose-finger, elbow bent gesture as a means of "pointing". This nonverbal is rapport-building and engenders more of a bridge-building, leadership mindset. Another way of pointing is the "Politician's Point" - wherein the thumb and first finger come together in a circle in a manner similar to the "okay sign" (in some countries though, this is considered an obscenity - so it's not universally recommended). Ann does this with her right hand still on the lectern at the 0:42 - 0:51 and  time-marks. The index finger point is a lot like a body builder wearing a muscle shirt at the grocery store - it may feel good at the time to the person who is "displaying" - but it won't win you any friends.

Two exceptions to the index finger point rule are when pointing at one's self or upwards (which Mrs. Romney also displays at the 0:51 and the 1:23 marks) - though both should be displayed in moderation.

Mitt Romney, the onlooker, is standing with his feet too close together. This is considerably too beta. No president or candidate should stand in this way in the vast majority of scenarios - especially in front of an audience. While funerals, ceremonies at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, receiving the remains of soldiers, weddings, inaugurations, meetings with high level religious figures such as the Pope or the Dalai Lama are some exceptions - a President, a candidate who's seeking the office, or anyone who wants to display alpha characteristics - should stand with their feet about shoulder width apart for men, and slightly less separated for women. Men, even very testosterone-laden men, will also stand in this manner in some settings, when they're next to their wife or girl friend as an affection-bonding nonverbal - and this is probably what Mitt is feeling here. But it simply doesn't look very Presidential. In the great majority of times, standing with feet close together transmits the emotional tone of - "I am beta", demureness and while accentuating femininity.

Notice also, as the audience claps for Ann - and Mitt in turn also claps for his wife's speech - he then raises up on his toes twice (at 1:36 and 1:37). This is a strong nonverbal signal of excitement and positive emotional energy "leaking out" (he also sticks his tongue slightly out a' la Michael Jordan in what is known as a "Tongue Jut" or "Lizard Tongue", visible at the 1:33 and 1:34 marks). Ann spoke well and got a great applause from the audience. He's excited and he shows us with this subconscious, nonverbal tell. With his feet together however, this body language tends to make him look boyish.

See also:

Secret # 1555: Ann Romney Hits it Back Over the Net to Hilary Rosen

Secret # 1455: Ann Romney, the Illinois Primary and Sincerity

Secret # 771: Ann and Mitt Romney's Affectionate Hug

Secret # 719: When to Stand with Your Feet Together

Secret # 48: Katie Holmes and the Lizard Tongue

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Nonverbal Communication Secret # 1995: Barack Obama, Social Darwinism and the Political Point

This video is an excerpt from his Tuesday speech to the American Society of Newspaper Editors, in which President Obama refers to the House Republican Budget Plan (authored by Paul Ryan of Wisconsin) as "...thinly veiled Social Darwinism ....". At the 0:54 mark, the President begins using (with his right hand) a body language gesture often referred to as the "Political Point" or the "Politician's Point" and continues through out the remainder of the clip.

The politician's point is formed by touching the thumb to the index finger and making a loose circle-oval. Occasionally more fingers are used as The President does here. This form of "pointing" is much more benign than the conventional and very caustic, "Index Finger Point". A rapport destroyer and universally offensive, pointing with the index finger should almost never be done. Conversely, the political point engenders trust, builds rapport and will aide in winning the audience over.

Incredibly, the nonverbals of the face and hand are very closely linked. Thus anger in the face - even subtle anger, tends to be also manifested in hand tension. The opposite is true as well - tension in the hands can often arouse negative emotions which are then manifested on the face. By using more inviting and friendly hand gestures - a speaker can help modulate his/her emotions to a much greater degree - even to an audience of one. 

Nuanced even further, when some speakers use the political point, but pinch their fingers to their thumb tightly, this detracts from the soothing effect on the audience and also has a negative feedback to the speaker. This will often be reflected in an increase in speech volume too. Indeed, at the very end of this video, note that The Presidents begins to pinch more and his emotions and voice grow more heated. Those who keep the finger and thumb loosely held achieve a more full effect of the political point. It's another nice little form of biofeedback courtesy of body language

This hand-face-emotional phenomenon is very probably the basis for why hand massages are great stress relievers.

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Negotiation Body Language Secret # 515: Huntsman's Skeptical Eyebrow

Jon Huntsman has a right eyebrow that is very commonly elevated. The right side of his forehead, as expected, also shows a simultaneous contraction and elevation. An image search of this former U.S. Ambassador to China, will turn up an extremely high percentage of photos with this characteristic nonverbal signal. While this is probably an idiosyncrasy or perhaps akin to a facial tic, it has the unfortunate consequence of sending strong signals of skepticism.

A very common correlation is seen between tension in the hands and tension and/or negative emotional facial expressions. Conversely, when the hands and arms are relaxed, the face also tends to be more at ease. In the political world in particular, the "Politician's Point" has become quite vogue. However, in this photo the former Governor of Utah performs this Body Language maneuver incorrectly - as do many of his peers. Properly done, the thumb and index finger come together in a gentle circle/oval - not in a pinched-off, tear drop shaped as Mr. Huntsman shows us here. In addition the remainder of the fingers should also be relaxed and open (See Leadership Secret # 35: A Friendly Way to Point). While Huntsman's modified version of the political point is certainly much better than a traditional index finger point, his negative (and vote losing) facial expression would have a strong tendency to melt away once this tension in the hand disappears.

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Negotiation Secret # 441: The Political Point - How Not to Use It

Herman Cain has recently enjoyed a tremendous boost in the polls. Some even have him on top as the current Republican favorite for the U.S. 2012 Presidential election. In the last decade or so, one Body Language gesture that a lot of political candidates have begun to use is the "Political or Politician's Point". This is where the "okay" sign (the index finger and thumb touching to form an oval-shape) is used as opposed to traditional pointing with the just the index finger extended and the rest of the hand in a fist/near fist. The traditional index finger point is very negatively received in the vast majority of cultures and should be strongly avoided. People interpret the finger point as a strong sign of arrogance and will feel patronized.

Mr. Cain isn't pulling off the "politician's point" though. The remaining three fingers should not be closed in a near-fist as Herman is doing here, rather they should be loose. He is also pinching with the index finger and thumb. Properly done, the connection of these two digits should also be relaxed - forming an approximate oval, rather than a pinched off tear-drop shape. This semi-fist and pinching are signals of emotional tension.

What the hands are doing - influences the face. Emotional tension in the hand(s) will cause and/or correlate with negative facial expressions. Herman Cain's face is clearly displaying contempt. Contempt does not engender the heart's of the electorate. Contempt will lose votes. It is indeed a rare situation where a candidate should display contempt. If Mr. Cain, and the rest of us, relax our hands, our faces will relax (and vice versa). Look for emotional clues in one and you will find them in the other.

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Negotiation Secret # 339: Don't Point at Me! I am not your child!

Yesterday at the NBA labor dispute negotiations, Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat is reported by many to have got very angry, stood up and shouted at Commissioner David Stern, "Don't point your finger at me, I'm not a (your) child!" No known video or photos exist of this incident at the time of this post (the above photo, discussed below, was taken at a different press conference), but if Stern did in fact point at Wade, or anyone else, it is not at all surprising that he had this or a similar reaction. In most all cultures it is consider a very insulting to point.

If you feel you must call attention to something and you feel the need to point - point with your whole hand, arm out stretched with your palm up and open with your fingers relaxed. This gesture is not thought of as pointing in the conventional sense. It will bring extra awareness to someone/something and not incite negative emotions - indeed it will often help to foster understanding and openness. Of course, your facial expressions/other body language as well as your words and tone should also be congruent.

In the above photo, Commissioner Stern is probably attempting to emulate a "Politicians Point", which has been popularized by candidates and office holders because it too, if used properly, has a very low inflammatory potential. Stern is not pulling it off though (see George Mitchell demonstrate it here - A Friendlier Way to Point). While pointing with two fingers (or a finger and thumb), is not as bad a pointing with a single finger, it still is incendiary and a gesture which should not be used.

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