Should You Deal With Them? Reading Body Language in Negotiation

Who is lying to you?

Who is connecting with what you are saying?

What would be possible if you could determine who related to what you say positively, OR who positively wanted nothing to do with you?

Today, our guest speaker in Negotiation and Dispute Resolution class is David M. Schneer, Ph.D./CEO/Researcher/Author/Speaker. David presented to each of my classes this semester. Yes-he spoke to all four!

This is a unique opportunity for students to apply non-verbal intelligence and behavioral science to negotiation and dispute resolution.

A few observations:

“I also appreciated the practical tips you shared for professional settings, such as maintaining confident posture during interviews and how small nonverbal signals can influence perception. Your discussion about mirroring body language also made me think about when it may or may not be appropriate in more formal interview environments.”

“We greatly appreciated the clarity and enthusiasm with which you explained how body language, tone, and mindset can influence how others perceive us as leaders. Your session offered us valuable lessons on presenting ourselves with confidence and authenticity.”

“One concept that resonated with me was the idea that certain nonverbal cues, such as facial expressions, posture, and even the direction of someone’s feet, can provide insight into a person’s true intentions. I also found it interesting how a smile is not always genuine and how the muscles around the eyes can help distinguish between a polite smile and a genuine one.”

“Your perspective was incredibly valuable, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to learn from your experience. I will definitely carry what I learned with me moving forward!”

Thank you, Dr. Schneer for sharing your wisdom and helping Naveen Jindal School of Management, UT Dallas with your wisdom and insights. The University of Texas at Dallas, our hashtag#JSOM students, and I appreciate all you do for us!

If you haven’t yet, get David’s book https://a.co/d/0bLZpinq. You will love his take on qualitative research. Our students loved Dr. Schneer’s ability to describe body language related to high-performance leadership and negotiation!