Knowing Facial Expressions Improves Emotional Skills

Article by Diego Ingrassia – “Knowing Facial Expressions Improves Emotional Skills” – JULY-AUGUST 2018_ PEOPLE&KNOWLEDGE NO.130

For a long time in the world of work, emotions had no right of citizenship.
In the wake of thinking from the school benches, a rational, clear-headed and detached mind was considered the best requirement for good job performance.
Today, fortunately, the scenario has radically changed and companies – more and more often – are asking to help their managers improve skills that are closely linked to emotional intelligence.
“Awareness of one’s own and others’ emotions can provide valuable help in managing potentially stressful and conflictual situations,” explains Diego Ingrassia, CEO of I&G Management.
There are now many studies confirming that certain aspects of emotional intelligence are predictive of job performance.
“The emotionally intelligent manager is able to manage his or her emotions, is attentive to what is happening in the relationship dynamic and values the non-verbal component of communication. When our interlocutors find harmony between what we do and the values we hold, the leadership style is perceived as balanced and consistent’.
The observation of non-verbal behaviour can draw on studies and research based on important scientific evidence.
Starting with the research work of Paul Ekman, we know that for some specific emotions there are unequivocal and very reliable signals.
In fact, the term ‘universal facial expressions’ indicates that certain facial expressions linked to a precise emotional meaning are manifested in the same way (i.e. with the same facial muscles) by any person in the world, regardless of the age, ethnicity, gender, education or cultural level of the person expressing it.
“These universal facial expressions are associated with seven basic emotions: anger, fear, disgust, contempt (understood as a sense of superiority), surprise, happiness and sadness.
The facial expressions associated with these seven emotions can manifest completely in the whole face or only on a part of it (subtle expressions); sometimes the telltale signs of an emotion can be seen in very slight movements of the mouth, forehead, eyelids or eyebrows.
It is therefore important to know what to observe and to focus our attention on just a few specific key movements,’ says Ingrassia.
Capturing this valuable information is, according to the CEO of I&G Management, “the first step in improving our emotional competence, a quality we can continue to develop over time”.