Sometimes, speaking to other people can quickly turn into an "in one ear and out the other" situation. It's never fun to hold a conversation with folks who just aren't listening to you or paying any sort of real attention.
But how can you tell simply by looking who is and who isn't giving you their full attention? It's simple – there are various degrees of different body language you can read to understand what's happening and decipher whether or not your audience is listening.
Here are a few dead giveaways that you can usually rely on to point you in the right direction.
They're fidgeting in their seat or simply moving too much.
If you're trying to speak to someone who's tapping their feet, moving around, constantly touching their hair, adjusting the hemline of their skirt, or otherwise fidgeting, they probably aren't paying attention.
Coach and author Nick Morgan told Business Insider, "being in constant motion and not being able to sit still" are both signs that someone's attention isn't focused where it should be.
So if you're trying to explain something to a business partner who seems like they've got a little too much energy at the time when the topic of discussion is hardly exciting, you might want to reschedule your chat. It's obvious nothing you're saying is sinking in.
They look or behave as though you're boring them.
When two people have a conversation, there should be some sort of positive vibe between the two, especially if it's business-related or just a chat between friends. If your conversation partner is sitting there dead-eyed, staring blankly, or just looking generally unimpressed, chances are they're bored. Bored means they probably aren't hearing a word you're saying.
Power of Positivity suggests that someone with their "chin resting in the palm of their hand" could mean that they're "drifting off into their own mental world, completely bored by you." That's not a good sign at all, so keep an eye out for this unfortunate side effect of not listening during a conversation.
They don't exhibit any sort of responsive body language.
Just like we read body language for dates or other intimate communication, we can tell if someone's listening or not based on their physical signals. Typically, interested parties will tilt their heads or lean forward, according to 2KnowMyself. Both are signs that someone is extremely invested in what you're saying.
If you're not getting any sort of response from the person you're speaking with, or they seem totally tired, blank, or overall unresponsive you're probably not getting through to them. You might want to make plans to end the conversation here and try again when you feel like you're being given some positive signals.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider