Expert tips on how to communicate with masks on: Speak up, use gestures

After conducting a recent business acquisition meeting over a Zoom call with his colleagues Sandeep Rao CEO of integrated marketing consultancy One Source was left wondering Did it go well I couldnt spot even a hint of a smile behind the masks he saysWith workplaces gradually looking to reopen some of Raos clients have begun reporting back to office Since airportmarshal gesticulations dont fit into business videoconferencing etiquette Rao says he is compelled to rely on the context of the situation to interpret an interaction Theres only so much you can read through the eyes This is not love but a business conversation after allWith restrictions being gradually lifted to allow for more movement of people and vehicles two cyclists wearing protective masks stop for a chat at Walkeshwar Pic Bipin KokateIn the first days of the Coronavirus outbreak there was scepticism regarding the efficacy of masks as an effective deterrent to the spread of infection In June the World Health Organisation revised its earlier advisory and said that people should wear masks on public transport in shops offices and any other confined or crowded environment The initial conflicting views have faded and public health officials across the world are now in broad agreement that masks can significantly reduce the likelihood of Coronavirus transmissionSandeep Rao CEO One SourceBut while they may save lives masks are also creating social challenges including impeding communication According to Rao the partial veiling of the face has changed the dynamics of business interactions during video chats The upside though is that theres active engagement Earlier people would drone and others would listen The mask has necessitated more participation to show that youre present and part of the conversation In the 1960s a psychologist named Dr Albert Mehrabian conducted an experiment to quantify the importance of voice tone posture gestures facial expressions and other forms of nonverbal communication His studies suggest that we overwhelmingly deduce our feelings attitudes and beliefs about what someone says not by the actual words spoken but the speakers body language tone of voice gestures and sounds The conclusion was that 93 per cent of communication is nonverbal in naturePragati SurekaClinical psychologist and alumnus of Harvard Medical School Boston Pragati Sureka says the most important aspect of our face to come to use in nonverbal communication is the eyes Its true when they say that the eyes are a window to the soul because if you look closely you can infer emotions and intentions For instance some eyes look vacant or cold while others are jumpy If you meet somebody whose company you enjoy your eyes light up Which essentially leads to a simple and irrevocable truth actions speak louder than words She says the idea forms the basis of the popular Reading the Mind in the Eyes test which is commonly used to assess whether someone might have neurodevelopmental conditionsSaloni SuriSaloni Suri is a corporate trainer author and visiting faculty at Xaviers Institute of Communications As a business communications consultant Suri uses neuroscience to help individuals and corporates strengthen leadership and achieve organisational goals I think the big thing right now is to proactively listen to people because a physical barrier placed on your face tends to impede the conversation So we need to pay attention and pick up visual cues and vocal nuances While it may seem unnatural at first she thinks its also important that we speak up and speak louder because when you have a mask on the normal tendency is to not talk She believes that given the scenario introverts may retreat further into their shell while extroverts may try harder to put their point acrossGeeta RamakrishnanThat a mask can make a usually talkative person speak less is something ontological coach Geeta Ramakrishnan experienced first hand when she visited her favourite Indian restaurant in Dubai with her husband after three months of lockdown It was a datemdashonly it didnt feel like one Strangely I wasnt talking much says Ramakrishnan With everybody wearing masks and face shields the world just felt like a lessfriendly place says the author of The Game of Change Wearing a mask is not the most comfortable thing And if you wear glasses it tends to fog up the lens It will need some time getting used to As a life coach Ramakrishnan often advises her clients to maintain eye contact during conversations as this not only conveys selfconfidence but also shows interest in the person with whom they are talking If you pay attention to body language it can convey a lot For instance if youre slumping in your chair it could show disrespect or disinterest In a casual setting it could work but not in a formal professional oneYuki ElliasAs the world still struggles to find a vaccine the face mask looks unlikely to leave our lives anytime soon Theatredirector Yuki Ellias who has studied movementbased theatre including mime melodrama and commedia dellarte clowning while training in Paris feels wearing a mask shouldnt be a huge deal for Indians As a culture Indians are known to speak with a lot of gestures As someone who uses masks for shows she says physical theatre trains you to not take communication for granted The body has to always be involved when speaking I feel this situation may force us to make an earnest effort to connect with our eyes with more mindfulness and attention towards the otherCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news