It’s back to the round table and watching out for body movements from raised eyebrows to distended nostrils, and, yes, foot-tapping — known as under-the-table communications., published in 2013, Daniel Goleman wrote on the importance of “social sensitivity” which entails reading others, and understanding what they are communicating without words.
The “avoidance game” is trackable. When X moves to the right, does Y discreetly move to the left? Here, crowds are used as screens the same way a three-point shooter uses blockers to get an open look. And an overt plea to the “avoider” only makes things worse — I’m just going to the buffet table. Not receiving an invitation for corporate events, especially those that do not require attendance checks, indicate removal from a list. While these proceedings are not formally classified as meetings, they too have an invitation list which indicates who’s up or down. They may be terrace cocktails or even out-of-town sorties by the beach though swimming is not required.
Still, there is the danger of reading too much between the lines so that even the most innocent gestures are given ominous meanings. What did he mean by “have a nice day” with a raised eyebrow, just the left? Was there a touch of irony in his voice when he greeted me in the elevator?