Lies may sound convincing, but you can often identify them by the non- verbal behavior of the speaker. When an employee lowers her eyes and tells you, “I completed the assignment this morning,” you may have cause for suspicion that the work isn’t yet done. When another employee sighs, heaves his shoulders, shoots you a dark look, and says, “Of course, I don’t mind working late,” he would rather not.
Here are some signals to look for when you believe someone is not telling the truth. No single gesture by itself will tell you, but several together should make you question any verbal message.
- There is an incongruency between what is said and how it is said. For instance, a job candidate tells you that she doesn’t care that she is working in one of your department’s smaller cubicles, but her low voice and pained look tell you otherwise.
- The employee fails to maintain strong eye contact and, instead, looks at the floor or the ceiling—anywhere but at your face.
- The employee repeats the same comment several times to overcome any doubt you might have. The more often the message is repeated, the more doubtful its truth.
- The employee replies in a higher-pitched voice, especially one that is also louder than normal. This is an involuntary, often fearful, response.
- The speaker’s eyes shift, often to the left, and blink.
- The speaker’s eyes become smaller. Tiny pupils are sometimes an involuntary response by the body to a deliberate falsehood.
- The speaker swallows harder and more obviously, another involuntary physical response to having told a lie.
- The speaker’s face is flushed. Perhaps the worker is perspiring. That is the body’s truth machine at work.
- The individual covers his or her mouth in an attempt to muffle the information because it is a lie.
When you suspect that an employee is lying, you should maintain eye contact and neutral body language, remain silent, and wait for a response. Sometimes, your reaction to the employee’s words may be enough to prompt jabbering until sufficient information comes out to enable you to probe for the truth. Speak up. Respond, “I don’t feel that you are being honest with me. What is the real situation?” Again, wait. The employee is likely to admit to the falsehood.