Detecting Deception: A Guide to Reading Body Language and Spotting LIES
As leaders in the corporate world, we often trust our teams with important tasks and decisions. This trust is the foundation of a successful work environment. Most of the time, team members appreciate this trust and act honestly. However, there are times when we come across employees who don’t tell the truth. This can be one of the hardest parts of leadership.
Handling dishonesty requires careful attention, Whether during in-person conversations or virtual meetings. On video calls, it can be even harder to detect lies because people can hide their expressions more easily.
This article will discuss ways to recognize when someone may be lying at work. For most people, lying causes stress. This stress can show up in different ways if you know what to look for. When someone lies, their brain works harder. According to Daniel Langleben, a psychiatrist at the University of Pennsylvania, the brain first has to stop the truth from coming out. Then, it creates a false story and tries to deal with the feelings of guilt and fear that come with lying.
To improve your chances of spotting a lie, pay attention to the following signs in body language:
1. Quick Reactions
When a person has planned a lie ahead of time, they often respond quickly to questions. However, if they weren’t prepared, they may take longer to answer because it takes extra time for their brain to stop the truth and make up a lie. These quick expressions, called “micro-expressions,” are very brief and hard to notice, but they can reveal the truth.
If you see something that doesn’t match what they are saying, trust what you see over their words. Sometimes, liars tend to talk in circles. Their answers may be long, unclear, and not make much sense. When you try to sum up what they said, it might turn out to be “nothing important” or “nothing concrete.”
2. Inconsistent Stories
Some people try to stick to a routine when lying. They may repeat the same phrases at the beginning or end of their statements to avoid making up new lies. When someone is being truthful, their gestures and facial expressions usually match their words. This shows they believe in what they are saying.
On the other hand, if you notice that someone’s gestures don’t match their words—like shaking their head “no” while saying “yes”—this might be a sign of lying. These mixed signals could mean that the person is struggling internally with their thoughts and words.
3. Changes in Movements
Although lying doesn’t make a person’s nose grow, as in the story of Pinocchio, you might notice small changes in their behavior. For example, a person about to lie might unconsciously rub their nose. Liars may also hold their bodies stiffly and avoid natural movements because they don’t want to give themselves away. On the other hand, after being asked a tough question, they might start doing more “self-soothing” actions.
These actions can include biting their lips, rubbing their hands together, fidgeting with their jewelry, or touching their hair. Liars may also show nervousness by moving their feet more. Their feet might fidget, shuffle, or wrap around the legs of a chair. They may stretch or curl their feet to release tension or even make small kicking motions as if trying to escape.
4. Fake Smiles
Another common sign of discomfort in liars is a fake smile. In the corporate world, leaders sometimes put on such smiles to appear calm and confident even when delivering bad news. However, liars often struggle to create a real smile. A genuine smile affects the entire face, crinkling the skin around the eyes and lifting the cheeks. In contrast, a fake smile usually only involves the mouth and doesn’t reach the eyes. If you notice that a person’s smile doesn’t change the muscles around their eyes (the “crow’s feet”), it’s likely not a real smile.
5. Eye Contact and Blinking
When someone is lying, they may avoid making direct eye contact. Some people even rub their eyes to avoid looking at others. For instance, men might rub their eyes quickly or look down, while women may rub below their eyes or look up. Additionally, liars often blink less while they are lying.
After they finish their lie, their blink rate may increase rapidly—sometimes as much as eight times more than usual. It’s also important to note that not all liars avoid eye contact. In fact, some overcompensate by making too much eye contact, holding it for too long, or staring intensely to appear more convincing.
It’s important to remember that words make up only a small part of communication. Psychologist Albert Mehrabian found that about 93 percent of communication is nonverbal, with tone of voice accounting for 38 percent and words themselves only 7 percent. This shows how crucial body language is, especially for those who regularly interact with others in a professional setting.
Understanding someone’s usual behavior can help you detect when something is off in the business world. By observing your colleagues over time, you can get a sense of their normal speech patterns, gestures, and blinking habits. Once you know what is typical for them, you’ll be better equipped to notice changes that might signal lying. However, keep in mind that these signals can also be caused by other factors, like anxiety or stress unrelated to dishonesty.
Finally, it’s always best to promote a culture of honesty in the workplace. Encourage your teams to admit when they don’t know something or need more time to find the correct answer. This way, you can build a foundation of trust, making it easier for everyone to communicate openly and work together effectively.
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