A Harvard Psychiatrist Coined an Acronym That Will Instantly Make You More Likable

A Harvard Psychiatrist Coined an Acronym That Will Instantly Make You More Likable Its easy to say you dont care about being likable in the office. You go to the office to do your job, and maybe you dont concern yourself with whether or not your colleagues like you or not. But time and time again science suggests that being unlikable at work can penalize you.If your colleagues arent quite your fans, you might end up with social backlash and actually earn less because of it. So how do you become mora likable in the workplace?It really comes down to being a good rolle. And a Harvard psychiatrist just coined an acronym thatll make you instantly more likable, and it has everything to do with empathy. The Empathy Effect Seven Neuroscience-Based Keys for Transforming the Way We Live, Love, Work and Connect Across Differencesexplores how to learn and develop empathy in order to be a more effective entrepreneur and leader.Heres the acronym Harvard psychiatrist and author of the research Hele n Reiss suggests you learn EMPATHY.E Eye ContactIts no secret that eye contact is important for making connections with others. Scientists have studied the affects of eye contact for as long as time, and it always comes down to the same result Eye contact really does help to establish rapport with others.M Muscles for Facial ExpressionWe automatically mimic facial expressions its human nature. For example, when someone smiles at you, you tend to smile back. But our brains are also wired to decipher the difference between fake/forced smiles and genuine ones. Paying close attention to genuine facial expressions and mimicking those helps establish connections with others.P PostureYour posture says a lot about you, according to years and years of research. Sitting up tall, leaning inward toward the person with whom youre conversing, conveys both confidence and respect.A AffectAffect refers to emotion, and Reiss suggests that you play close attention to others emotional states. Understa nding the emotional state that another person is in (happy, sad, frustrated, confused, etc.) will help you to communicate more effectively with them.T Tone of VoiceYour tone of voice your vocal pace, rhythm and pitch, all of which linguists refer to as prosody also plays a role in how others will perceive you. Your prosody infuses a layer of emotion to the spoken word that goes above and beyond the singular meaning of each word, Reiss writes. So keeping mindful of not only what you say to others, but also how you say it will help you to become more likable.H Hearing the Whole PersonCommunication is a two-way street, and active listening is just as important as being able to articulate yourself effectively. Empathetic listening means paying attention to another person, identifying her emotions and responding with compassion and without judgment, Riess writes.Y Your ResponseThrough shared neural networks, your feelings about others may transmit very important information about how t hey are experiencing what you say and do, Riess writes. In other words, if youre feeling unsure of yourself, thatll leave an impression on others around you, and itll actually impact how you communicate with them and how theyll feel around you, too.--AnnaMarie Houlis is a feminist, a freelance journalist and an adventure aficionado with an affinity for impulsive solo travel. She spends her days writing about womens empowerment from around the world. You can follow her work on her blog, HerReport.org, and follow her journeys on Instagram her_report,Twitterherreportand Facebook.