How to read room better?

2 comments

1. Just pay close attention to their body language

2. Find people who can be your “interpreters”—after a social situation, find time to chat with just them and ask, “Do you think most people thought that joke was funny? I couldn’t tell if people were laughing honestly or just being polite.“ Or, “When we were talking about [topic], I wanted to tell this story about something that happened to me but I wasn’t sure if it fit with the conversation. [summarize story.]”

   In my experience, people who fit well in this role are people who’ve shown themselves to be more analytical or deeper thinkers than most, and or people who are a bit socially awkward, themselves, so they can relate.