“I got the DDL again”, I overheard her whisper to a friend at work.
I’d heard vague references to this before and my curiosity got the best of me. So I asked, “So, what is this DDL?”. I’m really glad I did.
DDL was shorthand for “Disappointed Dad Look”.
It was a look they saw on my face from time to time when I wasn’t pleased about something. It wasn’t intentional, and I didn’t even know I was doing it. But it was a message they received just as strongly as if I had said it out loud.
Being in on the secret helped us communicate more clearly with less stress. When they saw it they could call me on it. Awareness allowed me to be intentional and adapt when needed.
The DDL was a great reminder for me that what we say only accounts for 7% of what we communicate. 38% is the tone of voice, and 55% is body language.
If we want to motivate people and build relationships and trust then we must pay attention to everything about how we communicate – especially when we’re not using words.
What’s one way that you make sure you know how your communications are being received?
P.S… Email is a great miscommunication tool. Click here to check out my 5 Tips to Improve Email Communication – and leave email chaos behind.