Stuck eating lunch at your desk? Add a chill pill to your plate: Being paranoid at work causes your coworkers to dislike you, according to a study in the Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes.
Researchers found that people who think their colleagues hate their guts seek out info through spying or eavesdropping. Naturally, this annoys your cube-mates, which in turn makes you feel rejected. (Layoff-proof your job—and even get a raise!—with these 30 Ways to Save More and Earn More.)
Have you landed in your boss's dog house? Here are a few ways to know if the big cheese thinks you're a block of limburger.
1) He doesn't move his coffee cup when you sit down.
If your boss respects you, he won’t want anything between you when sitting across the table. He will unconsciously move his cell phone, coffee cup, or pen to the side so there is no blockade. “If something else is more important than you, or if they don’t want to engage with you, they’ll put up a barrier,” says body language expert Patti Wood, author of Snap: Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language, and Charisma.
2) He stands facing you.
When a male boss likes you, he'll stand at your side to talk with you. Standing side-to-side rather than face-to-face means he trusts you. “That’s where guys feel the most comfortable, the safest, and disclose the most,” says Wood.
3) She aims her body away from you.
Next time you step in your boss's office, pay attention to how she moves. A person’s body windows are their toes, knees, pelvis, stomach, heart, throat, mouth, eyes, and palms of hands, Wood says. If she trusts you, she’ll be more likely to aim her body at you, keep her hands on the desk, and let her mouth slightly open.
4) He only emails you.
If your boss calls, texts, and stops by your cube, that’s a good sign. An employer who likes you is more likely to communicate through all media platforms. It means he's interested in what you have to say—unlike the guy who only wants to email.
Get back on your boss's good side—and charm the rest of your coworkers, too—by watching body language expert Marc Salem's tips on how to make people like you:
