Abstract
How can you know when someone is bluffing? Paying attention? Genuinely
interested? The answer, writes Sandy Pentland in \_Honest Signals,\_ is that
subtle patterns in how we interact with other people reveal our attitudes
toward them. These unconscious social signals are not just a back channel or a
complement to our conscious language; they form a separate communication
network. Biologically based "honest signaling," evolved from ancient primate
signaling mechanisms, offers an unmatched window into our intentions, goals,
and values. If we understand this ancient channel of communication, Pentland
claims, we can accurately predict the outcomes of situations ranging from job
interviews to first dates.
Pentland, an MIT professor, has used a specially designed digital sensor worn
like an ID badge—a "sociometer"—to monitor and analyze the back-and-forth
patterns of signaling among groups of people. He and his researchers found
that this second channel of communication, revolving not around words but
around social relations, profoundly influences major decisions in our
lives—even though we are largely unaware of it. Pentland presents the
scientific background necessary for understanding this form of communication,
applies it to examples of group behavior in real organizations, and shows how
by "reading" our social networks we can become more successful at pitching an
idea, getting a job, or closing a deal. Using this "network intelligence"
theory of social signaling, Pentland describes how we can harness the
intelligence of our social network to become better managers, workers, and
communicators.
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