In every conversation at work, there's the explicit discussion (the words being spoken out loud) and the tacit one — the things being communicated subtly. It's important to know how to read a room so that you can understand what's not being said. The best way to do this is to pay attention to the people in it. Note who's next to whom, who's relaxed, who's not, who's standing, and who's sitting. Look at their facial expressions, posture, and body language. Does the mood in the room feel tense, or relaxed? Then think about possible reasons for your colleagues' emotional states. What's happening in their lives and jobs? This can be tricky if you don't know the people in the room, but you can still come up with hypotheses. Then check those hypotheses by talking to colleagues in private. You might say something like, "In the meeting I saw you furrow your brow when discussion turned to the big project. How do you feel about it?".
Adapted from "Tips for Reading the Room Before a Meeting or Presentation," by Rebecca Knight
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