Q: Which team member do you think made the most realistic interpretation of nonverbal bahaviour? Why ?

The Scrutinized Team Member Candidate HRmanagerPLUS.com is a human resources management firm, located in Moncton, New Brunswick, that provides human resource services such as payroll, benefits adminis- tration, employment equity programs, and technical training to other firms. During its seven years of operation, HRmanagerPLUS.com has grown from 3 to 50 employees, and last year had total revenues of $21 million. Most of the work of the firm is performed by teams, led by a rotating team leader. Each team member takes an 18-month turn at being a team leader. The four-person new ventures team is regarded by CEO and founder Jerry Clune as vital for the future of the company. In addition to developing ideas for new services, team members are responsible, initially, for obtaining clients for any new service they propose. As with other teams at HAmanegerPLUS.com, the new ventures team has a voice in hiring. In conjunction with Clune, the team decided it should expand to five members. The team posted a job opening for a new member on an Internet recruiting service, ran classified ads in the local newspaper, and also asked present employees for referrals. One of the finalists for the position was Gina Cleveland, a 27-year-old business school graduate. In addition to interviewing with Clune and two company vice-presidents, Cleveland spent one hall-day with the new ventures team, breakfast and lunch included. The team agreed that Cleveland appeared to be a strong candidate on paper. Her education and experience were sat- isfactory, her rsum was impressive, and she presented her- self well during a telephone screening interview. The team leader, Lauren Nielsen, suggested that the group hold a debrieting session. The purpose of the session would be to share ideas about Cleveland's suitability for joining the team. Nielsen commented, "It seems like we think that Gina is a strong candidate based on her credentials and what she said. But I'm a big believer in nonverbal communication. Let's each share our observations about what Gina's body language tells us she is really like. I'll go first." Lauren: I liked the way Gina tooks so cool and polished when she joined us for breakfast. She's got all the superficial movements right to project self-confidence. But did anybody else notice how she looked concerned when she had to make a choice from the menu? She finally did choose a ham-and- cheese omelette, but she raised her voice at the end of the sentence when she ordered it. I got the hint that Gina is not very confident, I also noticed Gina biting her #ps a little when we asked her how creative she thought she was. I know that Gina said she was creative and gave us an example of a cre- ative project she completed. Yet nibbling at her lips like that suggests she's not fitted with firepower. Michael: I didn't make any direct observations about Gina's being self-confident or not, but I did notice something that could be related. I think Gina is on a power trip, and this could indicate high or low self-confidence. Did anybody notice how Gina put her hands on her hips when she was standing up? That's a pure and clear signal of somebody who wants to be in control. Her haircut is almost the same length and style like most women who've made it to the top in Fortune 500 com- panies. I think she cloned her hairstyle from Carly Fiorina, the HP honcho. Another hint I get of Gina's power trip is the way she eyed the cheque in the restaurant at lunch. I could see it in her eyes that she really wanted to pay for the entire team. That could mean a desire to control and show us that she is very important. Do we want someone on the team with such a strong desire to control? Brenda: observed a different picture of Gina based on her nonverbal communication. She dressed just right for the occasion not too conservatively, not too far business casual, This tells me she can fit into our environment. Did you notice how well groomed her shoes were? This tells you she is well organized and good at details. Her attach case was a soft, inviting leather. If she were really into power and control, she would carry a hard vinyl or aluminium attach case, I see Gina as a confident and assertive person who could blend right into our team. Larry: I hope that because I'm last, I'm not too influenced by the observations that you thres have shared so far. My take is that Gina looks great on paper, but she may have a problem in being a good team player. She's too laid back and distant. Did you notice her handshake? She gave me the impression of wanting to have the least possible physical contact with me. Her handshake was so insincere. I could feel her hand and arm withdrawing from me as she shook my hand. I also couldn't help noticing that Gina did not lean much toward us during the round table discussion. Do you remember how she would pull her chair back ever so slightly when we got into a heavy discussion? I interpreted that as a sign that Gina does not want to be part of a close-knit group. Lauren: As you have probably noticed, I've been typing as fast as I can with my laptop, taking notes on what you have said. We have some mixed observations here, and I want to summarize and integrate them before we make a decision. I'W send you an e-mail message with an attached file of my sum- mary observations by tomorrow morning. Make any changes you see fit and get back to me. After we have finished evalu- ating Gina carefully, we will be able to make our recommen- dations to Jerry (Clune)