Famous Mask Wearers
Where would your favourite movie or TV show be without face masks? Over the years, in popular culture, they have become synonymous with superheroes and villains, hiding the lead character’s identity, or concealing a grotesque disfigurement. Some of these characters have made a career out of wearing masks. But they are fictional characters. For the rest of us, they are a pain in the face. So, what are some of the issues when wearing a face mask and how do we overcome them?
Mask Wearing Issues
Question for the chapter – What issues (apart from personal beliefs) are there with wearing face masks?
Possible answers – wearing them with glasses or on a bike, greeting strangers, dealing with the team, skin irritation, what type, remembering to have them with you, feeling like an idiot because no one else is wearing them!
Networking Wearing a Mask
For networkers, wearing a mask when interacting with others can feel like we have lost part of our ability to communicate or express ourselves. So, what impact does wearing a mask have on meeting and talking to other people?
Research shows that expressing our emotions is 38% vocal (tone, pace, inflection), 7% verbal, and 55% non-verbal!
Facial expressions and gestures play a major role in our communication, comprehension, and delivery of messages. With masks, our nose, cheeks, mouth, and chin are obscured. When we wear a mask there is a greater focus on the eyes to try and understand what our face is trying to say. But prolonged eye contact can be uncomfortable, so what can we do?
Mask Voice
The quality of your voice makes a big difference in how people respond emotionally (cue Barry White!) When we wear a mask, our voice plays a bigger role than usual.
Use PAVE to remember the four key elements Pause, Accentuate, Volume and Emotion
Pause – Normally the visual clues of the mouth help us see when a speaker is pausing for a response. Since we can’t see that with a mask, make a conscious effort to pause here and there to give people a chance to jump in or respond. This also helps break up your message into digestible chunks.
Accentuate – Avoid monotony by accentuating key phrases and information but don’t always accentuate in the same way.
Volume – Masks have a slight muffling effect so speak up (but don’t shout)
Emotion – At appropriate moments try to make your voice more expressive by conveying positive messages like excitement, awe, gratitude, and sympathy. But remember, you aren’t doing Shakespeare.
Body Language
When wearing a mask, try to make full use of gestures while speaking to convey meaning and emotion – a little more than usual wouldn’t hurt. Don’t make like a mime though!
Smile with your eyes.
Simply put, when you smile there is a wrinkling that occurs at the outer edge of your eyes. This is more natural and noticeable for some. It is recommended to intentionally wrinkle your eyes when you are wearing a mask, even if it feels awkward at first. To get it right, practice in front of a mirror with your mask on. As long as you are smiling with your mouth when you do this, it should look natural.
Conclusion
Save the environment – use a reusable mask! Use a silk or cotton mask for the greatest comfort.
Make sure the mask covers your mouth and nose and fits snugly along the sides and face and over your chin.
Keep spares in your car and glovebox. Don’t share masks.
