Chehre pe chehra can it make you win at work?

A government employee became a crorepati within a week, thanks to his deadpan expressions. iTALK finds out if being blank-faced can get you ahead at the workplace

Chehre pe chehra can it make you win at work?

A government employee became a crorepati within a week, thanks to his deadpan expressions. iTALK finds out if being blank-faced can get you ahead at the workplace

Playing poker-face can prove more rewarding than your cleverest hand at poker, at least when it comes to work. A desi game show, inspired from its bestselling British avatar, went a long way to establish this. Real, a new TV channel, had launched a week-long show called Poker Face, which tested the contestants' ability to con and deceive their way into hitting the jackpot of Rs 1 crore. In the game, hosted by actor Sharman Joshi, the contestants had to mask their expression and not let others know whether they knew the answer to a particular question or not. The tube-tale has ended. But that's where our job beginsu00a0we tell you how being straight-faced and tactful can help in day-to-day dealings.

Case Study

Who bares, wins

For Dinesh Vohra, the winner of the show, playing the part is best saved for fun. "In real life, you cannot always be poker-faced, since people are intelligent enough to catch you. So, honesty is the best policy, even though doing it once a while for fun isn't bad," says the lucky Customs Officer. "However, being vigilant and observing other people as you keep a poker-face can be advantageous," he adds.

Young pros think it's a two-sided coin

Angad Kler, Management professional

Being poker-faced at work is both good and bad. It's helpful because your boss doesn't know what's going on in your mind, hence won't make unnecessary judgements. For instance, if I'm angry yet don't show it, he/she may see more potential in me. On the other hand, colleagues might think you're snobbish or dishonest, and you might become unpopular. The mean path is the answer.

Sukamal Pegu, Senior manager with a gaming firm

The trick pays off while negotiating. Let's say you have a budget of Rs 40,000 to buy an advertisement hoarding for one week. When the vendor asks for your budget, you don't tell him anything. Throughout the bargaining process, don't show him any emotion. If you are good at the poker-face trick, you could get him to agree to an offer of 40K for three weeks. See the effect?

Not good at it?

Follow our tips:

Take a deep breath whenever you feel like shouting/screaming/exclaiming loud

Observe flight stewards and restaurant attendants for inspiration

Ask your mentor/friend how many times he/she has done it, and you will feel motivated

Play poker-face with your partner/friend every now and then to ace the technique

Don't let it turn into an unresponsive attitude or cold demeanour being poker-faced is not the same as being insensitive

Don't do it when:

Your boss is asking for an explanation. You'll sound dumb if you keep shut, and irk him more with that silly smile. Be polite, but speak up

You're getting a marriage/relationship proposal. Won't you get confused if the other person kept mum?

Your child is wailing his lungs out, even if you're mad at him/her

When the autowallah/ househelp /anyone else is asking for money. Say a yes or no; else it might lead to expectations and assumptions

It's a sign of strength

Jaspreet Alagh, Director of Core Excellence corporate and image training

"It's a sign of strength and calmness in the face of turmoil. Getting emotional is not encouraged and shows weakness. An inert expression, on the other hand, is seen as an external manifestation of internal peace, and it shows you're level-headed and don't get overwhelmed. Issues at work always pop up, and you tend to feel resentment,
happiness and pain, but to cover up extreme reactions is an art in itself. Expressing them in a magnified way is not safe unless you're with very close colleagues, especially if it's a negative state. This is not to say you
shouldn't express yourself. Do it coolly, even if it leads to disagreement, but never get excited or swing to extremes. Successful people always follow this mantra, and
bosses and colleagues often get impressed and even inspired by such attitude."

But is it healthy?

No, if you've been doing it since long, warns health expert

Ishi Khosla Health expert

"Withholding one's emotions over a long period can be harmful for your mind and body, so don't bottle up," advises health expert Ishi Khosla. "However, if you don't want to betray your emotions momentarily, and have a catharsis in front of friends or a release in the form of exercise later on, it's alright," she adds.