CHAPTER 15The Power of the Spell

Everyone in the room is watching my gestures like a hawk: what I do with my hands, my eyes, my entire body. They’re also studying my tone of voice, my movements, my choice of words, my level of enthusiasm. What’s going on?

We’re playing “Catch Me If You Can,” an exercise that helps bring any remaining nonbelievers fully on board with the power of micromessages and their influence on performance.

When the game begins, it appears I’m doing what we all do—I listen attentively to some but with a bit of distance to others. When someone answers a question I agree with, they get all the microadvantages you now know so well. When someone says something ambiguous or not in line with our prescribed approach, I find countless ...

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