Tricks for Getting your Way at Work

1. Ace a Meeting- Sit on the first third of your seat, which makes you appear more engaged and on top of things. Then hold something that you know your boss likes in the hand nearest to him (coffee he drinks or brand of pen). This psychological device prompts him to assoicate the two of you in his mind, which makes him subconciously more likely to agree with what you're saying.

2. Make Anyone Say Yes- To get a coworker to agree to a favor, gesture with one palm up, a technique police officers use during questioning to persuade a person to do as they ask. Then touch your hand over your heart as you finish the request, signaling a "heartfelt" appeal. To seal the deal, pause for a few seconds before you say the key word, such as "I know we're all busy, but can you (pause)work my shift?" That brief silence subtly frames it as a subliminal command, promoting her to say yes.

3. Shut Up an Annoying Coworker- Continue to look at what you're doing as she's talking, and do a gesture known as the handgun steeple (you interlace all your fingers, except for your pointers, which form the barrel of the "gun"). Rest the barrel against your lips, signaling that you don't want to speak. If she doesn't get it, aim it at her as you say something nuetral, such as "I've got so much work to do"

4. Move Past a Mistake- Okay, so you messed up. Keep your supervisor from freaking by standing 2 feet to one side of him when you confess. This is a nonconfrontational stance that triggers him subconciously to want to get past your screwup. Emphasize the point by saying, "Going forward, this will not happen again."

5. Take Charge of the Office Bitch- Address her straight on (tilting your head suggests you're looking for approval), and lift your chin about 2 inches. You'll exude confidence since you're literally looking down your nose. Use a dismissive, palm down hand gesture to show that you are the one in control and aren't buying her BS.

6. Outsmart a Competitive Colleague- As you're talking, lay your arm across her desk. You want to take up space in her territory. Touching her turf asserts you as the alpha coworker and conveys that you can-and will-get what you want.