083: The Power of Nonverbal Communication: Insights from a Counterintelligence Agent with Derik Clark

Impact Makers

Today on the podcast, I’m chatting with Derik Clark, a human resources leader and recently retired Army counterintelligence agent who has a passion for teaching others about the power of nonverbal communication.

Derik is a US Army veteran with 22 years of service, who specialized in counterintelligence investigations and intelligence informant operations.

Through those responsibilities, he became a subject matter expert in body language assessments and high-stakes interviewing in threatening environments, and he’s taught those skills to thousands of US soldiers in both the official Army counterintelligence school, as well as in live environment military operations.

Derik founded Bodysights body language training to help leaders and organizations to notice key nonverbals during interviews, client interactions, investigations, performance reviews, and negotiations.

In our discussion today, we’ll talk about the importance of reading and understanding body language and the impact it can have in various contexts, as well as how understanding these concepts can help leaders to foster stronger relationships, make better-informed decisions, and navigate complex interpersonal dynamics more effectively.

Topics Discussed In Today’s Episode:

• The power of nonverbal communication and its impact on human interactions.
• The limitations of relying solely on body language for determining truthfulness and the importance of considering other factors.
• How social distancing and the shift to more digital communication have impacted our ability to read body language and facial expressions, which helps us to perceive comfort levels and emotions.
• Why demonstrating empathy is the key to deepening connection, and encouraging open and honest discussions.
• The value of training to develop effective nonverbal observation skills and categorizing comfort levels.
• The importance of considering diverse factors like neurodivergence, cultural differences, upbringing, and personal trauma when assessing body language, especially in job interviews or other stressful situations.
• Enhancing hiring decisions, employee investigations, and communication skills through improved body language understanding.
• The practical applications of nonverbal communication in business contexts

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People & Resources Mentioned In This Episode:

Derik Clark

Website: https://bodysights.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derik-clark

Connect with Jennifer:

Send her a message: https://jennifermcclure.net/contact

On LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcclure

On Twitter https://twitter.com/JenniferMcClure

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_mcclure/

On Facebook http://www.facebook.com/JenniferMcClureSpeaker

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Episode Credits

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com. Let them know I sent you.