(Bk Business) Carol Kinsey Goman Ph.D.-The Nonverbal Advantage_ Secrets and Science of Body Language at Work -Berrett-Koehler Publishers (2008)

Chapter 6: Feet First
109
Feet That Include or Exclude
Here’s a common workplace situation you could find yourself
facing: Two of your work colleagues are talking in the
hallway. You’d like to join the conversation, but you don’t
know if you’ll be seen as a rude interruption or a welcome
addition.
You can find out—just by watching their feet.
When you approach the twosome, you will be acknowledged
in one of two ways. If the feet of your two colleagues
stay in place, and they twist only their upper torsos in your
direction, they don’t really want you to join the conversation.
But if their feet open to include you, you know that you
are truly invited to participate. The feet nearest you will turn
slightly in your direction—a position called triangulation.
Feet that exclude
Feet that include
TRY THIS
When you see a small group of people talking, look at their
feet to see who’s really connecting with whom. If all the feet
triangulate or point to the common center of the group, it is
an integrated conversation. If not, you’ll be able to tell by the
feet positions who is really in and who is being excluded.