[protomyth]

It might sound odd, but you can save yourself a whole lot of trouble by learning to keep your facial expression neutral no matter what you hear or see. Communication occurs in a variety of ways and not communicating the wrong thing is important. Its hard to communicate confidence to your team when your immediate reaction to some news is a facial expressions that tells your team something else.

Your a manager now, everything is on a stage and deliberate no matter if its email, phone, text, posture, or your face.

[davnicwil]

This advice is dangerous to take too literally though. I understand what you're trying to say but when it comes down to it, people work best with a manager they relate to and respect on a personal level.

Being completely stoic at all times risks losing that personal, human connection with your teammates (yes, teammates, not team. To be an effective leader you must be a member of the team, not a separate entity above it). You need to be a human.

[protomyth]

Most advise is dangerous if taken way too literally. People just need to understand than they are conveying a message with their face, posture, and hand movements. Don't communicate a bad one or worse, one you don't intend to communicate. Managers sometimes have to deliver bad news that they might not be on board with. Don't make a bad situation worse by saying one thing and having your face betray you. I remember a training video I was forced to watch that had an actor say the exact same words three times with totally different meanings because of the signal their non-verbal communication was making.

Being stoic all the time communicates quite a lot and not in a good way.

[president]

Is this some management 101 "best practice"? My manager does this and it is annoying. Facial expressions are an important part of communication and acting like an emotionless robot does not help in times of need.

[protomyth]

Not to be an emotionless robot, that is bad, and I really hate that too. I mean more in the communicate what you want not what you don't want. Friendly, confident, happy are good; angry, surprised, despair are not so good.

You are correct that its communication, just don't say stupid things with your face.

[drostie]

Rabbi Hillel famously is quoted as saying "Don't say anything that ought not be heard -- not even in the strictest confidence -- for ultimately it will be heard." This is one of the ways that it will be heard, heh.