TOW#494 — Morning greeting
I don’t know if we’ve mentioned it before, but every morning everyone in our office is supposed to greet everyone else. And not just to say hello or good morning, but also to shake hands. We got the idea from an intern we had who always greeted each of us when he came to work, and it’s remained as a kind of tradition ever since. So, several years now, it’s something that MUST be done in our office.
To be honest, I was a little confused in the beginning, but over time the idea really grew on me and I’m determined to keep it ‘alive’ for several reasons:
- Interaction — if nothing else, you get to interact in the morning with the people around you. These morning chats are also the time to mention anything interesting that might’ve happened on the way to work.
- Team — somehow the team is strengthened by this communication first thing in the morning and all interactions that come after it are more cohesive.
- Changes — people that aren’t so called ‘morning people’, have to, whether they like it or not, say a few words in the morning and have some kind of interaction.
- Start — at the very least, it’s a nice start to the day!
- Conflict reduction — colleagues who may have argued over something recently are forced to look each other in the eye the next morning… a nice way to start resolving sticky situations.
- Little things can make a big difference — the smile of a colleague who’s saying ‘good morning’ is transferred to you, whether you know it or not and no matter what mood you’re in. It’s been scientifically proven that smiles are contagious.
- Etiquette — we’re talking about basic manners and social conduct here.
- Humanisation — you spend most of the day with your colleagues. So instead of seeing them as machines that work with you, morning greetings can help you get to know each other better.
- Hierarchy — if everyone, and I do mean every single person (from top management right down to the lowest level), says hello to each other it creates a democratic (I can’t think of a better word right now) working atmosphere in which we’re all the same.
- Time — it doesn’t take a lot of time, only a few seconds really. Well, it could take up some time if you end up talking longer, but the up side is that then a positive atmosphere is created.
- Financial reasons — It’s free!! ☺ (we Vlachs are sticklers for money)
- Changes — introverts have the opportunity, with a simple morning handshake and a ‘hello’, to step out of their matrix, ring in some changes and get noticed!
- Barriers — if you’re uncomfortable starting a conversation with someone, a hello/good morning can help to knock down that barrier and one day you might even go out to lunch together.
Greeting each other like this at work may seem strange and a bit uncomfortable at first, but in the end it’ll be greatly appreciated by everyone. Trust me!
Wishing you success with the changes to come,
@kalinbabusku
Member of the Team
“Tip of the Week” Team member
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