Rise and Greet Them

I'm at work at the moment.

That's right. Busily tapping on my keyboard. On the internet.

I'm not as slack as you might imagine. I've made sure I've done all my work, especially the urgent stuff that is a Big Thing to the various heads of department. I've tidied up, restocked my shelves, checked for more work to do... and finally, peacefully, get a few extended moments to sit down and (literally) stretch my sore legs.

Its appropriate to reflect on work habits when I am at work, right? Today, I was thinking about how I say hello to people. People skills are are to business what a set of chromium-plated lockpicks are to a Renaissance thief - critically essential. Following my cultural workshop, I thought it would be prudent (although i didn't learn anything new) to reflect on how I have built my existing mode of communication. And this is the PERFECT place to reflect on that. Here, at Dispatch (the place where everybody comes and goes) everybody comes and goes past me. Some of them stride past, head down with a determined fixation on the end of their nose. Others loiter around with friendly smiles and ready stories. Most are merely pleasant, with a ready greeting and an encouraging smile.

I try to acknowledge everyone. Even those who don't acknowledge me. But I'm starting to get a bit anxious that the way I do so is not, for all purposes and intents, technically right. You see, I tend to say hello at the same time as the other person says hello. This constitues Talking Over One Another. While it is perfectly acceptable for Australian culture, that assumes both people are talking at the same volume and can distinguish each other' greetings. My problem is that I'm too soft. And being spoken over means that people may never hear my greeting at all. Meaning they might regard me as ruuuuuuuuude. Bleh.

So what options are open to me? Speak louder? That's not my style, unless I'm quite close to someone. So I've opted for a different system, that is less culturally offensive than the verbal equivalent of having a playful joust. I'm using Concommitant Body Language, followed by an Alternating Hello. Sounds confusing? Let me explain.

When someone says hello to me, I use non-verbal cues to acknowledge them. Eye contact, a smile, a wink, a wave - something that screams (metaphorically) 'I'm listening!' Once they've completed their greeting, then I (and this is important) respond, 'How are you?' Geddit? I'm not speaking over them, but i'm still communicating all the time.

And thats the way it should be.

First impressions last. The first impression is generally the greeting. Make a good impression and who knows what may happen? You may in fact open up your way to a world of golden handshakes. Which, depending on your context, may or may not happen soon afterwards.

teDDe~

PS. Its a pretty damn hard system to change - communications, that is. I've been trying for the last three hours and I still forget myself if I'm not concentrating. Change doesn't happen overnight though. I remain optimistic.