Have you ever walked to a meeting or the restroom and passed a coworker who literally avoided eye contact? This is very common in today’s world of looking at cell phones and being passive to human interaction. But it still confuses me why this is the new norm.
In my last job, if I was running a little late, flustered in the morning, or woke up on the wrong side of the bed I would often not say good morning to coworkers. My manager would ask what was wrong or disappointedly point out that I wasn’t being friendly and setting the right example. Quickly I adopted the mentality on how important it was to say hello, smile, and always be friendly to coworkers (and shockingly, strangers!). This mindset has served me well in my business life and is something others should adopt as well.
Here are some of the reasons you should embrace a friendlier mantra during the day-to-day grind at your place of work:
- It makes you happier. I mean, we spend a third of our day (at least) at work. That doesn’t include that another third is typically spent sleeping. Who wants to miserably go through a day without genuine human interaction?
- It shows character. In honesty, I think it shows more negative character when you are the person that does not say ‘good morning’, ‘how are you’, or ‘have a good night.’
- It makes a good impression. The people I think the most highly of at my work place are the ones who look up from their computer to say hello, take 30 seconds of their day to ask how things are going, or are welcoming.
- It forms relationships. Building relationships is the number one key to success.
Even when you are having a bad day, it is important to put on a “happy face” and be kind to everyone. Just saying hello as you pass by people in the hallway can make tremendous impact.
