As a teacher, greeting at the door is a given to me. It was always very important for me to be there to greet my kiddos. A handshake, fist bump, high five- IT WAS IMPORTANT! If there was something going on and I couldn’t get there, I had a student or group of students be “the greeters.” Why - you may ask? It is simple. An article in INDEED states that
“Greetings can be so powerful that it can even turn your frown into a smile and drastically put you in a good mood. Greeting is one of the basic functions of communication and triggers positive conversations. It helps us connect to people at a more personal level.A hello can make friends of two strangers, it can bring a smile to someone who is alone. A hello can change how we feel about a person, place and ourselves. Notice it when someone says it to you and say it back!”
I have learned that when you say hello and smile to someone, they usually smile back. If they don’t ~ something may be wrong. You can tell so much about a person and how their day is going by their reactions. If a person doesn't respond positively, YOUR smile and greeting may change their day!
What do you do when you are in an elevator with strangers? Do you speak? Has anyone ever just walked by you and didn’t acknowledge you because they were so engrossed in their phone? Have YOU
done that? Our society has become so introverted. Why are we afraid to simply say hello? Look up and speak! There are so many positive outcomes that come from a good greeting!
In an article in Lifevif, the author JC Frano lists The 5 Benefits/Advantages of greeting others:
- It’s an ice-breaker/conversation starter.
- Greeting someone is courteous.
- Greeting someone establishes a friendly environment.
- A greeting can establish or maintain a relationship.
- Creates a good impression.
Let me tell you about Susan- THE ULTIMATE GREETER! Susan is a friend I have had for over 30 years. She was one of the teachers that “adopted” me when I started teaching and has become a best friend and mentor ever since. Susan has the most infectious personality! Her smile is big and when she sees you her greeting is loud and joyous! You can’t have a bad day once she has acknowledged you. If you were in a bad mood, I bet your mood changes!
Susan and her husband recently moved back from Florida. It had been several months since we had seen each other and I was so excited to get a hug and a smile! As I drove up to her new house and rolled down my window, she screamed, jumped up and down and said,”HI!!!!!! Let me feed fatty!” Ha! “OK, who is fatty?” I laughed while I turned off my car. I got out and saw she was feeding a squirrel. Oh Susan! After that she ran up and hugged me and screamed ,”HI!!!!” with the biggest smile! My mother was with me and she did the same to my mom! My mother just started laughing!
These reactions are not new - Susan smiles with her eyes and her mouth every time she meets someone. As a teacher she would stand at her classroom door smiling and saying, “Guten tag! Wie geht's?” (lit. Good day, how are you?”) to every kiddo that walked in or by her room. She taught German. She was a great door greeter! Her classes were so uplifting and positive! In the same manner, when she meets someone new, her face brightens and she will say,”Hi I’m Susan! How are you?” as she holds out her hand for a handshake. Instantly, that person feels like they’ve known her forever!
Wouldn’t it be great if ALL people were super greeters like Susan? This world we live in would be an all around happy place! So, start today and work on your greetings. If it is uncomfortable, practice a little at a time. I know you can do it! Just look up - smile - and say hi! Be a Susan!
Keli’s Korner Challenge - Work on your greetings this week. Try a day to go out of your way to speak and greet people (even strangers). Journal about the reactions you get. Be a Susan!