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Dear
Annette,
How many times must I greet my colleagues in the hall each day?
I run out of clever things to say.
Overgreeter
Anonymous
Dear
Overgreeter,
Any veteran of book signings, anyone of royal blood,
in fact anyone who has ever been a guest of honor, knows exactly how you feel.
The stress. the nagging strain of having to be On, all the
time.
Despite the
challenges of maintaining a deep arsenal of wit, light banter handled
judiciously can enhance your reputation and make you more memorable. I'm
continually astonished at how frequently I am quoted. I don't even remember
saying half the things that are attributed to me. But the stakes are high for
those of us who speak in aphorism. Like the emailed joke list, a witticism that
was once fresh and delightful can easily send coworkers running if you overuse
it.
I'll let you in on
a little secret about how it's done on television. No talk show host or sitcom
actor produces all those laughs through pure brilliance (although I'd certainly
exempt my guest spots from such a generalization). A studio audience is
carefully recruited and vigorously prompted because even people of goodwill get
tired when listening to others fail at fabulousness. If you think of your
colleague as that type of listener, you can see how exhausting it is always to
be on the receiving end of someone else's repartee. Especially in hallways with
no stairwell exits.
The achievable goal
in the workplace is to signal your pleasant awareness of coworkers' existence.
My dog Dickie wags his tail, a habit I'd advise you to adopt in
spirit.
When you do see
these people, greet them the first time. "Hello" or "Good morning" will work,
unless you're sure you have something better. Be sure. For subsequent
moments, a nonverbal acknowledgment is all you need. A slight smile, perhaps, a
glance, or a tilt of the head.
If you meet them
dozens of times a day, just keep walking after the third occasion. Your beloved
colleagues may interpret your silence as a sign of serenity and effortless
command, the fabulous qualities your earlier behavior demonstrated. Or they
actually might speak to you. In either case, your problem is solved.
Stay
fabulous,
Annette
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