Something has been missing in business over the past year – and not just face to face meetings and water cooler chats.
Handshakes are gone. And even when meetings do occur in person, nobody is reaching across the table.
Just over a year ago, a handshake was a way to begin a meeting: guard down, cards on the table. The gesture goes back thousands of years, traced as far back as the 9th century B.C. “By extending their empty right hands, strangers could show that they were not holding weapons and bore no ill will toward one another,” according to History.com.
It was also one of the best ways to confirm and seal an agreement. What happens when that ritual is gone? Tough to say.
The other day, a general contractor told me this year he’s had more requests for quotes than ever – but fewer of those follow through and actually commit. It could just be the uncertainty of a pandemic, but it’s possible that the lack of a handshake – with no way to seal the deal – also plays a part.
In a lot of ways, there is so much more possibility for misunderstandings when meetings are done virtually. In a meeting with Shauna Moran, founder of Operate Remote, a company which helps business owners managing remote teams, she mentioned how without natural in-person interactions a lot of the humanity of how we relate to each other is gone.
“We can start to see each other as ‘human doings’ instead of human beings,” she said.
While there are some ways to connect in a more human way online, whether it’s 15 minutes to chat about things outside of work at the start of a meeting, or a virtual happy hour with clients or coworkers, but there’s nothing that compares to the finality of shaking hands. Or for that matter, high fiving or hugging coworkers after a successful project.
There’s a lot you can tell about someone from a handshake; sweaty palms could mean they’re nervous. A firm handshake compared to a limp one can give some sense about their confidence. Those cues are very different online.
With so many human elements removed from interactions, business looks a whole lot different. Back in April 2020, Dr. Anthony Fauci said, "I don't think we should ever shake hands ever again, to be honest with you.”
On this note I’d have to disagree. Handshakes and that human tough are so important - it’s that reminder that we are interconnected and that everything we do affects one another.
I for one can’t wait to bring the handshake back.
Ada Slivinski is the Founder & Principal of Jam PR, a boutique agency focused on helping small businesses get big exposure. You can reach her at [email protected]
SWIM ON:
- Ada Slivinski last wrote about continual changes to farmers' market regulations, and artisans never knowing how much product to stock and where they can sell it makes a difficult year even more frustrating.
- Panic at the bistro: For BC’s reeling restaurants, the bad news is provincial aid won’t be enough to cover expenses – but at least it’s also late.
- Last May, several leading BC business groups looked ahead to the economic rebuild after the pandemic - to cue the comeback, so to speak.
