Inspiring Workplaces: High Fives For Level Five Greetings

Published: Wed, 08/17/22

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Inspiring Workplaces ISSUE 934 - Aug. 17, 2022
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    High Fives For Level Five Greetings at Work 
   



 
When I was researching inspiring workplaces many moons ago in Copenhagen, Denmark, I had the pleasure of interviewing "Chief Happiness Officer" and the author of Happy Hour is Nine to Five, Alexander Kjerulf. I love the concept of what he calls a "Level Five" morning greeting at work. Given how important the start of the day is, and how important first impressions are, his good morning greeting scale serves as a great reminder for everyone to be more intentional about how they're connecting with one another at work.   

Kjerulf breaks down the possible greeting levels as follows:

Level 0: You ignore people completely 
Level 1: A somewhat unintelligible grunt
Level 2: Saying good morning without looking at people
Level 3: Make eye contact as you say good morning
Level 4: You add something more than just good morning, e.g. “How are you this fine morning?” or something more personal.
Level 5: You touch the other person – e.g. a handshake or a pat on the shoulder. You can even hug, but only if you want to! 

You can conjure up your own version of a scale, with however many levels that make sense (three levels might be more than adequate for many things). You could also create a similar system for other aspects of your customer service or interactions at work. Encourage people to be authentic - insincere, gimmicky interactions naturally won't have the same impact. But creating a scale like this can serve as a fantastic reminder to think about how present you're being, and it creates a shorthand way to capture different behaviors that you're trying to encourage.

And even if you don't create a scale simply asking yourself what a "level five" greeting to your  colleagues, family members, and friends might look like could help you greet people with more enthusiasm and intention.

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    Mike's Fun at Work Tip
 
A meeting icebreaker question: "What was the very first thing you remember spending more than $50 on as a child?"
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    Quote of the Week

"I'm writing a book on reverse psychology...PLEASE don't buy it!"
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    Funny Business
 
As seen on the back of an Allegro Winery delivery truck:
 
IN CASE OF ACCIDENT BRING CHEESE AND CRACKERS.
LOTS AND LOTS OF CHEESE AND CRACKERS. 
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