Being from Ireland, my mother always used to say hello to people in the street… She would talk to anybody and everybody. Being a child from London, I used to shrivel up with embarrassment when she did this, but she reminded me every time that she might be the only one to speak to that person nicely (or maybe at all) that whole day.
Of course not everyone likes being hailed by strangers or asked “How are you?”, least of all by someone who might actually be interested in their reply. A few may think of it as intrusive or invasive of their personal bubble. They might have preferred to meet my father, since given a choice of all the company in the world, he would generally have chosen his own. However, even the grumpiest and most the solitary Londoner is going to be hard put to take real offence and on the upside, saying hello to someone may bring that person just a little relief from an otherwise silent and lonely day.
Those people do not have to be strangers on the street. They could be distant colleagues or new joiners in your workplace. Perhaps they are feeling isolated or left adrift in times of great change or uncertainty within the business. Maybe they are looking for someone to tell that they need some personal or professional help. They may be junior to you or senior, in your team or outside it, but one way or the other, those few seconds that you pause with them costs you nothing and will almost always be appreciated. One day the kindness of a stranger may even pick you up for a moment when you are down.
It is naïve to think that all the current troubles of the world could be resolved by a few kind words, but you might well make a “pay it forward” difference within your own workplace. Give it a go and let me know how you get on.
