By Mary Bess Lewis
Growing up in South America has taught me a lot about how a greeting can really set the tone in the workplace. In Bolivia, where I grew up, when a new person arrives to a situation it is expected of that individual to go around the room and greet every single person there with a handshake, a kiss on the cheek and a small verbal greeting. It wouldn’t matter how long it took to greet 25 people at a party, it was still the right thing to do!
Hispanics living in the USA know that the culture is different here, however the greeting or ‘saludo’ could be a great way to connect with your team and inspire the workplace to be more welcoming for all cultures involved. Starting the day off with a simple, “Buenos días” shows respect and is as polite as teaching our children to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. But it should be more than just words tossed in the air. A greeting should also have some kind of physical touch: a handshake, a pat on the back, a fist bump, a touch on the arm. This is not invasive or crossing any healthy boundaries. This is simply to show warmth. The Hispanic culture is naturally caring and friendly. This kind of proximity to another person helps extinguish hostility and allows an individual to look into another person’s face to sincerely ask how they are doing.
However, a genuine greeting can take time. Even though employees are clocked-in, they should still be allowed time to greet everyone in the room. It’s a small investment with positive returns. The atmosphere in the room will be lighter and friendlier. We could learn a lot from the Hispanic culture in this regard. Sincere greetings are not just for Hispanics; a warm greeting shows our family, friends, and colleagues that they matter in our small world. I have lived in the United States now for 20 years, and I have seen how people from this culture respond positively to a warm greeting with a light physical touch. It warms everyone’s day.
To help get you started, here are some simple phrases in Spanish: ‘Buenos días (think ‘D’ for donuts; we eat donuts in the morning, so this phrase is Good Morning); ‘Buenas Tardes’ (think ‘T’ for English teatime which is in the afternoon = Good Afternoon); and ‘Buenas Noches’ (think “N” for nachos we eat at Night – Good Evening or Good Night). If all fails and you can only remember one phrase, ‘Buen Día’ (Good Day) is pretty much universal for all times of day. Hispanics will be very gracious with you as you learn to ‘greet’ in a new way. Mistakes may happen and can be uncomfortable at first, but the simple fact of trying, will bring a new connection inspiring growth and unity into the workplace.
For later: The phrase “Adios” is literally translated “to God” and it is like a blessing in which we send off our fellowman that ‘he may go with God’.
_________________________________________________________________________________
By Mary Bess Lewis, Cornell University. Permission granted to repost, quote, and reprint with author attribution.
The post The Best Way to Start the Day: The Importance of a Greeting Within the Hispanic Culture appeared in The Ag Workforce Journal
