Interpersonal Skills Stack Exchange
Interpersonal Skills Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [greetings]

expression of goodwill upon meeting. When questions are related to civilities, pleasantries or salutation.

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How do I announce my presence to someone who is not aware of it without frightening them?

First of all, I'm not sneaking up on people on purpose. But it seems, that I'm quite Ninja-like in my movements and this has caused problems. People are immersed in something (e. g. computer, TV, music etc.) and I want to interact with them in some…
Anne Daunted GoFundMonica
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How to politely receive someone when you don't know how to pronounce their name?

The situation is a one-on-one meeting with someone I have never met before. I don't know much about that guest, just their profession or connection to our organization, not even if they are from a different country. That means, that I don't know…
Anne Daunted GoFundMonica
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7 answers

Why is a 'good' handshake important?

When preparing for job interviews in the past, my recruiters have told me to ensure that I greet the interviewer with a "good firm" handshake. Even so, outside of the work environment when I've given a good handshake to either an academic (when at…
Bradley Wilson
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Why do men shake hands with each other but hug women?

I've noticed an oddly confusing greeting mismatch in the US that I wanted to understand. Unless men are very close friends or family, they tend to shake hands in greeting. When greeting a woman - even one they don't know well or just met - they…
Catija
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How to respond to "What's up?"

Often when I start talking to people they say "What's up?". How do I respond to this? Should I say "What's up?" back? I typically can't think of any good response and usually settle with "hi" or "hello"; is that ok?
10 Replies
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Greeting others as someone with clammy hands

As someone with clammy hands, I feel very self-conscious about shaking hands with others. I can't shake the thought of the other party being repulsed and have sometimes received comments on how clammy my hands are. I can't help but feel…
BlueRidge
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How do I explain to family members that I don't like to be greeted with a kiss?

I have an Asian background, and I live in Australia. My husband is European, and at family gatherings, his family members tend to greet me with a hug and a kiss on the cheek, which makes me uncomfortable, but I have learned is customary in some…
Fodder
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How to find out, if it is ok to hug (opposite sex)?

I am male and I regularly hug my good male and good female friends. At the very least when saying Hello and Goodbye. I have the feeling that is not uncommon here in Germany. Now, I have a a small group of coworkers (same cultural background),…
YesIDoLikeHugs123
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Should I apologize for not acknowledging a colleague in office?

At my new office, I got to know a few people and among them is a woman ("Alice" for simplicity). I could call all of them acquaintances including Alice. I usually greet Alice outside of work, with a smile or "How are you?". I usually do not greet…
Bharath
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Tactful way to explain that I have trouble recognizing faces?

I have mild developmental prosopagnosia. It is very difficult for me to recognize people, particularly if I have not seen them in a while, or if they're in a context I'm not expecting. If I have enough time (sometimes up to 10 minutes), I can…
Beofett
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Telling parents that it's okay if their child doesn't kiss me

I have cousins who both have children. Whenever we see each other, my cousins always told their children to "go kiss Ælis" but the children are sometimes reluctant to kiss me (which I can understand). Nonetheless, the parents push the kids to kiss…
Ael
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What reply is expected to the query "How are you?"

This is closely related to the How to respond to "What's up?" post, but carries some different nuances. What is the best course of action when a casual acquaintance or work colleague greets you with a "How are you?" Is a casual or non-committal…
r m
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Is it considered rude to not shake hands when wishing a group of people Happy Christmas and the like?

At work I have a close circle of about ten people that I interact with frequently. Then there are some eight people I do greet on the aisle, but we do not work closely together. And then there is a huge group of people I pass when traversing the…
pat3d3r
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How to avoid shaking hands?

I recently developed dyshidrosis, which makes my palms look disgusting. So I don't want to show my hands to anybody to see. People often do not looking at the hands when shaking, and this eczema does not spread from person to person. However, if…
sean
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How to quickly greet and identify visitors at work?

I work in a smaller startup (about 30 people). We rent an office space in an affluent neighborhood. The office has a very small (3ft x 3ft) "atrium" between the outer door and our office door. We do not share the atrium with anyone else; it is…
Alex
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