1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:09,480 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:17,400 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:22,079 Speaker 1: tip is to smile at anyone in your orbit when 4 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:25,160 Speaker 1: you are within ten feet of them, and to greet 5 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:30,400 Speaker 1: anyone within five feet. This rule of thumb can prompt 6 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:35,200 Speaker 1: you to be friendly without having to overthink what is appropriate. 7 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 1: Today's tip, like some others, recently, comes from Robert Sutton 8 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:45,520 Speaker 1: and Huggy Rowse book The Friction Project. In this book, 9 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:50,320 Speaker 1: they share a tip from the nonprofit health system Oxner Health. 10 00:00:51,720 --> 00:00:56,000 Speaker 1: According to the authors, at Oxner Health, employees are expected 11 00:00:56,040 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 1: to make eye contact and smile at a colleague or 12 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:02,680 Speaker 1: patient anytime they are within ten feet of each other, 13 00:01:03,760 --> 00:01:08,680 Speaker 1: and to say hello to anyone within five feet. Now. 14 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:11,040 Speaker 1: When I first heard all this, I found it a 15 00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:16,560 Speaker 1: little strange. Does anyone really need a company policy that 16 00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 1: is so specific? But I know that a lot of 17 00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:24,760 Speaker 1: organizations expect staff to be friendly to colleagues and customers, 18 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:29,640 Speaker 1: but don't spell out what that means. We all come 19 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:34,600 Speaker 1: to work with different backgrounds and different temperaments and different expectations. 20 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:40,120 Speaker 1: Giving a general guideline means that people don't have to 21 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:45,399 Speaker 1: guess what being friendly would look like. As long as 22 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:49,280 Speaker 1: no one goes overboard about this, like I sincerely hope 23 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:52,920 Speaker 1: people aren't being disciplined for not smiling until eight feet 24 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 1: or something like that, a rule of thumb like this 25 00:01:56,560 --> 00:02:01,440 Speaker 1: can be helpful. You might consider adopting such a rule 26 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:05,040 Speaker 1: of thumb in your own life too. I know I 27 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:08,200 Speaker 1: spend an unfortunate amount of bandwidth when I am out 28 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:12,919 Speaker 1: running or walking wondering when it is appropriate to wave 29 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:16,519 Speaker 1: to a fellow jogger, and then maybe doing it too 30 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:20,520 Speaker 1: early and they miss it, and then I either have 31 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:22,720 Speaker 1: to do it again or they think I'm being rude, 32 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 1: and you can see why I sometimes wind up on 33 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:30,520 Speaker 1: the treadmill out of sheer awkwardness. But a rule like 34 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:34,240 Speaker 1: this takes the guesswork out of these things. Whenever you 35 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:37,360 Speaker 1: are somewhere that there is an assumed or actual relationship, 36 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:42,320 Speaker 1: like at work, school, your house of worship, the dog park, 37 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:47,000 Speaker 1: you can smile at ten and greet at five. This 38 00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:49,560 Speaker 1: might nudge you to be just a little friendlier than 39 00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:54,280 Speaker 1: you otherwise would be, which will probably make you and 40 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:59,800 Speaker 1: those in your community feel a little more connected. Of course, 41 00:02:59,840 --> 00:03:02,200 Speaker 1: if if smiling at ten feet and greeting at five 42 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:06,400 Speaker 1: seems a bit over eager or two outgoing for you. 43 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:10,960 Speaker 1: You could adapt the distances to fit your circumstances. Maybe 44 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:13,320 Speaker 1: if you are a little more reserved, or you're in 45 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:17,200 Speaker 1: a more reserved and solemn organization, you don't need to 46 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:22,080 Speaker 1: actively greet people. You can just smile and nod. Or 47 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:25,120 Speaker 1: maybe you spend your days somewhere where full on hugs 48 00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:29,040 Speaker 1: are demanded anytime you are within twenty feet of someone. 49 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:33,079 Speaker 1: I don't know, but whatever specifics are right for you, 50 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:36,839 Speaker 1: or for your team at work, or for your family too, 51 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:40,400 Speaker 1: I think it is wise to have routine for how 52 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:43,600 Speaker 1: you will interact with other people when you cross paths 53 00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:47,760 Speaker 1: with them. You can add a bit of automatic connection 54 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:52,920 Speaker 1: and positivity to your days and we can all appreciate that. 55 00:03:55,000 --> 00:04:00,760 Speaker 1: In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and 56 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:10,960 Speaker 1: here's to making the most of our times. Thanks for 57 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:15,800 Speaker 1: listening to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, 58 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:25,440 Speaker 1: you can reach me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. 59 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:29,600 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts 60 00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:34,240 Speaker 1: from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app Apple podcasts, or 61 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:36,120 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.