Why I say 'Good Morning' at work

Because it's basic manners and my mamma raised me right.

Ok, not really. But it could be.

"You should never say 'Good Morning' at work!"

A Human Resources vice president tossed this rotten tomato to a group of us a few years ago. The rationale, it was explained as we picked our jaws up off the floor, was that you don't know how others will interpret your words, so you should say nothing.

I thought then - and still do - that this advice was a gigantic bunch of crap.

Maybe it’s because I’m Southern and grew up where everyone says hello to everyone. But I think I’d feel this way no matter where I was raised because good morning isn't a #@*k you. It's positive opening dialogue for any day. I mean, sure, I can modify to a simple mornin’, smile or open-palm wave if I must, but I'm gonna bring my greeting game no matter what.

And you should, too.

Because - science.

The Psychology of Smiling

Sam Sommers is a teacher and a researcher of social psychology at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. He knows things, and he recently wrote about some of them in Psychology Today, including the positive impacts some of the smallest interactions can have.

Interactions such as smiling!

Smile baby. You're alive. You've got options. -- Sonya Teclai

Did you know that employees who smile more have customers who report higher satisfaction. Sure do! Why? Because smiling is contagious.

And, so is respect.
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Which, when you get right down to it, is what wishing someone a good morning is all about.

Intrapersonal Communications 101

A hello or good morning is a way of acknowledging the presence of another person. This is interpersonal communications 101. Everyone wants to be acknowledged. It’s a validation. Nothing wrong with that.

Imagine being greeted with ‘Tell me what you want, give me your money and go away’ the next time you’re at your favorite coffee place. Would you go back?

Being dismissed like that is disrespectful whether you’re a customer or a coworker.

And what you gain from a positive greeting doesn’t stop with respect.

For one thing – it’s free! ;)

It’s also fast. It takes two seconds to wish someone well at work.

It creates a more democratic environment when that two-second exchange is extended to everyone.

And, it promotes the basic standards of politeness we are all entitled to at work.

A few years back, the Wall Street Journal published an article about mood management and job performance, which (it should come as a shock to no one) showed that an employee’s morning mood was the best indicator of his/her performance and productivity because it set the tone for their state of mind the rest of the day.

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So you woke up on the wrong side of the bed, burned your breakfast and had a crummy commute - who hasn't?! Don't let it ruin your day -- or anyone else's. A bad morning doesn't have to mean a bad day.

See things as they are but not worse than they are. -- Tony Robbins

No one has to be a morning person or rocket scientist to understand this.

The way we interact says everything about who we are as people – in or out of the office.

So, go ahead – get your ‘good morning’ on!

P.S. Even birds start their day this way. :)