To shake or not to shake?
Edward P. Salek, CAE, Executive Director | TLT Headquarters Report May 2022
There are new rules for business meeting etiquette.
Not that long ago, many of us were attending multiple face-to-face meetings, conferences and trade shows every year. In those pre-COVID-19 pandemic days, networking behavior was reflexive. Imagine yourself walking through a busy trade show floor shaking hands or even hugging some old acquaintances. The rules were simple and shared.
Now, after two years of avoiding these sort of events and interactions, there’s uncertainty about what constitutes normal and acceptable behavior. With the STLE Annual Meeting & Exhibition happening at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort in Orlando, Fla., this month (May 15-19), and many other industry events returning to the in-person format, it’s a good time to share what the experts are saying about proper meeting etiquette in the post-COVID-19 world.
Associations Now magazine, which covers trends in business meetings, stated recently, “Things that were no-brainers in meetings two years ago are now fraught with public health and etiquette concerns. How do you ask whether someone is OK shaking hands? How do you indicate that you yourself aren’t comfortable—or that you are? How do you indicate someone is too physically close for comfort?” Let’s dig deeper for guidance on these meeting dilemmas, starting with the handshake.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the national public health agency of the U.S., advises that handshakes between fully vaccinated individuals are not problematic. But the agency adds that frequent handwashing or use of hand sanitizer should go along with the return to handshaking.
If you’re not sure the person you’re talking to has gone back to pre-COVID-19 greetings, or if you personally aren’t ready for handshakes, there are alternatives. Fist bumps or elbow bumps are effective but can be awkward depending on the situation. Business etiquette experts suggest using a firm nod of the head with good eye contact, a modest bow or a friendly wave of the hand as acceptable ways to recognize and greet another person.
CDC guidance on healthy meeting protocol extends to tips on how to avoid spreading respiratory illnesses. The four basics are:
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Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
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Throw used tissues in the trash.
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If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow, not your hands.
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Wash your hands after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Social distancing is another area where people now have a different comfort zone. Be mindful that the perception of a safe physical distance in 2022 is different than it was in 2019. If fellow attendees don’t share this mindset, etiquette experts are stressing the need to be firm but polite in asking for more physical distancing—a term that’s viewed as more positive than social distancing. For example, the website Emily Post Institute suggests that a polite way to manage the situation is to step back and say, “Sorry I’m trying to keep 6 feet away.”
One other much-discussed aspect of the return to meetings is what psychologists call self-care strategies. Much of the advice is common sense, but it takes on new significance in today’s context. Experts remind us to work at our own pace, take short breaks during the meeting day and prioritize the quality of meetings and contacts, not the quantity.
Here’s wishing everyone in attendance safe and productive technical discussions, informative education sessions and high-quality networking as the tribology and lubricants industry reconnects at the 2022 STLE Annual Meeting & Exhibition.
You can reach Certified Association Executive Ed Salek at esalek@stle.org.