Conscious change in social habits is not very common in the
human race, but it is time for one such change now. These are times of the Covid-19 or the Corona
virus epidemic! Visit https://fortune.com/2020/02/13/singapore-air-show-coronavirus-handshake/
The Singapore Airshow 2020 is enforcing a no-contact policy!
I would go further. The
handshake is as out-of-date as wearing a sword to work! However, don’t dismiss
handshakes as insignificant. They play a vital role in meetings. Meetings
between people are more than substitutes for a bunch of emails! They build
working relationships and trust. Handshakes play a very important role in this!
The challenge is how to replace the handshake with something
equally effective. Bowing and Namastes are candidates, but the best seem to be
words of welcome thought out in advance. “We have been waiting for this day!”,
“Our team has been looking forward to this visit”, or something like that!
These words do not really indicate that you are softening your negotiating
position one bit! These are words with warmth but no commitment. They are what
the blockchain people call a zero confirmation transaction.
Are they unethical? No, unless you don’t really mean any of
what you say. Meetings start with an expectation of possible positive results. If you are sincere about that, warm gestures
to start off the meeting are fair. They are no more unethical than handshakes!
Besides, the substitution of handshakes by well thought-out words of welcome
could reduce the chances of your being hauled off to the quarantine ward!
Srinivasan Ramani
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