Tuesday, April 21, 2020

No more handshakes? Then What?





A few weeks ago Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the US National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Disease recommended we eliminate handshakes even when we are back to work, back to being less than six feet away from each other.  Reasonable advice from one who wants to keep us safe and healthy.  But what will replace it?  And why are we asking this now?

It’s important because a handshake is more than a simply physical gesture.   It is and always has been a form of communication, it’s a way of delivering important messages:  You’re safe with me.  I welcome you.  We’re in this together

Look back in history, to the times when knights wore armor and wars between nobles were common.  Then a handshake was an answer to a question:   Am I safe being close to you?   Do you have a weapon hidden up your sleeve? 

We aren’t thinking of hidden weapons when we shake hands at a meeting today.  But we still have question in mind:  Are you happy to see me, pleased that we’re working together?  A handshake gives the answer. Yes, I am.   Maybe more important its the final step when we “seal the deal.”

If we give up our familiar handshake how will we deliver those important messages? 

With a wave of hand (the open palm clearly saying there’s no weapon)?   With a clap or two offering a sound instead of touch (the traditional greeting in Zimbabwe)?  With a bow following the traditional greeting of our colleagues in China and Japan?  Or will we develop a new way of delivering those important messages that allow us to connect, show respect, and say my intentions are honorable, I’m happy to engage with you?   What will the new handshake look like? 



Thursday, April 2, 2020

When Business Starts Again


When we’re back to business, we’ll realize our business will still be, maybe even more than before, global.  We’ll be looking for new markets, partners, new information and ideas.
Here are links to sources that will give you information about places around the world – sources you may not have discovered yet.   Global cities defined in different ways: 

Global cities from the travelers’ perspective.  Afar magazines looks at  their World's Best Cities:   https://www.afar.com/magazine/best-cities-in-the-world

Global Cities 2020 – Top 10 Trends including Punk & Policy, Diplomacy Meets Culture and Geopolitics Meets Urbanization from the Chicago Council on Global Affairs

Looking for a place welcoming to innovation?   Check the World Economic Forum’s Innovation Cities Index  (https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/11/innovation-cities-technology-startups).   For 2019 the 10 most innovative cities are located in six countries:  Canada, France, Japan, Singapore, UK and US.  

While some places and practices will be changed by the events of 2020, these three reports may give you ideas that you wouldn’t discover in a standard set of statistics