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• March 10, 2010 | 12:07 PM MST
Hugs & Kisses @ Work
On Monday, I delivered my basic business etiquette program in one of my client’s Silicon Valley office. After the program, one participant asked whether any touching, beyond a handshake, is appropriate in the office setting.
Let’s review the rules:
- Kissing is better left to social settings. In business settings, even the smallest smooch might be misconstrued.
- Air-kissing—or puckering up, touching cheeks, and not actually kissing—risks looking artificial in the business setting. Lots of my program participants tell me that receiving an air-kiss leaves them feeling terribly uncomfortable. Skip air-kissing at work.
- An outright hug may be appropriate when both a business as well as a personal relationship have been established and the two people participating in the hug haven’t see each other in some time.
- The shoulder clutch—touching another’s upper right arm or shoulder during the course of a handshake—may be appropriate among business colleagues who have also formed a personal relationship.
