What’s your favorite way to be greeted? Hello? Hey? Greetings?
I think my favorite way is the one below. Of course to make it real, you have to hear it with a heavy Filipino accent:
“Ah Pet-ty Officer Moon-row, What Can I do to Make Your Day a Whole Lot Better?”
As you probably know, I spent 15 years on active duty in the Navy. As an enlisted sailor, I interacted quite a bit with the Chief Petty Officer (CPO) community. Now the CPO is often thought of as the backbone of the Navy. It’s pretty difficult to attain the rank of Chief and those who do gain quite a bit of prestige. In my time, I ran across many Chiefs. Some were useless, chain-smoking, coffee-chugging slugs who contributed little. Some were decent, but focused on the finish line of retirement more than the development of junior sailors. Yet there were a few, like Chief Jun Basco, who personified what a Chief should be.
I worked for Chief Basco at Naval Dental Center Guam from 1992-1994. He was knowledgeable, and hard-working, but most of all, cheerful and helpful. The greeting above was his standard greeting to everyone, and he meant it. I never heard anyone else use that greeting but never forgot it.
I think the key to this greeting is this:
How can I…?
If you ask “Can I help you?” it’s usually a yes or no answer.
HOW can I? opens up more possibilities. Everyone needs something. This is an invitation to articulate it.
The second part of the greeting is important too:
…make your day a whole lot better?
Even on your best day, something could be done to make it better. Sometimes it’s nothing tangible, just a kind word or a smile. Other days it’s rescuing someone from a really bad situation or circumstance. When you ask someone how to make their day a whole lot better you’re inviting a really important, rapport-building conversation.
Imagine if you were greeted like this at the DMV? Or TSA?
Imagine if your boss greeted you like this?
You can’t control those interactions, but you can take the initiative to do it yourself.
Let me know what happens!