World Hello Day – have you heard of it? Well if you haven’t then you’re about to be put in the know… 

Saturday 21 November 2020 is the 48^th annual World Hello Day – the day was originally set up to show how people, especially those of the Middle East that conflicts can and should be resolved through communication, and not violence. In the 1970s, the conflict between Egypt and Israel was quite severe, and many people began to fear yet another huge war. 

Now, 48 years on, and one lovely idea from World Hello Day is that we are encouraged to greet 10 people, to help instil this message of openness and extend a hand of friendship.

Right, well let us just stop right there – it’s 2020, how on earth can I greet 10 people when I’m not even supposed to step outside my own home – except if I can’t work from home, for exercise or if I need to pick up essential supplies?! 

Much like the rest of 2020 activities we need to adapt and overcome these social setbacks and figure out new ways to do things. Here’s how you can send social greeting and feel like part of a community on World Hello Day:

Social media – use #HelloDay and connect with other people taking part in the day – you may find some interesting online activities taking place and meet new people to share ideas with.

Call a colleague – get in touch with a colleague, not because you need them to do some work for you, but because you want to have a catch-up with them. Find out how they are getting on during lockdown, and how their job might be different at the moment. They may open up to you with difficulties they are having – and a problem shared can help to take a weight off their mind.  

Phone a friend – it’s highly likely that friends and family are feeling a bit down in the latest lockdown, so give one of them a call, maybe someone you haven’t spoken to for a while for a catch up. You might just make their day.

Go for a walk – just because we are wearing masks and social distancing doesn’t mean we can’t greet people on our daily outdoor exercise. Use this day as a reason to say hello to people as you walk past them. 

Video call – Host a video call with members of your friends and family, you could start a group discussion about how you plan to make your world a more peaceful place in 2021.

Communication over conflict 

Sometimes just starting those conversations can be the hardest part – What will I say? What if we disagree? What if they don’t listen to my point of view? 

Human nature means that we often take the path of least resistance and want to avoid conflict where possible. But if we don’t communicate effectively with others then tensions can bubble under the surface and have a more volcanic impact further down the line. 

Whenever you need to have a difficult conversation with someone, make sure you prepare before you approach them. Maybe write down what you’d like to get out of the conversation as well as the key points that you’d like to get across. It’s also a good idea to schedule the meeting in, rather than taking the other person by surprise – think how you’d feel if you were on the back foot of a conversation you weren’t expecting. This will also give them time to prepare what they want to say too. 

In some instances it might be a good idea to have a mediator in the room (someone who is impartial to both parties), just so that they can make sure that things stay civilised if you end up in a heated debate. 

Key skills for good communication

Here are some key skills that you need in the workplace to be able to communicate effectively:

-       Understand different styles: Everyone communicates differently, so identify your style and also identify other peoples.

-       Identifying and overcoming barriers: This could be anything from lack of attention to what someone is saying, or maybe using excessive jargon.

-       Communicating clearly: Getting your message across clearly can be difficult – remember to think about your target audience – what is going on, why, what action they need to take and finally – what’s in it for them if they do? 

-       Accurate questioning: We need to make sure we are asking the right questions of people to be able progress an issue – think carefully about what you are asking to avoid any confusion

-       Active listening: This is skill that requires concentration – when we are listening to someone we should be in the moment and really hearing what they are saying, not waiting for our turn to speak or mentally writing our shopping list. 

-       Building rapport: Time spent with others helps to build rapport. Team building sessions can really help with this as we work out others ways of learning and also what hobbies and interests they have – this all takes time but can lead to a better working relationship as we better understand each other.

-       Difficult conversation abilities: This is especially important for anyone with line manager responsibilities. Being able to hold difficult conversations can help to resolve conflict as well as help manage poor performance with colleagues.