Professional communication often manifests itself in the corporate realm, taking on the form of social skills. Profiling occurs within moments of getting acquainted primarily through aspects of non-verbal communication like the individual’s facial expression & composure; a fairly universal gesture is the formal handshake, the first form of physical contact between the involved parties.
A handshake is more than just a greeting; it subconsciously conveys a message about the individual’s personality and confidence level. When an introduction is made, a handshake is an important tool in making the right first impression. A handshake today serves a subliminal expression to evoke a critical gauge of confidence, trust, sophistication and mood.
A business handshake should be brief and to the point. A handshake is a form of short greeting, not a lengthy engagement. Holding on for more than three or four seconds can make other people feel uncomfortable. Avoid the urge to handshake with two hands. It is always better in business introductions to use only one hand – your right hand – for the shake. The use of two hands with strangers is seen as intrusive, and too personal. In fact, a two-handed shake is called the “politician’s shake,” because it appears artificially friendly when used on people you barely know. End the handshake after 3-4 seconds, or 2-3 pumps. In order to avoid creating an awkward moment, your shake should end before the oral introduction exchange does. Without conversation taking place during the entire handshake, it becomes too intimate, and can feel more like hand-holding.
Handshakes are dependent on scenarios and hierarchy. Hosts usually extend their handshakes first as a demonstration of hospitality; interviewees should wait for interviewers as an observation of respect for the latter. Though not a norm, some consider it proper and courteous for a man to wait for a woman to shake hands.
Before extending a hand, one should always introduce oneself first. Extending one’s hand should be part of an introduction, not a replacement for using your voice. Extending your hand without a voice greeting may make one appear nervous or overly aggressive.
A handshake should be a friendly or respectful gesture, not a show of physical strength. An uncomfortable handshake is never a pleasant experience for anyone. The idea is to connect, not be overbearing. A limp hand is never a good idea when it comes to a business handshake. Do return the grip, but do not get into a power struggle, even if the other person squeezes too hard.
Sweaty palms can put handshakes in an awkward situation. If a handshake is exchanged with a party who has sweaty palms, it is deemed impolite to follow-up by wiping off on clothing, handkerchief, or tissue. A more apt approach would be to discretely wipe them on something after the other party is out of sight, and wash them later. Similarly, wipe palms discreetly if you anticipate a handshake exchange.
Hi Desmond!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this interesting post=)
A handshake indeed reflects on the impression that one gives when giving an introduction. Hence, it's incumbent on us to have a deeper understanding and knowledge about the different aspects of a good handshake that will give a good lasting impression.
I feel that it is still possible for interviewees to extend their handshake when appropriate. For example, when they are applying for a position that involves interpersonal communication, it would reflect well on them if they introduced themselves and extended their handshake at the start of the interview.
There are other cultures such as the Japanese that do not engage in handshakes but rather bow to each other as a form of introduction and respect. Hence, it is important for us to have a deeper understanding of the different business cultures in terms of their acceptance of body contact.
I do agree with you that a handshake should be a friendly or respectful gesture. I wouldn't like it if someone squeezes my hand too tightly as it would give the impression that the person is overbearing.
All in all a post well written!
Cheers
Cassandra
Hi Desmond,
ReplyDeleteThat was a well written post which readers can truly benefit from. My knowledge on issue of handshakes has increased after reading your well substantiated post.
Indeed, handshakes play a subtle yet crucial role in creating impressions of a person. It serves to overcome initial barriers of unfamiliarity. This tangible interaction is symbolic of the trust and reliance which two people are exchanging with one another. Because people tend to develop a sense of personal space around them, physical contact such as a handshake between two people would remove this invisible barrier during the duration of the contact.
In my opinion, in order for a good handshake to be delivered, it should be coupled with the right body gestures such as appropriate eye contact and facial expression. Moreover, variations in handshakes can convey many meanings and the interpretations of these handshakes may vary across cultures as well.
You brought up and interesting issue of the exchange of handshakes involving sweaty palms. This in general may put the receiver of a handshake in an awkward position but it would be polite for the receiver to only wipe his/her hands discreetly. Such situations may also tell much about the deliverer of the handshake; possibly a negative impression. Thus as deliverers of handshakes, we should make sure that we do not offer sweaty palms in order to avoid such situations.
We should remember that a handshake means more than we think. It is an important element in effective communication and a person would be foolish to overlook the importance of the handshake.
In all, I believe that the handshake represents an expression of equality.
Cheers,
Bryan
Hi Desmond,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing with us the proper machination of handshakes.
Indeed, a proper handshake is the simplest and most important gesture to bridge the social gap between two strangers. More importantly, as you've correctly highlighted, a handshake is more than a greeting. It offers the opposite party a glimpse of one's personality and confidence.
However, it is easy to forget what a proper handshake translates to the opposite party. Hence, thanks for the reminder on the importance of a good handshake. On the other hand, like what Cass mentioned, it is just as important to understand other business cultures as well. Although handshakes are a social norm, some people from other cultures may rather preserve their own way of greeting. Therefore, it is also important to learn about other cultures as well.
Very good post: Ticked!
Cheers,
Mario
Hi Desmond,
ReplyDeleteAn insightful and well-written post!
Just a shaking of hands but it involves much etiquette and conveys different meanings when done in different ways. Indeed, I agree with you that it may even be ‘ a critical gauge of confidence, trust, sophistication and mood’.
Since it is about portraying a good image through a good and proper handshake, we should start with eye contact and a smile before extending a warm handshake. In addition, it is interesting that you pointed out that handshakes are not replacement if our voices. It would definitely put us in awkward situation when silence prevails after a handshake. Hence, it is definitely a good idea to follow up with a conversation or just a simple greeting.
Thanks for sharing!
Cheers,
Jie Li
Hi Desmond,
ReplyDeleteAn interesting post on hand-shaking.
Handshaking is a short, but important, aspect of communication at both formal and informal settings. It is commonly done at meetings, greeting, parting, offering congratulations, expressing gratitude, or upon completing an agreement. In competitive activities, handshaking indicates sign of good sportsmanship. Consequently, the purpose of a handshake is to convey trust, balance, and equality
In a casual setting in western countries, men are more likely to shake hands than women. Too strong a handshake shows dominance while people tend to perceive a weak handshake as a sign of weakness. However it is noted that in some countries in the Middle East, handshakes are not as “strong” as in Western countries as too firm a grip will be considered rude.
There are a lot more to handshakes than just a simple grip as we can see from the different versions of the origin of handshakes and handshaking in various customs. So, we can see that indeed a simple handshake goes a long way to convey messages.
Regards,
wanyee