It dawned on me the other day, as I was walking between the cube farm at work, that people just don't look at you anymore. Most likely they will give a cursory glance your way or even look up at the last second to pacify their own guilt in not making eye contact sooner, hoping that you've done the same or looked away already. My grandfather taught me that when you shake someones hand, you look them in the eye until the greeting is complete. I wonder if I've held true to that teaching over the years? I know I've caught myself not looking at someone when they are speaking to me. Whether I'm being or corrected or praised, I need to pay attention to the individual speaking to me and give them the proper respect of eye contact.
Perhaps all we need sometimes is a firm handshake, a smile and eye contact to make someone feel like we're really listening? To that end, I will continue to work on my own eye contact. Hopefully I won't come across as starring, but rather making a statement of attention and caring.
What do you think?
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