The germy handshake
Whenever I teach handshakes in my training seminars or keynote presentations there are always lots of questions. One I’m often asked is “what do I do if I don’t want to shake hands to avoid getting germs?” I’ve been asked this by friends who are also germ phobic and would prefer handshaking just went away.
A handshake is a way to show goodwill to others. We started shaking hands in the Middle Ages to show we weren’t holding a weapon or hiding one up our sleeve. Most likely we don’t have to worry about someone harboring a weapon, so today handshaking is a way to greet, thank or say goodbye to someone. It is a simple touch that can mean so much.
A handshake is a way to show goodwill to others. We started shaking hands in the Middle Ages to show we weren’t holding a weapon or hiding one up our sleeve. Most likely we don’t have to worry about someone harboring a weapon, so today handshaking is a way to greet, thank or say goodbye to someone. It is a simple touch that can mean so much.
I really think we need to stop worrying about germs. We live in a germy world. Even our houses, our havens from the dirty world, are some of the germiest places around. We can’t escape germs and I think we harm ourselves more by refusing to shake hands.
As a professional speaker, trainer and business owner I shake a lot of hands. I am mindful to wash my hands after an event or before I eat and I am rarely sick. In fact, some of my friends who do less handshaking get sick more often.
Also, as our world becomes increasingly driven by technology and we communicate through our many digital devices we are losing the closeness we used to have. Face to face meetings happen less and less, which means we are touched less by others. I don’t think this is good. We need more touch, not less. A handshake is a warm, professional way to greet someone.
As my wise, gracious etiquette trainer, Maria Everding, stated, “A handshake is a personal link between two people. It’s what we do in the United States.”
That said, if you are sick do not shake hands with others. Simply explain you have a cold and don’t want to spread your germs. That is the courteous thing to do.
What is your take on this? Are you in the “handshakes should go away so I can avoid getting someone’s germs” camp or do you reside in the “a handshake is an important part of social and business interactions” group? If you do wish handshakes would go away, do you think we should do something else or nothing at all?
Please note: We have a new method of delivering blog posts to your inbox. If you have previously received these blog posts through Feedburner, please subscribe to receive these blog posts through the form below and unsubscribe to the posts you receive through Feedburner.
Sign up for the award-winning Clise Etiquette newsletter and receive a free chapter of Arden's book Spinach in Your Boss's Teeth.
I don’t think handshakes should go away like the excerpt said we need more touch not less and I do think its a personal link between two people
Handshakes are a vital part of business and formal meetings. If you don’t like germs, then you should carry a bottle of hand sanitizer.
I don’t think that handshakes should go away. They show that you are willing and trusting of the other person.
I don’t think handshakes should go away. You can tell a lot of things by shaking someones hand because it causes you to have eye-contact with that person. We need more touch and less devices that we use to connect.
Thank you all for your comments. I’m happy to hear you agree handshakes are an important gesture that shouldn’t go away for fear of germs.
As a female, I really don’t want to shake people’s hand. Everytime I do, I am sick.
My husband has been an environment where we’ve met a lot of new people down
in Florida for the winter, and he’s had two colds in the last two weeks.
Carol, thanks for weighing in. One way you can prevent getting sick is to wash your hands or use hand sanitizer after shaking people’s hands. Don’t pull out the sanitizer in front of the person whose hand you’ve just shaken, but do it after you’re out of their sight. Washing our hands frequently no matter what you do will help prevent getting sick. Think of all of the germy surfaces you touch – handrails, doors, toilet handles, etc. that are more germy than a person’s hand.
I encourage you to not forgo shaking hands with people. It’s the polite and respectful thing to do.