Greetings for the Day

What is proper office etiquette for saying hello? For instance, if you’re new to the company. You’re wandering around, most likely trying to remember where the building designer hid the ladies’ room and on the way you pass lots of offices. What do you do with this encounter? Do you look into the office? Catch someone’s eye? Introduce yourself or scurry by quickly with your eyes focused straight ahead in the hopes of finding the elusive water closet?

Then there’s the time you’re walking toward the cafeteria for a bagel despite having had cereal before you left home but that was 2 ½ hours ago and your stomach is sending you a strong message and you see Pete. So, you say hi. Two hours later, you’re walking to a conference room and guess who is passing you? Pete! “Hi again!” you sort of half-laugh. Then, an hour and a half later, you’re both in the break room. “Guess this is my lucky day!” you falsely smile. Time to figure out something more to say, “So, how ‘bout them Mets?” forgetting that you don’t follow sports and aren’t even sure it’s baseball season.