Sunday, May 06, 2007

The Handshake

In my mind the handshake signals everything in networking. It tells me if that person is confident, or if they are a little out of their element.

Or that is my perception.

Friday, I was in Wilmington Ohio, where I presented to a chapter of the Association for YMCA Professionals. This group is from West Virginia and areas in southern Ohio all the way to the Indiana state line.

I met Angela Wakefield, Senior Program Director at the Huber Heights YMCA, a branch of the Greater Dayton "Y."

Right away she impressed me with her firm handshake.

I asked her who taught her to shake hands. She shared that her father a military man did the job, along with teaching her to look people in the eye and drive stick shift.

I laughed as it reminded me of my friend Leasa Maxx, whose dad also taught her the intricacies of shaking hands and "driving a stick."

One of my goals in life is to encourage everyone woman to teach a younger woman the proper way to shake hands.

What lessons would you like to pass on to the younger generation?

4 comments:

Terry Willliams said...

My dad also taught me to drive a stick shift "on the tree" for those of you that don't know that means, on the column. But my mother taught me to iron my shirts and pants.

The thing that both my parents instilled in me was to get a trade. Today I'm proud to say that I have a state contractors license in HVAC, Plumbing, Electrical, and Hydronics.

The thing that I would like to pass on to young men and women, it's ok to work with your hands.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like Angela and I have a couple of cool dads! ;)

I hope I have the patience with my daughter that my dad had with me -- throughout all of those early life lessons.

Anonymous said...

My dad taught me to drive a stick on the column as well! In addition, he taught me to have patience ... since you need alot of patience when you fish. We still spend a quality time together on a lake, pond, or stream.

What would I like to teach the younger generation? ... that the human face to face connection is much more powerful than any electronic connection!

Sandy of Sandy's Stuff for Women said...

I would like to leave a legacy of treating boys and girls the same - not just dolls as toys for girls and trucks as toys for boys. I hope no young woman in this day and age was stereotypically raised as I was.

My parents were the best, but they were a product of the 30's and 40's - so I was encouraged to have a career to "fall back on" should my husband not be able to support me.

I hope no young woman ever hears this now.