Can I Give You a Hug?
This week the WSJ reported on the new trend of bosses hugging, Embraceable You: When the CEO Is a Hugger – in my world, this is nothing new!
I am a CEO who hugs. I’ve been giving hugs for years, and have always believed in the power of appropriate, empathic, compassionate physical contact with teammates. I will typically ask, “Can I give you a hug?” before embarking on the embrace, as I wouldn't presume to impose my style on others. This has been well-received through my career.
We spend more time with our colleagues than we do with most of the people in our lives, and even with a flex work environment (which is a cornerstone of DGC's culture), we spend much of our time at the office. To me, my colleagues are a sort of second family, and while I hope this doesn’t offend anyone… I care deeply about each teammate and her/his well-being and happiness.
I have "cherry picked" and absolutely adore the people on my team, past and present. When someone leaves for a new opportunity, I feel like a proud mom seeing her child's wings spread as she sends them off to college to explore and learn. And when they return to DGC – we’ve had quite a few boomerangs! – I welcome them with open arms, literally. A big hug!
I believe everyone has their own style, and there is no one size fits all approach when it comes to how to interact with your employees. For me, hugging is the product of the great joy I experience in getting to work with, and spend my days with, incredible people whom I admire and enjoy. So, can I give you a hug? Please.
Doug: You don't look a day over 39. Is that comment worth a hug the next time we meet? 😎
CEO, D S Simon Media
7yI love the sentiment behind the hug idea but as a male business owner with female employees in their 20's and 30's it seems a bit shaky to me. Despite my high standards for personal hygiene, at 58, why would I want to put a more junior employee in the awkward position of having to say "No" to me or their boss about a physical embrace? It's not even about the legal implications, though there are plenty. I checked with the young women on my team and they volunteered that it would be problematic for them if we evolved into a "hugs on demand" workplace. Perhaps this says something bad about our corporate culture. There are times for hugs--when someone has suffered a personal loss or is celebrating a life milestone--marriage or the birth of a child. One surefire hug time is if someone on my team has been able to springboard their experience here and is leaving to a new opportunity. Otherwise, a high 5 might be a better, less invasive option.
tech enthu
7ysuper attitude de be with the employees, colleagues
Global Communications Strategist | Crisis Navigation & Reputation Management | Complex Business Narrative Expert
7yMiss you, Sammy D. ❤