7. The Thumb Joint Connects to the . . . Thumb Joint
The manager didn’t extend his hand. I didn’t know whether to extend my hand or not.
There’s often some confusion about who initiates the handshake, as this comment I heard from a new hire indicates. Yes, she should have. In today’s workplace, the higher-ranking person or the host, regardless of gender, should extend his or her hand first. But if the higher-ranking person fails to do so immediately—often because of the gender confusion—the lower-ranking person should extend his or her hand without missing more than a beat.
The key is that the handshake must take place. I cannot emphasize this enough. In the United States, the handshake is the business greeting. If you want to be taken seriously, ...
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