The most awkward moment in business isn’t AI, layoffs, or tough negotiations. It’s the split-second decision between a hug, handshake, or fist bump. In this short episode, Gabe breaks down the strange social dance that happens every time two professionals meet, why the half-hug might be the most uncomfortable moment in corporate life, and how the pandemic quietly rewrote the rules of workplace greetings.
Everyone in business has experienced it.
You approach someone at an event, extend an arm… and suddenly you’re in the dreaded half-hug. Arms everywhere. Nobody knows what’s happening.
For years Gabe was firmly in the “hug guy” category. Then the pandemic introduced the safest diplomatic greeting humanity has ever created, the fist bump.
Now we’re living in a strange transition period.
Some people hug.
Some people handshake.
Some hover awkwardly waiting for the other person to decide.
It’s basically a real-time social negotiation.
In this episode Gabe shares his current strategy for avoiding the awkward half-hug and asks the real question:
Where do you land in the great workplace greeting debate?
Handshake
Hug
Fist bump
Or the dangerous “wait and see” approach.
Connect with Gabe Larsen
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabelarsen