The art of making someone new feel included
<p>I have been in informal social gathering situations where I walked in as someone new and no one approached me to say hi. I have also been in a situation where someone way older than me told others my age to greet me, they hesitated, waiting for someone else to make the first move, and then came to say hi. On a better note, I also have been in situations where someone waved then asked my name and started a conversation about what I do.</p>
<p>I have certainly been guilty of remaining silent when encountering a newcomer before. I admit that what often prevented (and sometimes still does prevent) me from doing more than a giving them smile was my own shyness. However, after experiencing being a newcomer, I realise i<strong>f I already know the other people in the room, I have more social capital compared to the newcomer</strong> who might not be familiar with the norms, <strong>making it easier for me to navigate interactions.</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://medium.com/@jesthen/the-art-of-making-someone-new-feel-included-a848f7a13e44"><strong>Learn More</strong></a></p>