High Five Friday

I moved into Humana's Innovation Center last August, on the same day as a coworker named Danielle. We instantly hit it off, partly because we were both new together, partly because we sat by each other, and partly because she likes to do crazy stuff and have fun at work like I do. On our first Friday together, one of us came up with the idea that it would be the coolest if everyone in the office threw up high fives whenever they passed one another. After all, the high five has a long and celebrated history of bringing people together, so what better way to appreciate your fellow associate than to give them a fat high five just because you walked by them, or because they're in the copy room and you are too? I would argue that the high five is the ultimate form of acknowledgment in the work environment.

Thus, High Five Friday was born.

Surprisingly its taken on a life of its own. Sure we had to prime the pump those first few Fridays, and we definitely got our fair share of stares from bewildered traditionalists... but when people noticed that we were committed to the cause, they started to happily join in and now carry on with and without us.

The high five has become part of our culture.

What's amazing to me is how genuinely pumped up people get when they smack a high five. Smiling happens, as does the occasional outburst of laughter. Its contagious.

What if everyone in your work area gave out high fives like it was their job on a designated day of the week? You can be the change that you want to see in the world, and that change can be as simple as slapping someone else's hand in a triumphant display of cohesiveness.

Try it out. Give the gift of the high five to your office and report back to us in the comments below.

Photo by: la mala1