Creating a Hello Culture

Recently, I was in Brunei for a quick weekend getaway. As it was a short trip, I arranged to be part of a tour group so I could easily catch the main parts of the city. The tour bus picked me up from the hotel at 8 am, and had seven people on board. As I entered the bus, everyone looked up, politely acknowledged me with a nod, and then returned to their phones. I found my seat, looked out the window, and sat in silence as the bus moved off. We had one more stop to make to pick up the final person for the tour. We arrived at their hotel and waited as they boarded the bus. They slid the side-door open, stepped in, paused, and with the largest smile, warmly and confidently said “Hello.” While still looking at everyone, they sat down and introduced themselves. They then invited everyone to share their name and where they were from. The phones went down, the ice was broken, people introduced themselves, shared where they were from, and started conversations that lasted the rest of the day. The power of hello!

How powerful could “hello” be in your school?

Educators have the privilege and mandate to create places of belonging- places that provide a sense of security and support through the acceptance, attention and affirmation of others. The process through which this is achieved in schools is complex and takes time, but for each student it all starts with someone choosing to say “hello.” The simple act of seeing a child and making a deliberate action to engage with them is all it takes. The practice of “hello” is the intentional act of showing an interest, opening up a conversation, and inviting the start of a relationship.

Schools are full of people, but for many children they can be a lonely, isolating, and sometimes intimidating environment. Students eating alone at lunch time, slumped in the quietest corners of campus, sitting in class looking invisible, walking the corridors with their heads down and headphones on. As you walk your school, look for these children, see them, consider them and say “hello” to them. Be the person who opens the door of belonging to them.

As school leaders, we should seek to create a “hello” culture within our schools- a cultural mindset where the belonging of each student is intentionally established through the practice of “hello.” Staff providing an interest to the lonely, friendship to the isolated, and safety to the intimidated. The actions of a “hello” culture are not limited to just students. The establishment of this practice extends to staff relationships as well. The practice of “hello” to the new staff member, the staff member you don’t know, the staff member you had a sharp disagreement with… Hello opens the door to new and restored relationships.

So just how powerful can “hello” be? That is a question only answered through experience. Find the answer yourself by walking up to someone in your school who needs to be seen, and warmly say “hello.”