Sometimes I have to remind myself that I work in IT and that my coworkers are IT folk. Developers, code writers, server guys, database guys, technical people, and all other IT people typically are not the outgoing type (generally speaking). I don’t think this is news to anyone, but techies, while they get along fine within their crowd, often times find it difficult to communicate outside of said crowd.
I, unfortunately, am not a techie. If I were, perhaps I would be a little more understanding. But I’m not a techie, I’m a soft-skill business guy. I’m not saying that I’m not understanding; I feel my business-like skills enable me to understand, respect, and properly deal with said techies in a positive fashion. And while I think and talk business-like, I can certainly integrate, communicate with, and discuss in certain depth technical topics with the techies… but I’m still not a techie.
There are exceptions to this rule of course: there are techies who have the soft skill of good communication and workplace relations. They can hold a conversation, acknowledge your existence, and speak something other than technical jargon. But those individuals are not the lot of the bunch in IT.
The issue at hand, specifically, is the passerby interaction when two people are walking down the hall. Now, I can understand the I’m-busy-looking-at-my-BlackBerry-and-can’t-notice-you instances; I’m as guilty as the next guy. What I can’t understand is the I’m-looking-past-you-and-not-acknowledging-your-existence-and-refuse-to-make-eye-contact, all while I am making contact with them – effectively watching them as they choose to ignore me.
No, I don’t want to hold a conversation, and no I probably don’t even want to talk with you at any length. What I would like is a simple hello, a smile, or some other form of acknowledgement. I am not invisible, and no matter how far past me you look, you are not invisible either. I can still see you.
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