By Kevin Roth

In a slight deviation from my typical advice column, I thought I’d share a personal anecdote that has strong applications in business and life.

I walked to pick up an order at my local bagel store this past weekend (shoutout to Greenberg’s Bagels in BedStuy). I went up to the gentleman at the window and said “picking up and order for Kevin”.

He responded “good morning” and smiled waiting to see if I understood the lesson being served up.

I did.

After I hit the reset button and gave him a “good morning” greeting, we ended up having a great conversation and the rest of my morning was a little more upbeat than usual.

As a manager, the first few words you have with your team can have a significant impact on their entire day.

No matter how busy you are or how much you have on your plate, never forget the power of “good morning”. You will be amazed by the impact those two words can have on someone’s day, let alone their happiness at work which in this job market should be top of mind for every manager.