Staring down a line, a huge line of people, desperately wanting to get back into New Zealand. There was only one way to start the conversation.

Welcome home.

Said with a smile.

The people, many having taken several flights to get to this point after airports closed and countries around the world closed borders. Understanding the ever-changing visa rules was confusing and chaotic. Landing back in New Zealand, they had one final hurdle to cross. The health check at the border was put in place at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This had yet to clarify its process or systems. The rules and requirements changed at least twice a day as the understanding of the virus emerged.

Welcoming people home, was the first best step. Saying it with a smile made that step count.

The first encounter, the start of a relationship, that first introduction, the beginning, is a moment that matters. It’s a place, where in this instance, the building of trust, understanding and cooperation starts.

I’ve never forgotten those days at Auckland Airport, where the welcome we provided made all the difference to the steps that followed. As those steps changed, the welcome remained the platform for everything.

The start of something is what Dan and Chip Heath in their book The Power of Moments would call a defining moment. A defining moment is a short experience that is both memorable and meaningful. Defining moments shape our lives. We need to be intentional and creative to make the most of defining moments.

We were very intentional about the welcome at the airport. Using our values to outline and describe our process, the welcome was right there at the front. It became part of the training for those joining the health team and yes, the smile behind the mask was a powerful message. Setting the clear intention, understanding and importance of people feeling welcomed as they arrived back, influenced how we worked. Even for those who didn’t want to come back or go into managed isolation, it mattered that they felt welcomed.

In healthcare, there are many opportunities for that first encounter.

• The recruitment process.

  • From the invite to interview through to a pivotal defining moment of the first day and the orientation programme.

• The start of meetings and a welcome to meeting guests.

  • These are moments you are coming together for a purpose and how that starts makes a difference. Not every meeting is a defining moment, but the start of a meeting sets the tone. Read more about meeting check-ins here.

• The start of each shift and the handover process.

  • A point in time where there are known safety risks as it’s difficult to remember everything that needs to be handed over. How the shift starts can tell you a lot about what the next several hours are going to be like.

• The first meeting with a patient.

  • We take for granted the life of being in healthcare. When you are on the receiving end it’s a different matter. How are patients welcomed, how do you say hello to the patient when you first meet them?

You can send a powerful message with your welcome. If it’s not done well it can have long-lasting impacts. It can tell people:

• They don’t matter

• They aren’t important

It sends the message

• You’re too busy to give them time or attention, you are more important

• You aren’t prepared

• You haven’t thought about this

• This moment doesn’t matter

A welcome is many things. The chance to say hello and make people feel relaxed. A time to make sure that they know you care. An opportunity where you can set yourself up for the best next step forward. It’s the start of something special.

Have a think as you go about your week. What are the moments of welcome, the starting of something or firsts that you’re part of.

What are those moments that need a little help, that could become defining moments. Let me know by replying to this email and over the next few weeks I could help with research and ideas.