As I watched the scene unfold, I was frustrated.
One of our student founders was at a business-technology-startup event. He was talking with a local investor. The founder had the investor in a corner and was talking his ear off. One look at the investor’s face and I could see he was uncomfortable. His lips were pressed in a tight line, his posture was stiff, and his eyes were scanning the room. But the founder persisted, earnestly describing his team and business model. He missed the clues.
Out of this frustration came the Handshake Workshop. (One of my colleagues asked me, “Is this a Cotillion class for startups?” Maybe it is.)
If we want students to be successful entrepreneurs, that includes helping them with the social aspects – as well as the financial model, presentation skills, teamwork and so on.
The Handshake Workshop is 30 to 60 minutes (depending on the size of the group). Like most of my workshops, it’s a short lecture, followed by an activity.
Materials required: hand sanitizer.
Space required: enough room for people to walk around to practice shaking hands.
The 18 students who showed up for the first workshop were a combination of introverts and extroverts, shy and outgoing, local and foreign-born. Since then, I’ve taught this workshop a dozen times: to medical students, to a group of young leaders from Africa, and to aspiring entrepreneurs from all over the world.
We want young entrepreneurs to be successful, so we must help them gain the skills they need. This includes the essential skill of opening – and graciously ending – a conversation.
