Hi there. It’s been a while!
So, a couple months ago we saw the final days of our compulsory mask policy at company-operated cafes with my current employer. Over the past almost four years of working in Japan, I have done so masked. I very much understand the importance of masks (however controversial that might be to say nowadays), especially at businesses that prepare or serve food & beverages. We are still asked to wear masks if we feel under the weather or have a cough or any other symptoms that may reflect poorly when unmasked, but it is now wholly optional whether you wear a mask or not. That said, I must to say it‘s been one of the most refreshing feelings I've had in a long, long time as a hospitality professional.
The incorporation of hospitality as a core component of my professional pursuits started in 2018 in Los Angeles. I felt something of a revelation as I began gently, but completely, folding my innately present conscientious and caring nature into my work. Hidden within my training and the attention to detail in developing my skillset was, unbeknownst to me at the time, a lot of “facial” work. I feel I've rediscovered over these four long years how important it can be for customers to see your whole face.
Communication goes far beyond how we speak or what we say. It's in our eyes, our body language, and ultimately extending into what we've been asked to cover up during the incipient COVID crisis and subsequent transitional post-COVID period. A full smile goes such a long way without saying a word and seeing the whole face really lends a great deal to a concerned look your eyes may give when trying to approach a customer who appears lost or in need of help. By showing customers (and coworkers) our whole face, we are able to give more of the story of how we feel or what we understand as we communicate day-to-day.
For much of my time in Japan, I've been asked to wear masks and I've honestly felt held back. I knew I couldn't give 100% of myself to our customers and thus I may have overextended in other ways. Much of the struggles I face here stem from work-related stresses—mainly that I am a foreigner working in a vastly homogenous market. Communicating in another language can create a barrier on its own, but adding more barriers can, in my experience, result in more miscommunications. I appreciate the concern held by my company that led them to maintaining a masks-on policy for so long, but now I'm grateful that we've moved past that period.
Masks have their place, especially here in Japan where it was very common to see masks being worn pre-COVID during high allergy or flu seasons. But in hospitality, where your face does so much more communicating than one may think, masks can hinder your ability to be hospitable. There's a lot of your personal story that can go untold when you wear a mask and you end up losing a key tool in your arsenal. I really feel like I better understand that after living through it for as long as I have.
So if you ever happen to walk past a shop I’m working in or see me behind the bar somewhere, I'll happily and proudly beam a smile your way. I won't be taking it for granted any longer!
Nearly there.
So, a couple months ago we saw the final days of our compulsory mask policy at company-operated cafes with my current employer. Over the past almost four years of working in Japan, I have done so masked. I very much understand the importance of masks (however controversial that might be to say nowadays), especially at businesses that prepare or serve food & beverages. We are still asked to wear masks if we feel under the weather or have a cough or any other symptoms that may reflect poorly when unmasked, but it is now wholly optional whether you wear a mask or not. That said, I must to say it‘s been one of the most refreshing feelings I've had in a long, long time as a hospitality professional.
The incorporation of hospitality as a core component of my professional pursuits started in 2018 in Los Angeles. I felt something of a revelation as I began gently, but completely, folding my innately present conscientious and caring nature into my work. Hidden within my training and the attention to detail in developing my skillset was, unbeknownst to me at the time, a lot of “facial” work. I feel I've rediscovered over these four long years how important it can be for customers to see your whole face.
Communication goes far beyond how we speak or what we say. It's in our eyes, our body language, and ultimately extending into what we've been asked to cover up during the incipient COVID crisis and subsequent transitional post-COVID period. A full smile goes such a long way without saying a word and seeing the whole face really lends a great deal to a concerned look your eyes may give when trying to approach a customer who appears lost or in need of help. By showing customers (and coworkers) our whole face, we are able to give more of the story of how we feel or what we understand as we communicate day-to-day.
For much of my time in Japan, I've been asked to wear masks and I've honestly felt held back. I knew I couldn't give 100% of myself to our customers and thus I may have overextended in other ways. Much of the struggles I face here stem from work-related stresses—mainly that I am a foreigner working in a vastly homogenous market. Communicating in another language can create a barrier on its own, but adding more barriers can, in my experience, result in more miscommunications. I appreciate the concern held by my company that led them to maintaining a masks-on policy for so long, but now I'm grateful that we've moved past that period.
Masks have their place, especially here in Japan where it was very common to see masks being worn pre-COVID during high allergy or flu seasons. But in hospitality, where your face does so much more communicating than one may think, masks can hinder your ability to be hospitable. There's a lot of your personal story that can go untold when you wear a mask and you end up losing a key tool in your arsenal. I really feel like I better understand that after living through it for as long as I have.
So if you ever happen to walk past a shop I’m working in or see me behind the bar somewhere, I'll happily and proudly beam a smile your way. I won't be taking it for granted any longer!
Nearly there.