Running the welcome table means learning names nobody else bothered to learn. Names are a kind of love.

Learning somebody’s name is a small act with a disproportionate effect, because it tells them they registered as a particular person rather than part of a crowd. Jobs that involve greeting people look trivial and are mostly this: the quiet work of noticing, remembering and using what you remembered. Plenty of people go through a week without that happening once. Being the one who does it changes a room.

Learn three names this week of people you see regularly and have never asked. Use the name next time rather than just nodding. Write them down if you need to, which is not cheating.