What a beautiful Zulu greeting teaches me about Change Management

It was on my birthday back in 2008 when I came very close to missing my flight because of my (one and only) superstition – I never board a plane without a book to read. While running around a bookstore inside Henri Coanda Airport, I saw a book with a bright turquoise cover with Egyptian motifs, grabbed it, paid for it, and shoved it in my backpack as I ran towards the boarding gate. And this is how, totally by chance, one of my favorite writers entered my life: Wilbur Smith. The book I bought that day was “Warlock”, part of the Ancient Egypt series which follows the fate of the Egyptian Kingdom through the eyes of Taita, a multi-talented and highly skilled eunuch slave. I fell in love with Wilbur Smith’s writing, and soon I discovered the Courtney and Ballantyne series, both of them following the lives of several generations, against the majestic backdrop of the African continent.

One of the very first things that fascinated me was a Zulu greeting that kept popping up in the books: Sawubona. It felt like a very special thing, and also like it contributed in some way to the relationship dynamic between the characters, so it got me really curious. I started reading and talking about it with different people, in different settings, and the things I have discovered over the years hugely impacted my life, both professionally and personally.

“Sawubona” literally means “I see you”. Some sources expend on its meaning with “I see you, you are important to me and I value you”, and even more: “All my attention is with you. I see you and I allow myself to discover your needs, to see your fears, to identify your mistakes and accept them. I accept you for what you are and you are part of me”. It is a way to make the other person visible and to accept them as they are with their virtues, nuances, and flaws. I also remember reading somewhere that this greeting means “We see each other, we acknowledge each other, we recognize each other. Sawubona is an invitation to a deep witnessing and presence. It invites us to communicate, to explore the possibilities of helping each other. It means we witness your journey”. Listening to a Ted talk, I learned that in the Zulu tradition, the “I” is the connection to the lineage of ancestors. So “when I meet you, not only is myself meeting you, but my ancestors whom I’m representing meet you, too”.

Over the years, I have also come across Sawubona in “The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization” by Peter Senge, a professor at Stanford University. The way in which the author spoke of the Zulus and the magnificent way they interact with one another, and also how they handle problems, sparked my own journey to making “Sawubona” part of both my professional and personal interactions with people.

“Sawubona” symbolizes the importance of directing our attention to another person. It exists to remind us to understand others without prejudice and to leave grudges behind. The term reminds us to be aware of other people’s needs and to give importance to individuals within a group. It also helps us think about integrating ourselves into our communities and valuing them. I keep asking myself what I “see” when I look at organizations and their people, how my “ancestors” – meaning all past experiences, contribute to my sense-making? Are my experiences helping me add valuable insights, or are they blurring my vision? And equally, what do I let others see in me?

Last week I participated in an online conversation on cultural competence, and one of the key takeaways was being reminded that self-reflection is the foundation for meaningful communication and relationship building. I was also inspired by hearing that “seeing”, listening and accepting suspend judgement, and drive actionable sense-making. One particular bit of wisdom resonated deeply and reminded me of “Sawubona”: “Treat people how THEY want to be treated”. See people for who they really are, acknowledge, respect, and value them accordingly.

In a business world where “customer experience” and “employee experience” are present in every piece of messaging, what can we learn from the ancient Zulu greeting? “Sawubona” is a word that reminds us to trust one another. It reminds us to see the other person as they are and pay attention to them. We have to authentically understand them and see their needs, desires, fears, sorrows, and virtues. Equally, in our personal lives, especially during these times, who wouldn’t want to be seen this way? And how comfortable are we with allowing others to really see us?

I also researched how to reply to “Sawubona”, and found several answers – depending on translation nuances, and also geographies of use. One version is “Shiboka”, which means “I exist for you”. I also found reference to “Yebo, sawubona” – “Yes, we see you too”. The possible response I like most is “Ngikhona”, which means “I am here”. The inherent meaning is that until you saw me, I didn’t exist. By recognizing me, you brought me into existence. A Zulu folk saying clarifies this: “Umuntu ngumuntu nagabantu”, meaning “A person is a person because of other people”.