Target’s Smile Rule And Why It Struck A Nerve In Me

I saw the story about Target’s new “10 and 4” rule, and it hit me in a way I didn’t expect. On the surface, it was simple. Smile at ten feet. Greet at four feet. Basic human courtesy.

Then I read a culture expert tearing it apart. They called it superficial. They called it a sign of cultural decay. They painted Target as desperate and broken.

I felt the opposite. I felt almost protective of the idea. I felt frustrated that such a simple, human gesture had become controversial. And I felt sad that so many people completely missed the heart of what Target is trying to do.

We Forget How Much These Tiny Moments Matter

Whenever I ask people what they love about Chick-fil-A, they start with the chicken. They always do. So, I press them. I bring up Popeyes, Raising Cane’s, Slim Chickens, and every other place that makes great chicken, too.

This is when their expression changes. They pause. They think. And then the truth comes out. They talk about the experience. They talk about the feeling when they walk in. They talk about how clean everything is. And then they talk about the people. The smiles. The eye contact. The way someone says “My pleasure” like they mean it.

They light up when they describe it. They can’t help it. Because someone made them feel seen.

And it never matters that it is scripted. It matters that it is consistent. It matters that it feels warm. It matters that it makes them feel valued in a world where most interactions feel rushed or ignored.

That Is What Target Is Reaching For

Target is trying to create the same thing. A moment. A feeling. A tiny spark of humanity in a giant building where people often feel invisible.

That is not manipulation. That is leadership. That is saying to people, you are not just a transaction. You are a person who deserves to be acknowledged.

Why are we criticizing that? Why are we tearing down an honest attempt to make customer experience better? Why are we acting like kindness is oppressive?

The Critics Missed The Human Truth

They said you cannot mandate sincerity. Of course, you can’t. But you can set expectations for how we treat each other. Every high-performing team sets expectations. Every strong culture sets standards. Every great company decides how people show up for the people they serve.

One disengaged employee can drag down the mood of twenty others. One negative attitude can infect a team faster than any written rule ever will. One person who refuses to greet customers can make an entire place feel cold.

Target is not forcing emotion. They are clarifying behavior. And behavior is where culture lives.

What This Policy Really Does

It doesn’t fix a broken culture. It reveals it. It shows who enjoys serving others and who doesn’t. It shows who fits the work and who is in the wrong environment. It shows who brings energy and who drains it.

These small gestures are not superficial. They are the fabric of the environment. They are the difference between a place people return to and a place they avoid.

The Emotional Core Of All Of This

I think the reason this stirred something in me is because we have drifted so far from the basics. We talk endlessly about culture, but ignore the smallest behaviors that actually create it. We forget that everyone, at every age, in every role, carries the same emotional truth.

People want to feel seen. People want to feel acknowledged. People want to feel like they matter. Even if only for a second.

Target is trying to give people that second.

And instead of supporting it, the critics attacked the one move that could actually make a meaningful difference. The move that reminds people that human connection is not old-fashioned. It is not childish. It is not superficial. It is the core ingredient of any place that feels alive.

We don’t fix culture by talking about it. We fix culture by living it. One small act at a time. One smile. One greeting. One moment where someone feels like they are worth noticing.

And that is why Target’s rule matters more than people think.

Bravo Target. It is about time someone brought humanity back to the front of the store. Not as a gimmick. Not as a script. But as a reminder that people still matter and that how we treat each other will always be the real heart of any culture.

If a smile or a greeting helps one person feel a little more human in a long day, that is not something to criticize. That is something to celebrate. Target is reaching for the basics again, and the basics are what most companies have forgotten.

So yes. Bravo Target. And I hope other companies pay attention.