Our third summer re-run is never out of date – or style. This one was originally posted in 2011.
The title of this post seems like a throw-back to the days when it was important to lift your pinkie sipping tea and thank you notes were all the rage. Surely we don’t need lessons in etiquette today…?
Actually, we do. It’s so easy to get caught up in a whirl of activity that often the first thing to go is our manners. Some simple reminders can go far in advancing your career and developing a professional reputation. Here’s what not to do:
- Add smiley faces in your business emails.
Emoticons don’t belong in business communications. When you write an email at work, you are reflecting your company, not yourself. How many businesses do you know that wink? Save these for personal communications. - Show up late for meetings.
Nothing says self-centered like waltzing into the boardroom ten minutes late. No doubt you have a perfect excuse for why your arrival was postponed, but frankly, everyone else is just as busy as you – and they made it on time. It’s disrespectful to those who made the effort to show up. - Interrupt others.
In our rush to get things done, it’s easy to cut someone off when we have something important to add to a conversation. You may not even realize you’re in this habit, so try this: before you jump in, count to three after the person speaking has finished and then talk. It’s hard, but you’ll become aware of any tendency to barge in with your opinions before their time. - Forget to say thank you.
Some simple words of thanks – for a job well done, for the help a coworker offered or when someone holds the door open – go a long way to making our business environment a more pleasant place to work. It may seem funny to say thanks to someone who is paid to work for you, or is a colleague, but we are humans, and human beings like to feel appreciated. - Dress for less.
There’s a discount chain in the U.S. with this tagline, only they mean less money, not less respect. Deep down, you know if your outfit is better suited to an after-hours club or your couch than the office. Maybe you’ve taken “business casual” to a new low with your choices. Just because you don’t get hauled into the office doesn’t mean you haven’t been noticed. In a negative way, that is. Respect yourself and your company – look the part.
And so ends today’s lesson. Take your lumps if you see yourself here.
What other business etiquette practices could be improved? Send us your feedback!