By Cara Beth Lewis
Etiquette is rooted in three key principles: honesty, consideration, and respect. However, depending on where you are, who you are with, and what your role is, basic rules of etiquette can vary accordingly. In this week’s edition of the Etiquette Series, we will explore the ins and outs of business and corporate etiquette.
Business and corporate etiquette are essentially rules and principles that should be honored in the workplace. Teams that practice appropriate etiquette ideals tend to sail a smoother ship than unorganized, “free-spirited” environments. While each business is unique and has different needs to operate sufficiently, it is hard to argue that understood regulations and practices among the workplace helps co-workers and bosses avoid facing unnecessary conflict.
In the workplace, whether you are the CEO of the company, the manager of a branch, a receptionist, or an assistant, corporate etiquette is just as important to one job title as it is the next. Respect, honesty, and consideration – those are the three core principles to remember. Without those three things, communication will fail, productivity will decrease, and performance will lack in a professional environment.
Emily Post’s website offers seven tips for etiquette during business meetings:
1. Be prepared.
• Have the agenda, a notebook and pen, business cards and any other documents you may need ready. Determine what you can do beforehand to be ready to join in on the discussion.
2. Be conscientious of your image.
• Being clean and neat in your appearance and with your materials is an absolute must. Be punctual.
3. Arrive on time.
• Try your best not to arrive more than a few minutes early, so you do not interrupt any last minute preparations. At all costs don’t arrive late to the meeting. Sometimes being late is unavoidable. If you’re going to be late, let someone know as soon as possible. A call or text to the organizer is best. When you do enter, be as unobtrusive as possible. If a formal presentation is going on, you may want to wait until there is a break to slip into the room.
4. Turn off smartphones, pagers, and watch timers.
• Be sure to convey that the meeting is your top priority by turning off anything that might be distracting to you or others in the meeting.
5. Keep a positive attitude.
• When differences of opinion arise, try to address these contradictions in the most positive way possible.
6. Participate.
• Make sure to be a good listener and maintain focus. Convey your engagement with tone of voice and eye contact.
7. Follow-up.
• If you are the organizer of the meeting, be sure to follow-up with a to-do list for the other meeting participants. This will ensure that your expectations and schedule are clear. If you are an attendee, ensure that you are clear on your assignments and follow through on those assignments.
While the tips listed above are written specifically for business meetings, you really can apply each one of those to any work situation, or just your presence at work in general. Each tip listed comes back to the three key principles – consideration, respect, and honesty.
You may be thinking “You don’t understand what I have to deal with at work.” You may be wondering, “How am I supposed to practice etiquette with the people I work with?” Well – it is not always easy, that is for sure. Dealing with a rude co-worker or boss can ruin a great job. In terms of proper etiquette, it is important to remain professional and polite while dealing with that difficult situation.
When dealing with such issues as an individual, your options are as follows, according to EmilyPost.com:
• Do nothing and wait for management’s supposed efforts to take effect;
• Talk to HR about whether this person’s behavior rises to the level of harassment, and decide if you want to initiate a formal complaint if it does;
• Explain to your manager how the situation is affecting you. Unfortunately, it sounds like you and others have already been down this last road without success.
At the end of the day, whether you work with wonderful people or dreadful people, whether you understand any rules about etiquette or not, just remember: Respect. Honesty. Consideration.
Read previous articles from the Etiquette Series:
Social Etiquette in Everyday Conversations
I Hear Wedding Bells… What do I wear?
About Author
