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What's the difference
between the rising star whose career is picking up speed and his
counterpart who can't seem to get the engine to turn over? Often,
the star has mastered the nuances of business etiquette -- the
subtle but critical behaviors that can make or break an important
meeting, influence a first impression or impress a potential
client.
According to Hilka
Klinkenberg, director of Etiquette International, a business
etiquette firm, the basics of professional etiquette are really
quite simple. First, understand the difference between business
etiquette and social etiquette. Business etiquette is genderless.
For example, the traditional chivalrous etiquette of holding the
door open for a woman is not necessary in the workplace and can
even have the unintended effect of offending her. In the work
environment, men and women are peers.
Second, your guiding
principle should always be to treat people with consideration and
respect. Although this may seem obvious, Klinkenberg cites this
basic decency as a frequent casualty in today's workplace.
Here are a few of the
specific dos and don'ts of business etiquette you are likely to
encounter during your workday.
Introductions
The proper way to make an introduction is to introduce a
lower-ranking person to a higher-ranking person. For example,if
your CEO is Mrs. Jones and you are introducing administrative
assistant Jane Smith to her, the correct introduction would be
"Mrs. Jones, I'd like you to meet Jane Smith." If you forget a
person's name while making an introduction, don't panic. Proceed
with the introduction with a statement such as, "I'm sorry, your
name has just slipped my mind." Omitting an introduction is a
bigger faux pas than salvaging a botched introduction.
Handshakes
The physical connection you make when shaking hands with someone
can leave a powerful impression. When someone's handshake is
unpleasant in any way, we often associate negative character
traits with that person. A firm handshake made with direct eye
contact sets the stage for a positive encounter.
Women take
note: To avoid any confusion during an introduction, always extend
your hand when greeting someone. Remember, men and women are
equals in the workplace.
Electronic Etiquette
Email, faxes, conference calls and cell phones can create a
veritable landmine of professional etiquette. Just because you
have the capability to reach someone 24/7, it doesn't mean you
should.
Email is so prevalent in many of today's companies that the
transmission of jokes, spam and personal notes often constitute
more of the messages employees receive than actual work-related
material. Remember that your email messages are an example of your
professional correspondence. Professional correspondence does not
include smiley faces or similar emoticons.
Faxes should always include your contact information, date and
number of pages included. They should not be sent unsolicited --
they waste the other person's paper and tie up the lines.
Conference call etiquette entails introducing all the participants
at the beginning of the call so everyone knows who is in
attendance. Since you're not able to see other participants' body
language and nonverbal clues, you will have to compensate for this
disadvantage by communicating very clearly. Be aware of
unintentionally interrupting someone or failing to address or
include attendees because you can't see them. And finally, don't
put anyone on speakerphone until you have asked permission to do
so.
Cell phones can be a lifesaver for many professionals.
Unfortunately, if you are using a cell phone, you are most likely
outside your office and may be preoccupied with driving, catching
a flight or some other activity. Be sensitive to the fact that
your listener may not be interested in a play-by-play of traffic
or the other events you are experiencing during your call.
Even if you have impeccable social graces, you will inevitably
have a professional blunder at some point. When this happens,
Klinkenberg offers this advice: Apologize sincerely without
gushing or being too effusive. State your apology like you mean
it, and then move on. Making too big an issue of your mistake only
magnifies the damage and makes the recipient more uncomfortable.
Edited by:
Mona Gawiche
Source:
Susan Bryant
Monster Contributing Writer
http://wlb.monster.com/articles/etiquette/ |
