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Business Etiquette

Personal Skills for Professional Success

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Business Etiquette

A colleague begins to tell you a story he heard about a coworkers private life, so you: A. Diplomatically tell him you’re not interested in hearing about it.B. Listen carefully—the more you know about your coworkers, the better equipped

you’ll be to navigate office politics.C. Listen intently and then rush off to tell someone else in the office all the juicy

details.

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Business Etiquette

A client has been waiting for about five minutes to meet with you but you’re running a little behind schedule, and you need a few more minutes to finish up, so you:

A. Take a minute to walk out and apologize in person and offer him a cup of coffee and a magazine.

B. Have your assistant tell him you are running behind schedule and you will be a few more minutes.

C. Finish what you’re working on—you’ll get it done faster that way and they’ll only have to wait a few more minutes.

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Business Etiquette

How do you dress for the interview?A. I try to dress with the culture of the office I am visiting in mind while striving to look

professional.B. I wear my normal work clothes—the ones I wore to work that day anyway.C. I wear my jeans and tee shirt—I don't want to have to change who I am just to make an

impression.

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Business Etiquette

You enter a coworker’s office or cubicle to chat and she’s on the phone, so you:A. Leave a note saying you need to speak with her and try to get her at another time.B. Stand in the doorway and wait for her to get off—it’ll save you the time of having to

come back later when she’ll probably just be on another call.C. Insist that she speak with you immediately—it’s important and you don’t have time to

wait around.

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Business Etiquette

Your boss calls you into her office to go over your latest report, and she criticizes a significant portion of your work, so you:

A. Listen carefully and take time to think about everything she said before offering a response.

B. Respond to each criticism as it comes up to insure you don’t miss the opportunity to downplay each one.

C. Get angry at her and quickly point out many of her shortcomings—she needs to know she’s not perfect either and next time maybe she’ll think twice before criticizing your work.

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Business Etiquette

When do you send thank you notes?A. I send out a thank you note after every interview on the day of the interview. Even if they

don't hire me this time, I am pretty sure they will remember me next time.B. I send thank you notes to the places where I really want to work. I don't bother with the

others.C. I don't think thank you notes are really necessary. They know I am interested in the job

and that's really all that matters.

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Learning ObjectivesAt the end of this unit participants will be able to:

• Explain the relation of business etiquette to success in the job

• Identify appropriate/inappropriate behaviors

• Identify written/unwritten rules in an organization

• Use etiquette to build relationships

• Describe guidelines for phone, e-mail and computer usage

• Develop strategies to bridge differences

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Agenda

•People – Building Relationships

•Organizations - Culture

•Tools - Phone , e-mail and internet

•Diversity Challenges

•Summary

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Characteristics of Someone You’ve Admired

1. Honesty2. Competence3. Inspiration4. Credibility5. Listening Skills6. Appreciates your contributions7. Treats you as an individual8. 9. 10.

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Build Relationships

Develop relationships at all levels of the organization – not just at the top– Introduce yourself– Use your interpersonal skills/awareness– Listen– Ask about others – hobbies, interests, family– Keep notes, send cards– “They may not remember what you said but they’ll never forget how you

made them feel.”

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Building Relationships – Small Talk Tips

• When initiating small talk - be attuned to the other person’s receptiveness• Don’t overstay your welcome• Don’t dominate the conversation – show interest in what others have to say• Don’t overuse “I”• Be careful not to repeat yourself• Keep abreast of current events• Be aware of the impact

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Peers and Subordinates

• Manchester Partners International – 1997 study– 40% of new hires fail in their first job– failure to build relationships with peers and subordinates

• Consistent demeanor builds credibility• Show appreciation• Say thank you!• Give credit and compliments – more often that you think is necessary• Be sincere

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Leadership

• What would you expect from someone in your position?• How does he/she want to communicate with you? • Be prepared - Don’t waste the boss’ time• Look for problems you can solve - take initiative• Ask for help when you need it• Be a team player• Show acceptance

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Challenging Situations

Disagreements• Don’t avoid disagreeing – be honest• Don’t make it personal – Labeling• Handle in private• State your case• Be aware of the reaction of others• Consider talking about it later• Get help from a supervisor to resolve• Be open to compromise

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Challenging Situations

Gossip and Rumors• It’s inevitable• Can be harmful• Can make you look bad to co-workers• Protecting yourself – keep personal information to yourself• Confront the gossip in private• Concern vs. anger• Don’t pass it on

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Culture: Etiquette within the Organization

• Written rules

• Organization Chart

• Handbook

• Unwritten rules

The Organization

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• Voice• Incoming • Outgoing• Messages• Time wasters• Technical issues

Tips for Job Seekers:• Best time of day to call• Voice mail as a tool• The Right Attitude• The Call Screener

Phone Etiquette

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E-mail Etiquette

• E-mail address• Subject line• Forwarding messages• Think of how it sounds• Don’t type in all caps

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DiversityBridging the Gaps

• Generational Diversity

• Cultural Diversity

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Generational Diversity

• Four different generations in the workplace at once!• Each generation impacted by events when they grew up

• Builders/Traditionals – 1925 - 1945• Boomers – 1946 - 1964• Xers – 1965 - 1977• Millenials – Generation Y – 1978 - 1996• The O Generation - 1997

• Why is it important to understand the differences in these generations

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Characteristics Regarding Work EthicLeadership – Money - Vacation

Traditionals/Builders

• Loyal to organization, sacrifice and duty rules• Command and control from the top down• Save and pay in cash• Vacation – What’s that?

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Characteristics Regarding Work EthicLeadership – Money - Vacation

• Question authority while being “Anxious Achievers”• Consensual Leadership• Credit cards and accumulate debt• Week with the family

Boomers

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Characteristics Regarding Work EthicLeadership – Money - Vacation

Generation X

• Efficient, self-reliant and it’s just a job• No respect for rank, ask why and challenge authority• They are saving while being cautious and conservative• Special vacations

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Characteristics Regarding Work EthicLeadership – Money - Vacation

• Loyal to career however career not defined; What’s next?• Like collaboration and are negotiators• Ask parents regarding money and earn to spend• Not concerned about saving money or debt• Want it now – that latest and the newest• Where do you want to go?

Millennials

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Cultural Diversity

• Interaction – How we interact using speech, voice and gesture, volume• Association – How people join together; Independent or more comfortable in

groups?• Food – How we feed ourselves, what we eat, table manners• Gender – Attitudes about male/female characteristics; Male behavior in one

culture may be seen as feminine in another• Space - How we use and define space; interpersonal distance, status attached to

space; touching or not touching; • Time- How we use and feel about time; Scheduling; Speech tempos

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Summary•Business etiquette can make or break your job search, and your career

•Learn the basic etiquette and rules – written and unwritten

•Build relationships with people all the time

•Use your understanding of diversity to help develop relationships with people from different cultures, generations, organizations

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Next Steps

• Next steps: • Research the basic etiquette of business writing; Write a thank you note to someone

with whom you’ve networked or interviewed• Identify 3 written and 3 unwritten rules from an organization to which you’ve belonged• Find a You Tube clip to share with the group on how to manage/work with people from

other generations than your own

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Bibliography• Espinoza, Chip, Ukleja, Mick and Rusch, Craig; Managing the Millenials, Hoboken,

New Jersey, John Wiley & Sons; 2010• Williams, Paula, “Business Etiquette – More Than Just Eating with the Right Fork”,

http://www.ravenworks.com, May 22, 2009• Williams, John and Paula, “Generation X – Getting in Touch With the Energy!”,

http://www.ravenworks.com, July 16, 2009• Post, Peter and Peggy; The Etiquette Advantage in Business, New York, Harper

Collins, 1999• Stewart, Marjabelle Young and Faux, Marian; Executive Etiquette in the New

Workplace, New York, St. Martin’s Press, 1994, 1979

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Other Recommended Reading

• Gordon Reeves, Ellen, Can I Wear My Nose Ring to the Interview?; Workman Publishing, New York, 2009

• Vega, Lizandra, The Image of Success: Make a Great Impression and Land the Job You Want; AMACOM, 2010

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