CORPORATE ETIQUETTE- CHANCHAL CHANDIOK

WHAT IS ETIQUETTE?

“Etiquette means behaving yourself a little better than

is absolutely essential.”

– Will Cuppy

“Etiquette is the science of living. It embraces everything.

It is ethics. It is honor.”

– Emily Post

PRINCIPLES OF GOOD ETIQUETTE

Golden: Treat others as you would like to be treated

Platinum: Treat others as they would like to be treated

APPEARANCE

“The way you dress affects the way you are perceived, and the way you are perceived, is

the way you are treated.”

-Buck Rodgers

Former VP of Marketing, IBM

Neatly trimmed hair

Light perfume or cologne

Clean and trimmed fingernails

Limited jewelry

Concealed tattoos; no visible body jewelry

Ironed clothes

Polished / clean shoes

Belts on pants; socks that match shoe color

TYPES OF HANDSHAKES

Handshaking is commonly done upon greeting, meeting, parting, offering congratulations, or

completing an agreement. The purpose of a handshake is to convey trust, balance, and

equality.

Wet Fish - Wet fish handshake normally means a weak character, someone who

is easily persuaded by others.

Dead Fish - A limp handshake. Has no energy, there is no shake, no squeeze, not even a

pinch, and it gives the feeling you are holding a dead fish instead of a hand. Indicates low

self-esteem.

Hand Hug - The " hand hug " is popular with politicians, as it can

present them as being warm, friendly, trustworthy and honest.

TYPES OF HANDSHAKES

The Bone Crusher - Shows overly aggressive personality types.

Keep Back - Used by the aggressive types. The purpose of this one is to keep you at a

distance and away from their personal space as they might feel threatened.

The Dominator - Involves any use of a downward turned palm. This handshake

is more often than not an indication of superiority.

The Southpaw - Otherwise known as the “Lefty”, the “Southpaw” should be avoided at all

costs. To shake someone’s hand with your left hand is considered

uncouth and even an expression of disrespect in some countries.

TYPES OF HANDSHAKES

The Appropriate Handshake - Stand and extend your right hand

straight out in front of your body, with your elbow slightly bent,

and your thumb pointing to the ceiling. Lean forward slightly if

there is room, but not so much that your faces are uncomfortably close.

Keep eye contact; do not glance down at the hand offered as you shake. Keep a

pleasant expression; not stiff or overeager. Close your fingers around the other hand

with your thumb resting to the side. Grip with a slight firmness (like a gentle squeeze)

as you raise your hand slightly up and down for the “shake.”

Release the hand after 3-4 seconds.

SHARING CREDITRemember you’re part of a team.

“There is no ’I’ in team.”

Always acknowledge the contributions of others.

Never dismiss all responsibility for failures.

Don’t “pass the buck” when a project fails.

Only promise what you know you can deliver. Honour your deadlines.

In addition to acknowledging the efforts of your teammates, it’s especially important to

understand the work style and needs of your manager who, in essence, is your customer.

KNOWING YOUR CUSTOMER

What is his or her style of working?

What sort of update does he or she prefer?

What level of communication is necessary?

CONFLICT RESOLUTION

Deal directly with the person before going to your supervisor – always

attempt to deal with any problems with a colleague directly before

going to your manager.

Focus on the facts - It’s best to arrange a one-on-one meeting to discuss the situation. In

the meeting, focus on the facts of the situation: Pointing out that your coworker is an

underachiever or forgetful isn’t going to help you resolve the issue.

Be receptive to the other person’s story – Be receptive to hearing his or her side of the

story. You may find that what seemed like a major issue was simply

a misunderstanding.

CONFLICT RESOLUTION

DO:

Make the first move

Choose the right time

Adopt a conciliatory stance

Take corrective action

DON’T:

Jump to conclusions

Show frustration

Point fingers

Criticize

Take it personally

CELL PHONE ETIQUETTE

Be aware of ring tones - A Jlo or Bryan Adams tune can make you seem unprofessional.

Know how to silence your phone - That doesn’t just mean turning it off when

in an important meeting; it also means knowing how to shut it off quickly

if it accidentally rings when it shouldn’t.

Keep a distance - When talking on your phone, make sure you’re at

least 10 feet away from others, so you can have your privacy and

they can have theirs.

Avoid using on conference calls – Because of possible reception problems, it may be hard for

you to hear others and for them to hear you. If you must use your cell phone, learn how to

mute the microphone so that ambient noise doesn’t interrupt the conversation.

MEETING ETIQUETTE Meeting Requests – Accept, Decline, Tentative, Propose new time

Be on time for the meeting and be prepared for it.

Meetings are important and have a time limit. You must be able to understand others

and get your view across in the allotted time.

Make sure that you have understood everything that was said at the

meeting and that your impressions were correct. Summarize the

decisions taken and the action plan.

Avoid nervous and distracting gestures.

Listen attentively and take notes during discussions, but don't interrupt a person who is

speaking. It is important to show respect for the other person's point of view.

As a part of the meeting, you should contribute ideas.

Those who propose new ideas and actions must be prepared to implement them.

GENERAL DO’S AND DON’TS

Do not pass client/employer information to your friends or others outside

the organization without prior permission.

Hygiene is an important but personal issue, and it is assumed that you

are able to look after that.

Do not misuse the e-mail facility or surf the net excessively.

At meetings be punctual and prepared. Take down minutes.

Keep your work station and work area clean. Put away excess paperwork

in drawers when leaving for the day.

Shut off your computer when you leave for the day.

Lock your screen when you are away from your desk.

If you find yourself with some idle time, do not waste it – do some research or self-study

to enhance your knowledge.

THANK YOU