Etiquette in the Workplace

Making Positive Impressions

How you present yourself to others in the business world speaks volumes. People often
form first impressions about others within seconds of first meeting them therefore it is
crucial to ensure you are properly prepared to present yourself as a professional. Here
are some important tips towards making a good impression.

 Stand straight, make eye contact, turn towards people when they are speaking,
and genuinely smile at people.
 Follow your office dress code, perhaps dressing a step above the norm for your
office.
 Your briefcase or bag and the things you carry in them say something about you.
Messy items may detract from the image you would like to present.
 When meeting someone for the first time, be sure to shake hands palm to palm
with a gentle firmness.
 Be alert. Sleepiness looks bad in the workplace.

 Kindness and courtesy count!

 Arrive early to work each day.

 People
How you treat people says a lot about you.

 Learn names and learn them quickly. A good tip for remembering names is to
use a person’s name three times within your first conversation with them. Also, write
names down and keep business cards. People know when you don’t know their names
and may interpret this as a sign that you don’t value them.
 Don’t make value judgments on people’s importance in the workplace. Talk to the
maintenance staff members and to the people who perform many of the administrative
support functions. These people deserve your respect!
 Self-assess: Think about how you treat your supervisor(s), peers, and
subordinates. Would the differences in the relationships, if seen by others, cast you in
an unfavorable light? If so, find where the imbalance exists, and start the process of
reworking the relationship dynamic.
 What you share with others about your personal life is your choice, but be
careful. Things can come back to haunt you. Don’t ask others to share their personal
lives with you. This makes many people uncomfortable in the work space.
 Respect people’s personal space. This may be very different than your own.

Communicating
It’s sometimes not what you say, but how you say it that counts!

 Return phone calls and emails within 24 hours — even if only to say that you will
provide requested information at a later date.
 Ask before putting someone on speakerphone.

 Personalize your voice mail — there’s nothing worse than just hearing a phone
number on someone’s voice mail and not knowing if you are leaving a message with the
correct person. People may not even leave messages.
 Emails at work should be grammatically correct and free of spelling errors. They
should not be treated like personal email.
 When emailing, use the subject box, and make sure it directly relates to what you
are writing. This ensures ease in finding it later and a potentially faster response.
 Never say in an email anything you wouldn’t say to someone’s face.

 Underlining, italicizing, bolding, coloring, and changing font size can make a mild
email message seem overly strong or aggressive.

Meetings
This can easily be the most intimidating part of starting a new job. The environment of a
meeting requires some careful navigation to maintain your professional image, whether
the meetings are one-on-one, with several colleagues or with external clients.

 For a meeting in someone’s office, don’t arrive more than five minutes early, as
they may be prepping for your meeting, another meeting later that day, or trying to get
other work done. You may make them uncomfortable, and that is not a good way to
begin your meeting.
 Don’t arrive late…ever. If you are going to be late, try to let someone know so
that people are not sitting around waiting for you. Don’t forget that being on time for a
meeting means arriving 5 minutes early — for an interview, arrive 10 minutes early.
 When a meeting runs late and you need to be somewhere else, always be
prepared to explain where you need to be (understanding that the value of where you
need to be will likely be judged).
 Do not interrupt people. This is a bad habit to start and a tough one to end.

 There is a time and place for confrontation, and a meeting is almost never that
place. You will embarrass and anger other people, and you will look bad for doing it.
Give people time and space outside of meetings to reflect on issues that need to be
dealt with.

Work Space
You may spend more waking hours in work spaces than in your home space so:

 Keep the space professional and neat with appropriate personal touches! People
will see the space and consider it a reflection of you.
 Whether it is a cubicle or office, respect others’ space. Don’t just walk in; knock
or make your presence gently known. Don’t assume acknowledgement of your
presence is an invitation to sit down; wait until you are invited to do so.
 Don’t interrupt people on the phone, and don’t try to communicate with them
verbally or with sign language. You could damage an important phone call.
 Limit personal calls, especially if you work in a space that lacks a door.

 Learn when and where it is appropriate to use your cell phone in your office.

 Food consumption should generally be regulated. Smells and noise from food
can be distracting to others trying to work.

International Business Etiquette

As the global market grows, the need to understand multiple international standards of
business etiquette grows. Research the country you will be working in or visiting; note
the proper etiquette, culture and customs for that country. There are, however, a few
key things to keep in mind when conducting business internationally:

 Knowing the language makes an excellent impression on the people you are
doing business with. Barely knowing the language, but feigning fluency, could really
harm the work you are trying to accomplish.
 Be mindful of time zones. You don’t want to wake someone up on their cell
phone or call someone with an unreasonable deadline or concern at an awkward time of
day for them.
 As there is no standard global work day, you should keep in mind that work hours
vary from country to country. This is important when scheduling meetings or conference
calls.
 Know the holidays that will be observed, and be respectful of the time
surrounding the holidays, as people may be less available.
 Meals can be extremely crucial in making a positive international business
etiquette impression. The customs that are followed when dining are often very
important, and mistakes in this area could be costly. Knowing the etiquette well in
advance should allow you to relax and enjoy what could be an amazing new
experience!
Vigilantly observe the corporate culture in which you work, and be aware that change
will happen. Your eyes and ears are your best resource in this learning
process! Numerous resources exist on-line on the topic of business etiquette, and there
are professional courses you can take to help you learn more.
5 Workplace Etiquette Tips Every
Professional Should Know

Whether you are starting your first internship or have many years of professional
experience under your belt, how you present yourself to others in the workplace
matters. Setting a professional tone is crucial to building new relationships and
ensuring you have a positive, successful experience in the workplace.

Make a Good First Impression

People often form impressions about others within seconds of meeting them, so it’s
important to ensure you present yourself as a professional. Be aware of your body
language and how others may perceive it. A good rule of thumb is to stand straight,
maintain eye contact, and smile! Make sure you know the workplace dress code and
office policies ahead of time. Arrive on-time and be prepared for important meetings.

Avoid Gossip
How you treat people says a lot about you. Don’t make value judgments on people’s
importance in the workplace or speak negatively about your coworkers, even if you find
yourself frustrated over a certain situation. Be thoughtful about how you interact with
your supervisor(s), peers, and subordinates as well.
 Communication is Key
Communication is an important part of workplace etiquette. It’s sometimes not what you
say, but how you say it that counts so be mindful of how you communicate with your
colleagues in meetings and one-on-one conversations. In regards to email, be sure your
correspondence inside and outside of your workplace is written clearly and free of
spelling errors. Remember, email is a permanent record of any conversation so never
put anything in writing that you would say to someone’s face.

Understand your Work Environment

The values, policies, and procedures of a workplace can be difficult to discern at first. If
you are in a larger organization with a structured human resource division, you may
have access to an HR Manager or in-house trainings to keep you informed of your
organization’s expectations. In a smaller workplace setting, some of that knowledge
may come from observing others and asking questions of your colleagues when
needed. Lastly, observing the atmosphere and actions of others can help you
understand what’s appropriate and what’s not, and how to best navigate the workplace
while maintaining your professionalism.

As the global market grows, the need to understand multiple international standards of
business etiquette is also growing. If you take a job or internship in another country, be
to research the proper etiquette, culture and customs for both that country and the
organization you plan to work for.

Be Personable Yet Professional

Sharing information about your personal life is your choice, but be cautious when it
comes to what you share; some colleagues may be more open than others and might
choose to keep their personal life private as well. Similarly, you may want to limit
personal calls, emails, and other non-work related tasks to after work hours. Within your
workspace, it’s okay to add personal touches but remember that your colleagues will
see the space and consider it a reflection of your professional self. Lastly, getting to you
know colleagues is a good thing but always be respectful of others’ space. If you need
to discuss something with them, don’t just walk in; knock or make your presence known,
and always offer to schedule a meeting for later in the day if they are busy in the
moment.

6 workplace etiquette rules that can boost

your career
 02 . 01 . 2017
 On the job

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

BY WORKOPOLIS

With the Trump presidency in full swing, it’s an ideal time to consider the
rules of workplace etiquette. While his style of governance – act first,
possibly think later, disparage opponents, blame scapegoats, avoid
accountability through the revision of facts, ignore any inconvenient truth –
has garnered headlines and fascination, it’s one that shouldn’t be held up
as a role model for anyone hoping to be an exemplary colleague.
To realize your career ambitions, it’s critical to act with integrity and
respect. You might think that nice guys (and gals) finish last, but this kind
of approach is fundamental to the long-term success of your career (and
your workplace).
Think about your appearance
There’s a reason for dress codes. A workplace must appear clean,
organized, and professional and the same applies to employees. Your
attire, rightly or wrongly, contributes to your professional image and what
you wear should reflect your environment and position. Coming to work
dressed as if you just threw on whatever was crumpled into a pile on your
bedroom floor is going to send the wrong message.  Do you really care
about your work? Dressing like this can make it hard for people to take you
seriously, which in turn, can limit your chances of moving up.
Of course, dress codes are not standard across industries. Creative outfits
like advertising agencies will probably skew a little more casually than a
financial institution or law firm, but if you don’t dress for a management
role, you’ll never be in a management role. As they say, dress for the job
you want.
A good way to gauge what’s appropriate is to look at what your colleagues
are wearing.
Take care of yourself
Yes, getting out of bed in the morning can be a challenge but it’s
important to give yourself time in the morning to get ready. We’re talking
specifically about hygiene here. If you find colleagues avoiding your desk
and you’ve been left anonymous gifts of mouthwash and deodorant,
chances are good you’re going to want to put more thought into the
impact your hygienic habits are having on your professional image and
coworkers.
The same goes for food. No one wants their office to smell like fish, so if
you’re dead set on warming up your leftover salmon, make sure you eat it
in the kitchen.
Respect your colleagues’ time
Workplaces are busy. There are hundreds of demands on people’s time
every day so it’s imperative to respect your colleagues’ schedules.

Sure, it’s great to have a little chat with coworkers, but maybe they don’t
want to see more pictures of your kids, or hear about your thoughts on the
housing market. Chances are, they’ll be too polite to actually tell you to go
away, but if they start showing signs of getting back to work – like reading
an email or answering with monosyllabic grunts – pick up on the cues.
If you’ve been invited to a meeting, make sure to come on time or better
yet, arrive early. Coming late is disruptive and may not only delay the
meeting’s start, but also its conclusion.
If you can’t attend, let someone know. Unless you’re a masochist, you really
don’t want to leave a room of busy people waiting for you not to show up
or have a colleague try to track you down.
It’s also a good idea to avoid the temptation of using your mobile phone
during a meeting. Yes, you’re probably receiving important emails, phone
calls, and WhatsApp messages, but you’ve been invited to that meeting
because your input is valued. The least you could do is give your
colleagues your undivided attention. This signals to them that you care,
and that you can be counted on.
Keep your business and personal lives separate
There’s one (and possibly more) in every workplace: that coworker who
insists on having personal phone calls at his or desk, subjecting everyone
within earshot to all the intimate details of their lives. Don’t be that person.
And if you do overhear someone’s conversation, don’t bring up its details
with them later. They’re probably unaware that everyone has heard about
their child’s health problems and may view your concern as intrusive.
You want to maintain as pleasant as possible a relationship with your
colleagues. After all, they aren’t friends whom you can choose to stop
seeing. Fracture a relationship and think about how awkward it will be to
see that person’s face every day.
To that end, avoid divulging too much of your private life. Think of it like
when you’re hanging out with distant relatives over the holidays; it’s best
to avoid topics like religion and politics.
Inevitably, there will be times when your private life will intrude but
exercise discretion on how much it affects your performance. If there’s an
emergency at home – a child is ill, a water pipe has burst – it’s going to be
fine if you have to come in late or leave early. If, on the other hand, you
had a few too many beers the night before, you’re going to have to push
through that hangover and come into work.
Be accountable
Own your behaviour and actions. Children (and politicians) get to avoid
accountability because they’re, well, children (and politicians) learning how
to function in the world. Adults, on the other hand, should know better.
For example, if you’re chronically late to the office because there’s too
much traffic on your commute or because your car keeps breaking down,
try a different commute, take public transportation, or leave home earlier.
When you’ve made a mistake in your work, don’t make excuses. Doing so
speaks greater volumes about your character than what your work says
about your abilities. Above all, don’t throw a colleague or manager under
the bus – it’s counterproductive and jeopardizes not only your reputation,
but also your relationships.
Pay attention to details
In life and in work, it’s the little things that matter. There are a few things
you can do to behave with grace in a workplace and help make the
environment just a little better for everyone around you.
Treat everyone with respect and kindness.
Whenever you’re the person who uses something up, like coffee from the
percolator or paper in a printer, take a few minutes to replenish the stock.
When you’re in the elevator, hold the doors open for approaching
colleagues. Don’t stand there mashing the close button furiously as you
mutter a completely insincere apology through the closing doors to your
stranded coworkers.
Surprise your coworkers. If a colleague has done something to help you out
with a job, acknowledge his or her efforts with a coffee or by taking them
to lunch. Staring down the barrel of a long meeting? Bring a box of donuts
or cupcakes.
There’s no doubt that a workplace can be a stressful environment and one
that can push even the most mild-mannered of individuals beyond their
breaking points. To act with respect and integrity, it’s probably best to take
a deep breath and remember the Golden Rule, that one simple adage
we’ve heard time and time again from the time we were toddlers: treat
others as you want to be treated.