Etiquette

Follow These Office Etiquette Rules

July 6th, 2009

When in an office, whether working or visiting, there are guidelines to follow regarding

achieving proper office etiquette. The workplace is entirely different from your home, where

in the latter you can act any way you want it because no one is seeing you or you are not

disturbing anyone or any activity.

Remember that you have to act respectful and polite in a workplace. Do it with dignity and

honesty at all times. It is a good reputation and one that your co-workers and customers

will love.

1.) Appropriate Office Clothing

In terms of proper attire, certain rules apply. One example is wearing slippers, flip flops,

or thongs while at the workplace is a big no-no. You can save all these foot wears to beach

or mall.

Sometimes, the nature of the office requires that you wear slacks or office pants, and not

jeans or denims and t-shirts. In this note, do not come dressed in jeans or shirt unless

during wash day or if your office allows you to. Office blouses, long sleeve blouses, polo

tops, and long office slacks are appropriate dress code in most offices. The shoes must be

closed for men and peep-toe or closed for women.

Of course, if the environment of the office is casual, less formal dress code may be

implemented. However, you are still not allowed to ear mid-riff tops, spaghetti tops or

dresses, revealing dresses or mini skirts, and slippers to work.

2.) Be Clean and Fit

All people are turned off of smelly people. In the office, being smelly is even more a

crime. You don’t want your officemates walking away from you because of the foul, offensive

odor. Therefore, be sure to shower first before going to the office and use a nice, suitable

deodorant, and brush your teeth.

Use clean clothes and shoes. And be sure to groom yourself. You don’t want to show up in the

office with your hair all over places and your clothes wrinkled because you didn’t press

them before coming in. Be neat and act conservatively, if required by the nature of the

office.

Hide your tattoos and remove all body piercings except ear piercings, if you are a woman,

unless you are working in a tattoo shop. 

Do not sneeze or cough without covering your mouth. Use tissue all the time to avoid the

germs from scattering. And don’t forget to say excuse me every time.

3.) Good Manners and Right Conduct at the Office

Good office etiquette comes from being courteous and respectful all the time. Keep

interrupting people at a minimum. If you find yourself suddenly meddling with office mates’

conversation, be sure to apologize for the intrusion. Use courtesy as well if you need to

strike up a conversation with another.

Remember that the conversation must be work-related as possible. The office is not an

environment for gossip, so quit visiting your co-worker’s cubicle if you don’t have anything

important needed. If you need to visit them, be sure to knock before you enter.

Always use courteous words, such as, thank you, you are welcome, and please. Always show

appreciation. Don’t shout when talking or don’t laugh loudly. It is disturbing to other

people.

Avoid these things:

• Selling goods inside the office.

• Hovering around waiting a co-worker to finish phone call.

• Tactlessly criticizing another co-worker.

• Using cell phone, mp3 player, and other gadgets during office hours.

• Giving sexist, racial, and offensive comments.

• Being a know-all individual.

• Blaming someone else even if it was your mistake.

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Event Etiquette Rules: Avoid The Stressful Ending

July 3rd, 2009

Finally, the event is over. The delegates and guests were long gone. You are trying to rest

a little with a cup of tea after hosting it. Before you is a picture of mess, chart paper

sheets strewn all over the room, lunch packs with food debris  all over, countless emptied

paper cups lying every horizontal part of the room.

You are simply drained after the successful workshop. It has been a tough thing to deal

with. All guests and delegates were smart and sharp, challenging all knowledge you throw at

them and demanding long, clear explanations for every theory you present. As you remember

this mind exhausting battle, plus the once orderly, clean training room now full of scatter

and mess, you even get more exhausted.

You know the cleaning staff would be due shortly to take care of the mess, so no issue with

the mess. But after all this, is everything over for you?

No. You are in for another stressful activity, dismantling everything you earlier came up

with to make that event a successful one. Hosting and organizing an event is truly an

exhausting one that if you don’t know the proper event etiquette rules to follow, it would

be more tiring for you.

So, as early as the start of arranging the workshop, it is practical to have different team

members available anytime they are needed. Assigning specific responsibilities to each of

them will enable you to manage the whole process as efficiently and smoothly as possible.

When it is about larger events, it is necessary more than ever to keep things cool by having

a good checklist of everything, from the smaller detail to the most major one. As each

detail is completed, score it out, and then proceed to another. You have to remember to be

as clear as possible so you don’t miss out the gray areas.

A clear, visible checklist also allows everyone involved work as systematically and easily

as they can. And it helps them help each other the best they can with their own assignments.

 

If this activity is a regular part of your daily life, you will need a venue where you can

go to anytime as well as that which welcomes you back nicely. You will have this courtesy if

you treat the venue like it is your own. You can do this by making sure everything is back

in its orderly form before leaving after concluding the event. The room must be prepared for

the next event users.

Though it is tempting to run after the stressful workshop day, you would not want to

compromise your own reputation by leaving the venue room in disarrayed condition.

With as far as venue is concerned, a proper etiquette in this aspect asks you to be nice

always by leaving feedbacks, or suggestions, if you may.

This can be done by filling out those evaluation forms. You can put the smallest detail that

you noticed lacking in the venue. In the same note, you can compliment them after ending the

day without any trouble with the venue’s facility and equipment.

Whether you have to leave a negative or positive feedback, always make sure that at the end

of the evaluation form, you have something nice to say and that you are willing to go back

at the next event. 

You can also send a thank you note to the manager. You will find that this little gesture is

big enough that next time you visit you will be accorder with royal treatment.

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Email Etiquette: Don’t Send The Wrong Emails!

June 30th, 2009

The way people communicate has radically changed over the years. Email has become one of the most used medium because of obvious advantages it provides to the people. Email is the easiest, fastest, yet considerably the cheapest to send your messages to your loved ones, friends, and associates. Everyday, email is being sent to millions of people around the world. Everybody is forwarding email messages, including unnecessary ones, and people have become so used it that proper etiquette has been neglected causing discomfort to other people.

One perfect example of violation against email etiquette happens at the office. In fact, most of the unnecessary forwarded email messages are coming from employees and happening during office hours. Unless your office environment does not mind, this can be punishable and can even mean termination if found guilty. Hence, it is advised that employees are more careful when sending emails to avoid the trouble.

Conversely, you have to be aware of the following tips when sending email messages and stop unnecessary harm.

Reply Only To the Right Email Address/es

It happens to you once, twice, or maybe even more? Again, in an office scenario: you and the rest of your officemates received an email from your boss indicating an apology because of some incompetence in his part. Maybe you have quite an ill-feeling towards the boss, so you pored over his email and then proceeded to comment and send it out to other co-workers.

Suddenly, it happened. In a hurry and carelessness, you have sent it out to the group and you did not forget deleting your boss’ email address from the group list. You didn’t realize it until he calls you to inform he is not happy about what you did. You know what happens next, don’t you?

Next time, remember this thing: double check the names in the list before hitting the send button.

Brief Replies

People are always busy, especially when they are at work. Because of this, they often cannot appreciate long email messages that these end up unread or if read, unfinished. Avoid this by creating short email replies but be sure that it contains relevant data as asked. Be careful when being short with your replies though. A single or few words is a brief, curt message that often means non-committal on your part or is simply plain; thus, may connote a negative effect on the reader.

Spare the Sarcasm

Not all people see sarcasm in the same way. It can be seen by other people as funny, entertaining one, but to some others, it can be offensive. And the worst place to put sarcasm is in your email message. Remember that email is a non-verbal communication; therefore, the recipient has no inkling what your facial expression when you were typing the email and misinterprets the tone of your message. 

Next time that you intend to convey laughter, save it during one of your verbal communications.

Keep It in Small Caps

You know how big caps, or upper case, mean in email messages, and even in text messages. They mean fighting, conveying, and yelling. So, save the big caps for the first letters of the sentences if you don’t want the recipient of your email to misconstrue the true meaning of the message. The rest, keep it in lower case.

And, next time that you are typing that email? Leave the Caps unlocked.

If you have been doing it the wrong way all this time, be sure to remember the above etiquette tips to avoid harm not only to the recipients but to you as well.

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Email Etiquette: Don’t Send The Wrong Emails!

June 27th, 2009

The way people communicate has radically changed over the years. Email has become one of the

most used medium because of obvious advantages it provides to the people. Email is the

easiest, fastest, yet considerably the cheapest to send your messages to your loved ones,

friends, and associates. Everyday, email is being sent to millions of people around the

world. Everybody is forwarding email messages, including unnecessary ones, and people have

become so used it that proper etiquette has been neglected causing discomfort to other

people.

One perfect example of violation against email etiquette happens at the office. In fact,

most of the unnecessary forwarded email messages are coming from employees and happening

during office hours. Unless your office environment does not mind, this can be punishable

and can even mean termination if found guilty. Hence, it is advised that employees are more

careful when sending emails to avoid the trouble.

Conversely, you have to be aware of the following tips when sending email messages and stop

unnecessary harm.

Reply Only To the Right Email Address/es

It happens to you once, twice, or maybe even more? Again, in an office scenario: you and the

rest of your officemates received an email from your boss indicating an apology because of

some incompetence in his part. Maybe you have quite an ill-feeling towards the boss, so you

pored over his email and then proceeded to comment and send it out to other co-workers.

Suddenly, it happened. In a hurry and carelessness, you have sent it out to the group and

you did not forget deleting your boss’ email address from the group list. You didn’t realize

it until he calls you to inform he is not happy about what you did. You know what happens

next, don’t you?

Next time, remember this thing: double check the names in the list before hitting the send

button.

Brief Replies

People are always busy, especially when they are at work. Because of this, they often cannot

appreciate long email messages that these end up unread or if read, unfinished. Avoid this

by creating short email replies but be sure that it contains relevant data as asked. Be

careful when being short with your replies though. A single or few words is a brief, curt

message that often means non-committal on your part or is simply plain; thus, may connote a

negative effect on the reader.

Spare the Sarcasm

Not all people see sarcasm in the same way. It can be seen by other people as funny,

entertaining one, but to some others, it can be offensive. And the worst place to put

sarcasm is in your email message. Remember that email is a non-verbal communication;

therefore, the recipient has no inkling what your facial expression when you were typing the

email and misinterprets the tone of your message. 

Next time that you intend to convey laughter, save it during one of your verbal

communications.

Keep It in Small Caps

You know how big caps, or upper case, mean in email messages, and even in text messages.

They mean fighting, conveying, and yelling. So, save the big caps for the first letters of

the sentences if you don’t want the recipient of your email to misconstrue the true meaning

of the message. The rest, keep it in lower case.

And, next time that you are typing that email? Leave the Caps unlocked.

If you have been doing it the wrong way all this time, be sure to remember the above

etiquette tips to avoid harm not only to the recipients but to you as well.

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Common Informal Etiquette: Where Did They All Begun

June 24th, 2009

Informal etiquette go as far back as pre-Middle Ages. They were formed from sensible ways of

doing things which prevented conflict, brawls and strain in social relationships.

Compliments to these early efforts to form peaceful relationships between people of long

ago, we have the rules of etiquette to follow now and there seems to be no possibilities of

changing these anytime soon. Here are some informal etiquette and how they started.

Handshake
If it were not for the movies and history books, we probably do not have a clear idea of how

people dress long ago. Well, apart from the tight leggings and the flowing poncho-like

cloths hanging on their backs, swords were also very fashionable. So they wore swords all

the time. And when you have a shiny broad sword with you that flares how manly you are, it

is hard to resist the temptation of not using it to cut somebody else’s limbs.

Since troubles often ensue when men are armed and when they are equipped with a

dysfunctional sense of anger and lots of booze, some sensible people thought it more polite

to use the hands instead of the swords in greetings. So since the Middle Ages, men extended

their right hands to signal friendship and their lack of need for trouble and brawling.

This custom was passed down over the years and has become an official gesture for greeting

as well as a gesture of courtesy. So people, in almost all parts of the world, greet people

with a handshake using the right hand on almost all types of occasions- whether it be formal

or informal.

The “Ladies First” Attitude
Ever wondered why females always get to go first on the line? Or why they always have to be

assisted when getting down the car? Or why they always have to be given the special

treatment? That’s because it’s the polite thing to do. While some contemporary females no

longer want to have this conduct practiced, ladies of some centuries ago thought it’s

convenient and functional.

During the time when they wore very long gowns and very stiff corsets, it was impossible for

them to feel comfortable and for them to move the way they want to, so it was men’s

obligation to assist them when they exit the carriage, when they walk in pavements, when

they attend concerts and plays. Again, this was passed down the succeeding generations and

voila- you have societies that give females the so-called special treatments.

Basic Manners of Good Taste
Some rules apply like they were cropped from good common sense. Some of these are daily

activities which we choose to do when we are alone and far from human interference like

picking nose, passing gas, scratching various parts of the body, spitting, using obscene

gestures and languages, fidgeting, belching loudly, coughing or sneezing very loudly, and a

host of many other common bad manners.

The thing though is, these did not root from common sense, instead they were established

from good taste. This is why people sneer at other people if they do the aforementioned

activities in public since these display bad taste, both in personal habits and manners.

It is hard to imagine how societies can be more organized and safer to live in without the

basic rules of etiquette.  Thanks to the people who wanted to make the world a better place

to live in, we now have lesser people who don’t bother about being impolite.

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Business Etiquette – How To Apply It During Business Dining Meetings

June 21st, 2009

It is often said that respect begets respect. This only goes to show the importance of the

practice of business etiquette whether you are dealing with long-time or new-found clients

as well as with your other business associates.

The corporate world is a host to a wide range of possibilities. Nowadays, several of the

business dealings no longer transpire within the four walls of the office. Many businessmen

conduct the transactions over lunch or dinner. Some of them are done while playing golf,

during some special business functions, and during some entertainment events. Needless to

say, the restaurants are among the common venues wherein contracts are signed and business

deals are closed.

Below are among the essential business dining etiquette tips that you should observe. Keep

them in mind and establish healthy business relationships.

Take note of how the clock works.

Prior to the actual meeting itself, you have to come up with a schedule. Is it going to be

at breakfast time? Is it at lunchtime? Or will you have dinner instead? Whichever schedule

you settle with, what is very important is that you arrive at the venue earlier than your

client does. Don’t let your client wait for you. Being on time or ahead of time is a sign of

courtesy and respect. It is by arriving early that you have more time to fix yourself, to

use the restroom, to check your documents, to warm up with your dialogues, and the like.

Do your own research.

There are instances when it is the client who suggests on the venue of the business meeting.

If the place is unfamiliar to you, it is vital that you do your own research. Check out the

website of the restaurant, make phone calls, or ask other colleagues for directions. It will

also be helpful if you check out their menu beforehand so that you already know what to

order for yourself. Doing so will save you from wasting too much time on the table.

Drinking alcohol or not?

Before the business meal itself, it is best to determine if you are in the mood to order for

any alcoholic beverage. Be careful though if your client or associate is not at all a

drinker. You may also ask your boss if drinking is the client’s cup of tea. Of course, you

have to know your own responsibility as you drink. More so, be sure that you know your own

capacity to tolerate such alcoholic beverage. 

Let’s talk it.

What are you supposed to discuss for the meeting? You may start the conversation with some

hints about sports, travel, business trends, current events, entertainment, and the likes.

Small talks like these help set the mood of the business meeting. As soon as you feel that

your counterpart or client is already settled, then it is best to discuss your proposal. 

Be ready with your cash.

You may or may not be paying for the meal. However, there are times when the total amount of

the meal may exceed that what you have previously expected. In times like these, your extra

cash can save the day. Take note that not all restaurants accept credit cards or check

payments!

The business etiquette is best to integrate into your ownter all, proper manner

encourages long-term business relationships.

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June 20th, 2009

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