Workplace Etiquette: Be Your Best at Work

Date
Sep, 29, 2010

Treating your colleagues with respect can gain you a winning edge and create a win-win situation for everyone at the office. Here are some basic rules of etiquette in the office and at office parties.

• Have respect for those around you, and show a keen interest in your position.

• Familiarize yourself with the protocols of your office.

• Personal problems should be kept out of the office. It’s unprofessional to discuss such matters at work.

• Romantic liaisons at the workplace can become very sticky. Need I say more?

• Salaries should not be discussed with colleagues. If you are congratulated on a raise or promotion, your response requires only two words: Thank you!

• Be aware of your body language in social interactions. For example, turning a shoulder and speaking with your body at an angle may suggest Get away from me. Instead, face the other person and make eye contact, which says I’d like to get to know you.

• Greet visitors to your office while standing at the door or in front of your desk, never while seated behind it.

• For meetings or interviews, place two chairs in front of your desk: one for you and your guest. This method presents you both as equals.

• Remember the theory of mutual respect. If your visitor stands, you stand, etc.

• Be respectful and courteous at all times.

• Always ask before you borrow anything.

Office Party Etiquette

Don’t be a wallflower. Make a point of talking to other people rather than waiting for them to come to you.

Do mingle with other employees, especially ones you don’t know.

Don’t drink too much. Less is more when it comes to alcohol and the office.

Do take small portions if at a buffet. You can always go back for seconds. Also, eat first, then mingle. This will cut down on possibly spilling food on your clothes and ruining your cocktail attire.

Do keep your drink in your left hand if possible. This way you don’t have to transfer your drink when shaking hands, and you won’t shock the other person with a cold hand.

Do remember to thank your boss when leaving the party and follow it up with a handwritten thank-you note. You can save a stamp by hand delivering it the next day.

Do dress in a presentable manner. It’s better to be overdressed than to dress too casually. If you are unsure of what to wear, ask your boss ahead of time.

Don’t show up for a party at 8 P.M. if the invitation reads 6 to 8 P.M. Arrive on the early side, as speeches generally take place early on and you don’t want to miss being thanked by the boss for all your hard work!

http://37.60.249.202/~expertet/wp-content/uploads/about-lisa.jpg Lisa Mirza Grotts is a recognized etiquette expert, an on-air contributor, and the author of A Traveler’s Passport to Etiquette. She is a former director of protocol for the city and county of San Francisco and the founder and CEO of The AML Group (Lisagrotts.com), certified etiquette and protocol consultants. Her clients range from Stanford Hospital to Cornell University and Levi Strauss. She has been quoted by Condé Nast Traveler, InStyle magazine, the Los Angeles Times, and the New York Times. To learn more about Lisa, follow her on Twitter.com/LisaGrotts and Facebook.com/LisaGrotts

Follow Lisa Mirza Grotts on Twitter.

September 17, 2010

Related Posts