Etiquette is behavior that is considered appropriate for a certain situation. Here is a social media example of etiquette. It is considered appropriate behavior on Facebook to show off your new car. On LinkedIn, however, it is only appropriate to share work-related (or business-related) content, e.g. a promotion. It is not good LinkedIn etiquette to post about your personal life, including your shiny, new, personal car. So what etiquette is appropriate for the office?
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Service & Excellence: https://wowza.blog/?p=228&preview=true
Conservative
The corporate office is a conservative space. This means that your dress and your manner need to be somewhat understated. Understated dress and manner are deemed to be professional. In a typical office, your dress style must never be too sexy. Your dress sense must also not be too flamboyant. Some fields of business may be an exception, e.g. advertising and marketing. The more creative the field, the less ‘uptight’ (conservative) the culture.
Role Models
Many young role models in SA are in the entertainment industry. Their style is therefore generally flashy and overtly sexy. This is not the style you want to emulate in a corporate office. (If you value your career and want to be taken seriously, that is). There will be many mountains to climb where your credibility is concerned. It is unwise to place yourself on the backfoot, on account of an unhelpful dress style. You can get flamboyant on the weekend. The best is to watch the dress sense of the leaders in your company or department.
Efficient & Organised
It is expected of you to be efficient. Being organized will go a long way in helping you to be efficient. It is easier to be efficient if your workspace is neat, and your paperwork is filed and/or organized. Not to mention that it gives a good impression to anybody watching you. If you are organized, you cannot be easily thrown off balance. When the demands of work start to pile up, which they will at some point. Having all your ducks in a row (organized) could be the difference between you sinking or swimming. Being efficient means that you complete a task correctly, in the shortest space of time.
Record keeping
When you are new and still learning, people will tell you things, and impart their knowledge to you. You will need to make a note of your new learnings. You can make notes in a physical notebook or an electronic tablet. You do not want to ask people the same question twice, just because you lost your notes! That’s disorganized. You also do not want to stumble over questions asked, because you misplaced your notes and cannot remember the answer. It gives a bad impression and will cause people to doubt your credibility.
Productive
Office etiquette is centered around being productive. You are earning your salary on the premise that you will be productive in your role. This means that you will produce quality work, a lot of the time that you are in the office. You want to be able to show results as you work, and not merely look busy without results. Of course, people sometimes aim to look busy even when they are not productive. This is to manage perception so that you always look busy even when you are not. Nonetheless, the heart of productivity is showing results.
Continuous Improvement
The more productive you are, the more you hone your skills and become good at your job. It is therefore a win-win situation for you and the company. Your work is also your signature. So a job well done reflects on you, as a person of integrity. Being productive boosts your company’s overall productivity and profitability. A profitable company is not likely to follow retrenchment procedures in a hurry. So productivity most likely keeps your job safe! The more productive you are (and people notice), is also the more likely you are to get a promotion. Promotion means more money and recognition for you.
You may not enjoy all the aspects of your job, but you do still need to be productive. This is one of the baseline etiquettes of your corporate working life.
Composed
Another important office etiquette is to maintain composure. Composure is synonymous with professionalism. You need to avoid venting in the office, no matter how badly you feel aggrieved. You may need to excuse yourself from an altercation and run to the bathroom to cry or to compose yourself. It is better to address an issue the following day or the following week than to speak up in anger (or hurt). Otherwise, you may not mince your words. If you come from a culture of emotional outbursts, followed by sweet forgiveness – this will work against you in most office settings. When working through an emotionally charged issue with others, you may want to write out your thoughts first. Before you talk to them. You will sound more composed when saying it verbally afterward.
Confrontation
Still, on the issue of composure, saboteurs will sometimes push you towards a confrontation, by baiting you. If you fall for the bait and act disrespectful or speak out of turn, it will count against you for future work assignments. You will be labeled as abrasive and difficult to work with. If the confrontation is with your boss – it could even be grounds for dismissal. A confrontation with your boss is generally taken as insubordination. Avoid losing your cool, as far as possible. Rather remain silent, and tackle emotional issues after some deliberation. This applies the same way in emails. No unnecessary outbursts!
Another issue pertaining to composure is the volume of speech. In my two decades of work, I have developed an office voice and a home voice :-). This may change in the future, but currently, more hushed tones are appropriate for the office.
Procedural
Office etiquette is very procedural. You need to follow proper procedure when aggrieved. People will say or do things to make you upset from time to time. Deliberately or by mistake. Sometimes it may even be your line manager who is acting inappropriately and causing you grief. You need to follow proper channels when voicing your grievance(s).
You need to first address the person who is directly involved with the issue at hand. They may well realize the error of their ways, and make amends. If, however, the situation does not improve, then you can raise the issue with their manager. Generally, you would talk verbally first, and follow up with an email on both occasions.
It is career suicide to bypass your boss, and raise an issue(s) with their superior – without raising it with your own line manager first. At all times, keep the communication professional. Follow-up verbal communication with an email to summarise what was verbally discussed.
If talking calmly, and recording evidence over email do not help. It will be time to raise a grievance procedure, as per your HR guidelines.
Curiosity
Another important piece of etiquette is to ask questions and to ask for help. Ask your colleagues and superiors for help and information as much as possible when you need it. Even sometimes when you do not need help – it is still good to ask. This helps you to connect with others. It further helps others gauge how much you know/don’t know. You get to know a lot about other people, as well, as you ask questions and interact with them. Even when you do know a lot – if you are quiet and keep to yourself, people around you tend to assume the worst. Others often think that you are so confused, that you will not even risk talking! The quality of your questions is what will help those around you to realize when you do know stuff.
How to Ask
Asking questions will help you to learn quickly. Do not worry too much about asking stupid questions in the beginning. You are qualified and suitable for the job, otherwise, you would not have been hired. Do not let the fear of sounding stupid, keep you from asking questions. This will just keep you in ignorance. Having said that, though, I believe it is better to target individuals to ask your question(s), instead of advertising your ignorance in public forums like meetings and on emails.
Last Word
Finally, do remember that the people around you are always watching. Put your best foot forward. Avoid bad habits like frequently coming to work with a babalaas or dressing sloppily. Cultivate the habits outlined above, and you will soon be swimming confidently in your work role.
Please leave a comment below to keep the conversation going. I do reply to all comments.