Displaying Good Manners at Work

Business etiquette is vitally important for creating a harmonious work environment and for representing your company in the best manner possible. Although many people consider their technical skills and intelligence to be their most important job qualifications, many employers consider the ability to get along well with colleagues and clients even more important. Being well mannered means two things above all else: respecting others, and treating people with courtesy and kindness.

Whether your company is a highly caffeinated start-up, a small gift boutique, or a large law firm, good manners at work are important because they emphasize your willingness to control your behavior for the benefit of others.

Conducting Yourself with Class
As a representative of your company, you stand not only for yourself, but also for the company as a whole. If you are poised, courteous, and respectful to your company’s clients, they will extend their approving judgment to other employees of your company. If you are inconsiderate, insolent, and rude to your company’s clients, you will be out of a job soon.

Acting with grace and tact is also crucial within your workplace. In the following sections, I introduce you to three important concepts: making a positive impression on your colleagues, working well in a diverse environment, and dressing appropriately.

Making a good impression 

Your considerate behavior in the office and with clients makes a big impression; it’s instantly recognizable and beneficial to both you and to your company. When a courteous employee works with others, including his peers, staff, and superiors, his grace lends an air of professionalism to the work- place that others emulate and that employers reward.

Being a well-mannered business professional is harder than memorizing a bunch of stuffy rules. The greatest challenge is to incorporate the rules of good behavior so readily that you don’t have to think about them at all.



Working in diverse environments
In today’s increasingly global business environment, people of various physical abilities, races, ethnicities, and genders work together. But misunderstandings, thoughtlessness, and poor attitudes create barriers among colleagues and cause fear, hurt, and isolation. The use of appropriate language is crucial for respectful and dignified communication. Education and considerate thought are needed to remove misunderstandings and unnecessary discrimination in the workplace.

Dressing well 

 Psychologists say that most people form impressions of others in the first four minutes and that 80 percent of an impression is based on nonverbal signs. In other words, what comes out of your mouth has very little to do with how people judge you. Also, after you make a first impression, getting people to change that judgment is hard.

How you dress, how you groom yourself, and how you handle your body language in the workplace are all part of your “packaging.” As in product packaging, you can present yourself to be most appealing, and you can present yourself differently according to the time and place.
A well-mannered person always considers the impression communicated by clothing, body language, and grooming. Always be thinking about what your appearance says about you. Never pretend to be anything you aren’t. You should not be uncomfortable or present an image that is not you, but you should present the best you that you possibly can.

Communicating in the Business Arena
Clear communication in business is an essential part of being courteous to others, whether you’re conversing in person, talking on the phone, writing a letter, or chatting on the Internet. What you say reflects who you are, so you want your words to build others up rather than tear them down in any way.

Polishing your introductions

In the business world, you meet new people all the time, for many reasons and in many situations. Being able to introduce others makes everyone feel comfortable and is one of the most useful skills you can acquire in business. The ability to remember names, shake hands properly, and graciously accept and receive a business card demonstrates that you’re at ease and in control, which sets others at ease too.

Knowing how to make a graceful introduction not only allows you to concentrate on making a good impression, but also gives you the confidence and power to nurture relationships from the get-go.


Mastering the art of conversation, in person and on the phone

So many people work in front of a computer screen all day that they tend to forget the usual social graces of conversing. A conversation occurs when two or more people discuss a topic, exchange ideas, share information, and give one another an opportunity to contribute. Having a conversation is the best way to find out what other people like, think, and need.

Every time you make or receive a telephone call at work, you’re representing your company. Many times, the first contact a person has with a company is over the phone, so the impression you make on the phone may be a lasting one. Therefore, you want to sound professional.

Take the opportunity to reinforce your business contacts and improve your work relationships by exercising your best manners when conversing in person and using the phone.