Business Etiquette are the rules surrounding how you act in the business world. It includes how you interact with colleagues and other professionals while representing yourself as a professional and, your company brand. Proper business etiquette goes hand in hand with professionalism and how you carry yourself whether sending an email, meeting 1:1 with a colleague or attending a networking or social event on behalf of your company. Proper etiquette in the workplace is incredibly important as it shapes your reputation and personal brand – both of which follow you through your entire career.
Communications
Effective communication skills with business partners and clients are perhaps the hallmark of proper etiquette in the business world. There are several types of communications – written, video and in-person. Written encompass emails, messages sent via chat and social media platforms, text messages and information contained in reports often shared via link or attachment. Video includes video meetings via Zoom, Teams or any other video conferencing provider. In-person communications encompass 1:1 meetings, group meetings, and interactions that occur at events, conferences, lunch meetings etc.
Business Etiquette in Written Communications
First and foremost, remember that your written words are permanent once you send a message or document to another person. As humans, we are all capable of making mistakes. Misspelling a word in an email is not the end of the world but sending an offensive or derogatory message can have serious consequences. The below guidelines will ensure you are exercising effective written communication with peers and clients.
1) Maintain formalities in email communications
- Address the person(s) by name in your correspondence. If you are sending an email to a colleague or associate outside your company, always begin the message with “Hi Bridget,” or “Oliver and George,”. If there are several people on an email you many begin with starters such as “Hi All,” or “Hi Team,”. The reason we are maintaining this formality is that it conveys respect and professionalism. If you are emailing someone outside your organization, a dedicated greeting is even more important and might include “Dear Claire,” or even “Mr. Connolly:” though the latter should be reserved for the most formal of email correspondence.
- End with a salutation. Again, we are talking about professional communications and therefore maintaining an element of formality reinforces your professionalism and polish. I end virtually every single email with “Best, Meg” or Thanks, Meg” even if I am emailing with a colleague who I also consider a friend.
- Avoid acronyms and shorthand. Avoid using any slang or pop culture abbreviations or phrases that would not be equally understood by early, middle and senior career professionals. When it doubt, spell it out. A hallmark of professionalism is inclusion which means being mindful of age and cultural differences with your communications.
2) Use correct grammar and punctuation
Spelling and grammar check are thankfully a part of most word processing and email platforms today so there is really no excuse to send an email with spelling mistakes or incorrect punctuation. This applies to internal emails just as much as external ones. Always take a moment to re-read an email before hitting the send button so that you can make any corrections needed. If good writing skills are an area of development for you, there are numerous online tools such as Lavender.ai and Grammarly that can help you bolster your writing.
3) Communicate facts, not feelings
I am sure we have all read an email and misunderstood the intent of the sender. It is easy to do since email is a one-dimensional communication vehicle that is absent tone of voice, facial expressions and body language. When sending any type of emails, flex your emotional intelligence and stick to succinct, key facts and/or questions and save any difficult / emotional / longer discussions for in-person. Sometimes it can feel less confrontational to share feelings of frustration or disappointment via email but truly, it is much more professional to share these feelings via video chat or an in-person meeting. Conflict and disagreements will happen in the workplace. How you handle working through the conflict can leave a lasting impression on your brand in even the most challenging of situations. If you are the recipient of an emotionally charged and / or confrontational email, resist the urge to respond in kind and instead ask if you can jump on a video call to further discuss or, schedule a time to discuss in-person next time both of you are in the office. These extra controls go a long way in maintaining positive relationships with colleagues, even when it is hard.
Chat
Many companies have adopted Slack, Microsoft Teams or other chat platforms that make it easy to send a quick message to one or several internal colleagues. While some of the formalities required for email such as greeting by name and salutation can be omitted, maintain a professional tone with your words to ensure you are always leaving a positive impression with your audience.
- Correct grammar and punctuation rules apply though I will admit, it is easy to quick send a message that has a typo. First tip (telling myself this as well) is to slow down and then, exercise the “edit” function that exists in most platforms to quickly adjust the spelling error.
- Do not use company messaging platforms to gossip or vent about another colleague(s). As discussed above, the written word is permanent and, property of the company. Gossip shows a lack of professionalism and can come back to hurt you if the message gets routed to the wrong person. If you are the recipient of a non-professional message, my recommendation is to ignore the comment altogether. People will quickly learn that you are not interested in idle gossip.
- If you are sending a chat message to a colleague whom you don’t normally message, I do recommend having an added layer of formality in your messaging. Eg “Hi Annie, reaching out as I understand you are in charge of our new Oregon project…” No need for a salutation but addressing someone by name is always a nice touch, when you aren’t in regular chat communications.
LinkedIn is perhaps the most widely used social media platform for the professional / corporate world. It allows individuals to build their professional brand, network, look for jobs and share company updates with a broad group of other business professionals. LinkedIn posts have the potential to reach a wide net if they are liked or shared so pay close attention to what you say and make sure you are comfortable with the masses reading it. Keep your posts professional and work related and please avoid sharing anything that can be viewed as negative or controversial.
In-Person Business Communications
The pandemic turned the traditional model of workplace upside down and while many companies still allow employees to work from home in some capacity, in-person interactions are definitely back in the mix. In-person interactions are powerful in that they facilitate the building of strong professional relationships that can last a lifetime.
In-Office Business Etiquette
Following the office rules demonstrates good manners and professionalism. Rules / policies which should be followed often include:
- Properly reserving a conference vs. just squatting in one that appears to be open to take a 30-minute phone call.
- Tidying up after yourself in any common spaces such as the kitchen or conference rooms.
- Practicing volume control – when speaking on the phone or with colleagues, be mindful of the volume of your voice. If this is a struggle for you, try to book a small conference room to take longer calls or meetings.
- Saying hello to colleagues and making eye contact if you pass them in the office or in the halls. We don’t all need to be best friends but pleasant is nice!
- Ensuring your cell phone is in a mode that doesn’t constantly beep, ring or vibrate as that could be distracting to the people around you. Try to keep personal phone calls and personal text messaging to a minimum.
- Adhering to the company dress code. If jeans aren’t allowed, don’t wear jeans. Easy right?
- Being mindful of non-verbal cues that your peers may be sending and make adjustment to your volume and personal habits as needed.
- Avoiding office gossip and saying anything that you wouldn’t be comfortable telling someone directly to their face. If you are with a group who is engaging in office gossip, feel free to change the subject or even walk away from the conversation if that is easiest.
- If you are a manager, never ever participate in office gossip. It is such a bad look! I had a manager who regularly spoke negatively, in front of me, about my peers who he also managed! I could only imagine what he said about me what I wasn’t around. My respect for him plummeted.
Events and Conferences
Whether you are attending an out of office event with team members from your company or, business meetings / events / social situations with other professionals, keep these business etiquette rules top of mind:
- First impressions matter so when meeting someone for the first time in a professional setting, it is appropriate to greet them with a firm handshake. If that doesn’t feel right for you however, you can absolutely make a good first impression with strong eye contact and a welcoming hello. Different cultures have different norms governing professional interactions. Reading up on international business etiquette is recommended if that applies to your situation.
- Mutually beneficial business relationships are not always instantly apparent. It is a good idea to hold off exchanging business cards until it is clear that a relationship moving forward make sense.
- When speaking with someone, give them your full attention. This can be hard in a busy room but active listening demonstrates professional communication and focus. Avoid looking over their shoulder for someone “better” with whom you would like to converse.
- If you are drinking alcohol at a social function, keep it to a minimum so that you continue to act in a professional manner for the entirely of the event. Overindulgence of alcohol can have serious consequences in the corporate world that I have seen cost people both their job and their professional reputation.
Leave a Reply