Showing posts with label Office Etiquette. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Office Etiquette. Show all posts

10 Office Etiquette Tips

Here are a few common etiquette considerations
1. Understand that time is important to organizations - let it not be a habit to be late for work. Rather not be the one who gives excuses daily. It is interesting that there is not a day when you missed your plane because you woke up late. Your habitual lateness for work tends to communicate your value system and how you see your contribution to the organization. Realize that your employer pays for the time your are late. Be fair and earn every cent on your pay cheque. 30 minutes lost daily is about 11 hours a month lost which is about a full day and a half. Complete tasks ahead of time. Attack each day with intentionality, have a written time plan.
2. Email etiquette - Respond to emails as they come - avoid piling emails because daily you will receive more. Even an acknowledgment of receipt is good enough. Do not click Reply All but simply reply so that it goes just to the one who sent not everyone who was copied. Also use BCC (Blind Carbon Copy), if you are sending many people and you don't want their emails to show. This helps reduce spam.
3. Phone manners - Answer your phone after 3 rings max. Any call, business or social should be able to achieve the objective within 3 minutes. If you can not close the sale in 3 minutes you need to sharpen your skills further. Over and above 3 minutes it can be tantamount to phone abuse. Return people's calls when you get messages that people called in your absence. Keep a phone directory. Keep personal calls to a minimum. Phone bills are such a cost in many organizations compared to email communication. Partner with your employer in reducing costs and overheads. Use appropriate communications methods. Use your personal mobile phone for personal communication.
4. Private visitors - All visitors should come after working hours, or during lunch time. It is unfair to the employer for you to engage in social talk during working hours. If it has to happen let it be by appointment and in states of emergency, life threatening situations. Your relatives, friends and church colleagues must know you to respect your work time. Social meetings should be 5 minutes max but not encouraged. Your role is to communicate how you value your work time to all your contacts. They will respect you for being up front with them. It is not for the employer to always remind you.
5. Internet usage - this tool can easily be abused. Research and Development can be done on this ever increasing pool of knowledge. However addictions to socials chats can be attributed to targets missed and profits lost. Make your internet usage very discreet. Internet abuse has led to many people to lose their own jobs. In some countries, they check your activity online by Goggling you and checking your profiles to see what kind of person you are. Next time you lose an opportunity to be employed, check if your Facebook profile is not letting you down.
6. Dress Issues - Your job will tell you what kind of clothes to wear. Your can not be the CEO of an Advertising agency and always come to work dressed in overalls. The caliber of people you will meet dictates how presentable you should be. On specific days, most companies do allow casual wear, golf days or Fridays. Do not just start your own uniform where a specific request for a type of uniform is in place.
7. Work with a plan - It is shocking how many people dive into the day with confidence yet with no plan of how the time will be spent. Lack of plan causes them to be very tired at the end of the day but they can not answer this question with enthusiasm "Is the stuff you did today in line with your job expectations and targets?", "What did you do anyway?". Plan your tasks. Schedule appointments. Know when to do personal stuff. As a rule of thumb, you can not sacrifice your work expectations no matter how urgent your own things seem to be. Your work objectives first then once complete you look at other things. A plan will ensure you do the right things at the right time. Link this to point 1. above.
8. Financial Integrity in the workplace - You may not be the financial accountant or cashier but from time to time you have a chance to handle cash that belongs to your employer. Always be above board when it comes to accounting for corporate finances. Most people get tempted to "solve" personal pressing matters with company finances with the hope to "cover" the debt "soon". That temptation can cause your name to be branded badly in no time. what is not yours is not yours. Stop having ideas over other people's money. You can be creative with your earnings. Just because it is a company vehicle filled with company fuel does not warrant unplanned and personal trips to see friends and family. Company spends money to try and increase profit and productivity. Keep personal mission to a minimum. I know a of a gentleman who would use a company vehicle every weekend to drive 300km to his rural home without knowledge of superiors until he had an accident out of town. Consider finances the company will lose on wear and tear, regular servicing etc. Have integrity, seek permission. Allow the boss to say No.
9 Relationships - Business is built by relationships. In any business, employees must have a good working relationship. For avoidance of compromise of work ethics, you need to desist from connecting at intimate level with your boss or subordinate. It is a rule of thumb. Believe me, when you work with someone, you tend to know them better with each day, they may solve a few of your problems but they are not your wife to be or husband to be. It is not "for fun" after all. It actually looks and sounds funny. Be professional enough to say No without feeling guilty. Message to bosses - it is easy to use your financial muscle to abuse the power you have over your subordinates. Your social and intimate relations should be outside the organization. Subordinates - do not be wooed by promises of promotion and salary raises. It is not worth it. Earn your money and promotion the authentic way. It brings job satisfaction more than the fact that you entertain the boss once in a while.
10 Be in a sober state of mind in the workplace - Avoid clogging your mind with personal agendas. Your mind should be focused on what has to be done. Avoid intoxicating substances during working hours. Away with the thought that "I reason and think better when I get one or two beers". That is a lie to justify bad work habits. You have the evening to do what you want, as long as it will not affect your 8-5 performance. You also have weekends to rest, relax your mind and connect socially in your community. When you have a sober mind you are able to respect and honor and prefer others in the workplace.

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Promoting positive thinking in Office Life

Positive Thinking in Office Life
• On entering your workspace, greet your workmates with a pleasant ‘Hello’ or ‘Nice day’.
• Take a few minutes to have a brief chat with particular workmates, as the occasion warrants.
• When you get to your workspace, get settled straight away and write out your daily plan.
• Make certain that you get right to your high priority tasks.
• Look forward to the pleasant events which you have scheduled during the day.
• Reward yourself for having completed your first significant task of the day by telling a close workmate about the accomplishment.
• Participate actively in meetings.
• Use your coffee breaks and lunch break to meet with workmates whose company you enjoy.
• If time allows, try to get out of your workspace for a brisk and vigorous walk after lunch.
• Survey the availability of pleasant places nearby where you can take your lunch and get some exercise as well.
• Keep updating your daily plan as you complete tasks or as new tasks occur during the day.
• Tell a close workmate how the day is going for you.
• When meeting with your boss or supervisor, be certain to provide a relevant and brief commentary about your progress on any special projects.
• Consider expanding your circle of friends at work. Invite a newcomer at work to join your group at the coffee break or at lunch.
• At the end of the day, review your daily plan, taking special note of the crossed off jobs. Take pride in your accomplishments. If there are outstanding tasks, place them on the plan for tomorrow.
• Clear your workspace so that you can get right down to work when you arrive tomorrow.

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Positive Emotions

Concerning feeling inferior, this is common. The others probably feel the same. This is because most people had experiences in infancy which made them feel weak, insignificant, foolish, ignorant, dirty, unloved. These memories and impressions, buried deep in the unconscious mind, go on exerting a baleful influence. At least, they will, unless you take steps to render them harmless.

• Try to recall any such humiliating childhood experiences. Get clues by recalling stories told in your family circle about your infancy.
• Keep telling yourself that you refuse to allow childhood experiences to mar your adult life.
• Always think and speak positively about yourself.
• Speak reassuring to yourself as you fall asleep, reminding yourself that you are, in fact, of worth, that you are accepted, respected and loved.

• Dwell upon your uniqueness - No other person on the globe has qualities identical. Therefore you can make a contribution to life no one else can make-hence it is of extreme value. Rare things are always precious.
Be sure to sponge away all feelings of guilt. Guilty people are never completely happy. Ask others to forgive you, do all you can to make amends, and then forgive yourself.
Most guilty feelings spring from the sex impulse. They will evaporate if you accept your sex instinct as a normal part of your human make-up. It should not be a cause for self-reproach and consequent conflict.
The human voice is capable of beautiful sound, even in daily speech. When so many sounds around you are raucous and ugly, why not begin taking a pride in the quality of your voice and speech?

The causes of Poor Speech – Poor speech has two basic causes-environment and laziness. Once you want improvement, an unhelpful environment need no longer affect you detrimentally. Rather let it act as a goad to you to improve your speech.
The tongue and lips, like water, take the path of least resistance. Unless you determine otherwise, they will betray you. Your speech will continue to be, or may become, slovenly. With continued disuse, the muscles controlling the lips are unable to obey the call for action. Good speech becomes impossible.

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Positive Attitude in Life

Your positive mental attitude, outlook, approach and words have a tremendous influence not only over your own self but also over others with whom you come into contact. Your positive conduct and confidence automatically infuse confidence in the other person. It compels him to take notice of you. Psychologically, all of us like things that are positive, favorable, promising and hopeful. You will never like to have dealings with a person who is gloomy, pessimistic and afraid. People react and respond positively to a positive approach and negatively to a negative one. Therefore, when we make human contacts we must do so with a positive emotional attitude, absolutely confident of the positive outcome of the contact or meeting. This is true whether we are trying to make a sale, or succeed at an interview, or to obtain business collaboration, or canvass a vote, or secure an industrial license, or enrolls a member or merely partake in worthwhile friendly conversation. To take success for granted, to think, speak and act success is to create the positive and favorable first impression. People instantly like a positive minded person.

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Physical Appearance and Impression

A really beautiful woman or a handsome man starts with a distinct advantage. We are naturally attracted to have a second look at beautiful women and handsome men are the exceptions rather than the rule. What is more, one should also remember that external beauty is after all only skin deep. Ultimately, it is the personal magnetic charm that counts. We all have experienced that people who are not at all handsome or beautiful, for that matter, people who may be deemed as positively ugly, exercise tremendous influence because of their charm. In short, if we are gifted with a beautiful or handsome countenance, we should put it to good use. In any case, it is necessary that we improve upon what has been given to us.
Neatness of dress and grooming, cleanliness and good posture help you to create the correct first impression. One should select the dress to suit the occasion. When you pay attention to your dress, it will be invariably observed and taken note of by others. Your dress plays a vital part towards the projection of your personality. It does not imply that one should wear very costly or gaudy dress. In fact, they may produce the opposite effect. The dress should be well pressed, clean and not frayed or torn. Your collars cuffs, etc. should be clean. Next, pay attention to your foot-wear. Shoes must be well pulled up. It is also necessary that you pay attention to your hair-cut. Where applicable, it should be well combed. One should also pay attention to one’s finger nails. They should be clean and free from accumulation of dust. We must also see that no bad or repulsive odor emanates from us. In some cases bad odor may emanate from the mouth. In other instances there might be the smell of sweat. Some can not Scand very strong scents. Clean, sparkling, white teeth definitely create a good impression and it enables you to smile without inhibitions. In the case of certain individuals, dust accumulates in the corners of their eyes. They should be mindful of this and remove it. Lastly, your forehead and face should not be oily or dripping with sweat. With proper dress and grooming one should look smart and impressive. Attention to your physical appearance is thus very important to make the right first impression.

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Planning your Office Work

Organize your jobs around the types of tasks to be done: picking up items, telephoning, letter and report writing, seeing various people, and buying necessary items. Depending upon the type of work you do, you may wish to organize the plan chronologically (morning, afternoon and evening sections) or perhaps geographically by listing various jobs according to your movements through the day. Try various types of plans and see which suits you best. The one essential ingredient is to write the jobs down. Very few individuals are endowed with fail proof memories-and on very busy days, chances are that your notes will be more reliable than your brain.

Be precise in noting the tasks - For example, brief notes have been made after the names of the people to telephone. This might seem pedantic, but there is one very good reason for it. That is, most telephone calls take much longer than they need to. Ringing a colleague to confirm a meeting time or place might, under ordinary circumstances, take ten or fifteen minutes. However, if you have noted the specific reason for ringing someone, you may be more likely to keep to the contracted task-getting to the point quickly and then getting off the phone. Making these task notes is particularly important if you really enjoy talking with him and vice versa. Time flies when positive emotions become involved. Enjoy the positive feelings, but also keep an eye on the clock and the remaining jobs on your daily plan.

Give each job a priority rating: 1,2, or 3 - The success of plan depends upon you getting started on the high priority jobs. However, some people have difficulty deciding which jobs are the most important.
Tick the ‘Done’ column to reinforce the positive feeling of accomplishment when you have completed a job. You might think this is somewhat elementary, giving yourself a tick upon job completion, but most people respond very positively to a pat on the back, even if it is self-administered. You can probably recall numerous occasions when you went out of your way to communicate subtly to your boss the fact that you had completed a difficult task. No harm in this whatsoever. Get all of the encouragement and praise you can wrangle from your boss and significant others, including yourself!

• When writing out your daily plan, do not schedule ten hours of high priority jobs for an eight hour working day. In fact, be certain to leave sufficient time for the unexpected-those URGENT jobs which have to done yesterday. The secret is to be determined and disciplined, but also flexible and adaptable. Daily plans which are ramrod rigid can crumble when crisis occur. It’s far better to bend with the new demands and weather the storm than to be blown over or flattened.
• Remember to include on your plan several tasks which can be done on the run, such as revising your part-time lecture notes while commuting on the bus or train. Newspaper and leisure reading can also be done while waiting for a scheduled appointment.
• Work weeks can sometimes extend into weekends. Without placing your home and possibly family life in jeopardy, try to accommodate unusual work demands by planning ahead and anticipating peak periods. If you must work on a weekend, plan your work precisely and be extra efficient so that you can get in and get out, preserving as much of your leisure time as possible.
• Planning your leisure might sound pedantic, but getting as much enjoyment as possible out of your recreational time is good commonsense. For example, planning the shopping trip to the gardening center or the hi-fi store will save a double trip or forgotten-item frustration. You might want to forgo the priority ratings and time limits on weekends, but list your leisure activities to get maximal value from your time.
• When planning your workdays, be certain to look ahead and give appropriate lead up time to planning and development activities for large projects looming in the distance. Read on for more about long-term planning.

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Handling the promotion interview

In large organization and government bureaucracies, there might be several people applying for the same promotion position. One way of processing the applicants is to call them for an interview. There are several points you will want to consider before attending a promotion interview.

• Plan your approach
Try to establish who will be on the interviewing panel. Take into account the personalities of these people when thinking through your interview approach.

• Prepare your materials

Write out on a note card the major issues which you wish to discuss during the interview. You can count on one question being asked of you at the end of the interview: Do you have any questions which you would like to ask?
Consult your note card or your memory at this point and raise any outstanding issues.
If your job is one where drawings, documents or other materials might be of interest and help, have them with you and think ahead how you might use these resources. Do you need a stand, projector or other equipment? If so, be certain that suitable provision is made beforehand.

• Perform as calmly as possible

If calmness under interview conditions is not your strong suit, then relax.
During the interview, do not feel you have to blurt out an instantaneous answer to each question. There is considerable advantage in pausing for a few seconds, pondering the issue and then responding. Silence can be a powerful tool for the calm, composed and confident interviewee.

• Ponder your strength and weaknesses following the interview

Acquiring effective interviewing skills is a matter of experience. Rather than breathe a sigh of relief and forget the whole grueling experience, go back to your work place and make some notes about your strong and weak points during the interview. Review these notes prior to succeeding interviews.

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Getting Promoted

Assessing job possibilities
Promotion is generally a rewarding situation for the employee. To be promoted usually means that you have done a good job and the employer wants to recognize and reward you for your value to the firm. But promotion often carries with it the expectation that you will accept further responsibilities. When considering the possibility of promotion, it would benefit you to ponder the issues below:

Positive factors suggesting promotion

• You are satisfied with the type of work you are doing.
• You are happy with the organization for whom you are working.
• You feel comfortable and competent with your work.
• You are ready to accept more responsibility.
• You are eager for new challenges.
Reconsider applying for promotion if
• You are not happy with your work and/or your firm.
• You lack confidence in your job skills.
• You have serious doubts about your suitability to accept more responsibility.
• You have difficulty relating well to others at your workplace.

Hopefully, you will have satisfied most if not all of the positive factors relating to promotion. However, if all is not well at the work front, you may want to consider other options to promotion at your existing job.
If you are not happy with your job, try to assess why this is and then improve the situation, if possible. If improving your situation is not possible, then consider the feasibility of leaving for another position.
If you lack confidence in your work skills, it is certainly not the time to apply for promotion. Use your time and energy instead in upgrading your skills. Inquire about in-service training programs, external job-updating courses, or evening college courses. The very fact that you are pursuing additional training will probably enhance your general confidence, hopefully upgrade your job specific skills and perhaps even impress your boss.

Many promotions will bring extra responsibility - If this frightens you, then it’s best to ask, ‘Why?’. What would your increased responsibilities be and why are these potentially a problem for you? Often, increased work responsibilities involve supervising others, a delicate skill area. If you have doubts about your capabilities in handling general supervisory duties, such as reprimanding others, then ask your boss if you can take on smaller leadership responsibilities. By accepting these less threatening duties and discussing your progress with your boss, you can shape your leadership and supervisory skills.
If your relationships with one or more people at work are posing stresses and difficulties, then address the problem. Perhaps there is some misunderstanding underpinning the difficulties? Or, perhaps it’s a communication problem. Browse on working with problem people and see if any suggestions are applicable. If you can get to the base of the trouble, then you may wish to give some further thought to promotion. One thing is certain, problems between people at work can be most distressing. Unfortunately, these problems often do not go away on their own. Sit down, think through the problems, plan your course of action and then act. Dealing with problems can be risky, but solutions are not likely to come any other way.

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