Etiquettes are not some rules that one has to obey because they are mandatory. It is something that benefits an individual as well as an organization and the entire workplace. There are a few simple things we should take care of and here are the 13 professional etiquettes one should follow at the workplace.
1. Dress appropriately
When you have dressed appropriately, it also shows how well you respect your work and your professionalism. Every workplace has its own work culture and one must follow that. It also shows your eagerness to work and your seriousness towards your work.
2. Don’t play with your phone in the middle of a discussion
It looks completely unprofessional and also rude when you frequently respond or cut the conversation by getting busy in calls. If there is something critically important you can excuse yourself and get it done. Moreover, it gives an impression that you consider the discussion unimportant.
3. Proper communication
It is one of the important things that we often discuss less. Communication in business is not just about sending a message or information from one person to another. It is very important the appropriate mode of communication. It is important that message or information serves its purpose. We often leave messages on chat apps or text messages, for important purposes, email is still the best mode of communication. You have to make sure when you are supposed to have face-to-face communication and when it is a need to make a personal visit and when you have to make a phone call when it is much needed.
4. Don’t get too personal
We do involve in personal conversation and become friends with our co-workers and colleagues but it is always advisable to be sure what you share at work. You should also be very careful when you discuss anyone else’s personal life.
5. Don’t say ill things about your ex-employers or your employees
Not the previous employer but you would be judged when you bring any unpleasant things to the discussion about your past workplace. Sometimes you may be true about your unpleasant experiences at the past workplace but still, it is better to keep it to yourself. There are always learning experiences even in the worst phase or place.
6. Greet Everyone
The greeting is not only about wishing good morning or Hi to the people around you. It can be as little as a smile. You should acknowledge people working around you. With a smile, nod, hello, handshake, and things that leave a positive impression about you.
7. Always be on time
If you are putting some good practices by yourself, you would be the first person to get benefit from it. When you are on time, there are fewer chances that you forgot things, you do things calmly, you can think of important things rather than framing an appropriate excuse for every situation. Don’t do this for anyone else, do it for yourself.
8. Maintain good hygiene
It is not only for employees but also for the employer to keep good hygiene at the workplace. We spent most of the day at the workplace and it is not the only duty of one individual but everyone that we take care of the hygiene at the workplace. A clean, sanitized, germ-free workplace do impact the productivity and the likeliness of employees as well as the clients visiting the workplace.
9. Don’t hesitate to help a new joiner
Few complaints that nobody helped them when they joined and one has to help himself. If you have faced the situation, you know very well the feeling of being skeptical about what to ask and what to not. If you can’t help someone don’t misguide them and demoralize them.
10. Acknowledge messages and emails
We all have felt at one point in time that the receiver has received the messages but you didn’t get any acknowledgement or any feedback. It feels a normal thing but sometimes being at a receiving end feels rude. So, one should try its best to acknowledge whenever it is possible for them too.
11. Practice self-accountability
Self-accountability is about taking responsibility for your acts, behaviour, words, mistakes and actions by your own personal accountability. You don’t hide from your act. It is about being brave and honest about your mistakes as well as your acts. There’s no crime if you make a mistake but the important thing is how keen you are to correct your mistakes.
12. Listen
Hearing and listening are two different things. We often are just hearing sometimes and our body language shows it all. We check our phone in between, looking at surrounding activity, not making enough eye contact, and there are many things which the speaker can easily identify your level of interest. If there is important information shared or someone sharing some important insights, you have to be attentive and acknowledge them. If you have some other important things then you can take an excuse to complete that first rather than being inattentive.
13. Don’t gossip
The most important reason to not gossip would be that it impacts your productivity and it would be your loss first. There are many other reasons like you would lose respect, trust and ultimately your credibility.