Workplace Etiquette
When Capt. D. Michael Abrashoff first took the helm of the USS Benfold, the 310-person crew was so demoralized, they couldn’t wait to get off the ship. One of Abrashoff’s first acts as captain: Setting up a “Welcome aboard!” program that turned nervous recruits into enthusiastic sailors.
The first week at a new job can be stressful. There are so many new people to meet, passwords to memorize and new software systems to learn. How can you make that onboarding process more welcoming?
At many organizations, it’s common practice to celebrate co-workers’ achievements with a drink after work or to band together for volunteer projects. But is it fair to penalize people who don’t want to participate in these after-hours activities?
Sometimes, when people comment on your clothing, they may be trying to give you a hint that what you’re wearing isn’t appropriate for the office, writes fashion blogger Kat Griffin.
Most admins would probably agree that saying a friendly “hello” or “good morning” to co-workers and bosses is good office etiquette. So what do you do when your greetings fall on deaf ears?
Letitia Baldrige, author and formal social secretary and chief of staff to First Lady Jackie Kennedy, offers her advice on remaining gracious in a world that sometimes forgets its manners:
It still pays to play nice at work, a Robert Half survey confirms. When employees were asked, “In your opinion, to what extent does being courteous to co-workers positively impact a person’s career prospects?” 48% responded it can accelerate advancement.
In some offices, you might kick-start relationships between older and younger workers with these tips: Try reverse-mentoring … Go out of your way to collaborate with different generations … Don’t get hung up on office etiquette you think everyone should be following.
Grandmas are known for their nuggets of advice about bundling up in winter or baking a fruit cobbler. As it turns out, they know a thing or two about navigating the workplace, too. Pearls of wisdom from grandma:
Thanks to our increasingly online (and visible) lives, it’s more important than ever to know how to apologize well. When you wrong someone—a colleague or a customer—apologize by doing three things:
Messy co-workers can make you feel like you’re living in a college dorm. What do you do when others don’t clean up after themselves? You could turn cleaning up into a game. Two suggestions from Get-It-Done-Guy Stever Robbins:
If you’ve ever been hung up on or interrupted, you’ve been the victim of a loss of civility in the workplace. Bring back courtesy and build a kinder workplace with tips from Tom Terez of WorkplaceNow.com:
Perfume? Too personal. Coffee maker? Too expensive (unless it’s a group gift). The rules for gift-giving at work, in those offices that swap presents, are fairly straightforward. Here’s advice from experts:
