Workplace Etiquette: Knowing and Respecting the Rules for Coexistence
19 March 2009
Read by 2036 persons
Pressure for results and the focus on individual performance make the workplace a place of confrontation.
Saying hello in the morning, managing phone calls, and being punctual for meetings are basic behaviors for good group living.
Courtesy is a way of expressing self-respect.
"I'm fed up with my office neighbor filling the room with cigarette smoke"; "My colleagues never stop talking about football all day, I end up losing my concentration"; "The saleswoman in the department only talks about clothes, what a conversation"... These examples of expressions that reflect feelings of annoyance, anger, discomfort, dissatisfaction, or disappointment are certainly familiar to you. Normally, this is the daily lot in all companies, to varying degrees, of course. In this shared living space that is the company where we spend an average of a third of the day, cohabitation is not always easy. Regis Monot, commercial director of Steelcase Morocco, says it clearly: "Etiquette is essential for the smooth running of the company". All the managers interviewed by La Vie éco agree. The problem is that the company is a prime battleground. There is, first, the opposition, inherent in the hierarchy, between managers and employees due to increasingly high objectives. There is also competition, also natural, between employees themselves due to the individualization of performance. Added to this are socio-cultural aspects, such as team members each coming from different backgrounds and educations.
Fortunately, for a long time, the company, like any other form of social organization, has been able to remedy this. Corporate culture, group dynamics..., each company ultimately manages to create its own common code. This is because, despite the differences, there are still common and immutable bases in terms of behavior. One of the first and certainly the simplest is the little hello when entering the office or workshop. Samira Raïssouni, certified coach, confirms: "Politeness should be natural. Making it a habit to greet your colleagues when you arrive in the morning is a small gesture that doesn't require any effort and helps maintain a friendly atmosphere". A manager tells an anecdote experienced in his company: one of the colleagues had the unfortunate habit of entering an office to greet only the person he needed, ignoring other colleagues. He ended up understanding when the same was done to him.
Another embarrassing case, the use of informal or formal address. It is unnecessary to remind you that the question remains complex for many. It's the same as how to call people by their first name or use the terms "Mr.", "Ms.".
The way you address your colleagues, male or female, and your superiors is part of the customs that you should master very quickly so as not to give a bad impression. In a small company where everyone sees each other every day, relationships can be closer and the style of exchange less formal. It's the opposite in large companies where the large workforce leads to compartmentalization and therefore less familiarity. In this case, you should wait for the other person to suggest informal address before you risk it. Otherwise, your attitude may be perceived as contempt or disrespect.
Another important behavior: behaving well in meetings. Because meetings are important in working life, it is essential to observe an irreproachable code of conduct. It is obvious that the first politeness is to arrive on time. During the meeting, the minimum is to pay attention to colleagues' comments and wait your turn before speaking.
But one of the main areas of personal conflict is the open-plan office, an organizational method that more and more companies are adopting to rationalize investments and facilitate communication. In such an environment, noises of all kinds are permanent. For example, the mobile phone can be a source of disruption. If it is intended to remain on all day, some precautions should be taken to avoid disturbing colleagues. In meetings, for example, it is common to see many heads bowed over their phones. "I always leave my mobile phone with my assistant to avoid being disturbed during meetings. I also encourage others to do the same," says this manager.
Some companies display good rules of conduct
In the absence of individual awareness, it is preferable to clearly define common rules of life. Thus, to restore calm, some companies actually put up posters in the designated areas to remind people of the prohibition of shouting, to ban conference calls in the open plan office or to encourage employees to put their mobile phones on vibrate. Others recommend not to extend discussions beyond a certain time, otherwise they are invited to continue the discussion away from the team in a meeting room, a coffee corner or even a specially designed booth.
These places are essential to avoid conflicts. Unfortunately, not all companies have understood that the ergonomics of the workstation, or, by extension, of the space, is an essential condition to promote efficiency and productivity. This sometimes results in makeshift arrangements that generate the opposite of what is desired. "You must always keep in mind that what you do may disturb your neighbors," explains the commercial director of Steelcase Morocco. If you have to eat at your desk, avoid leaving leftovers lying around. In short, it is essential to make compromises to live in a group. Being courteous and caring about the comfort of others is simply a way of expressing self-respect.
Posted on April 27, 2010
La Vie Eco
Saying hello in the morning, managing phone calls, and being punctual for meetings are basic behaviors for good group living.
Courtesy is a way of expressing self-respect.
"I'm fed up with my office neighbor filling the room with cigarette smoke"; "My colleagues never stop talking about football all day, I end up losing my concentration"; "The saleswoman in the department only talks about clothes, what a conversation"... These examples of expressions that reflect feelings of annoyance, anger, discomfort, dissatisfaction, or disappointment are certainly familiar to you. Normally, this is the daily lot in all companies, to varying degrees, of course. In this shared living space that is the company where we spend an average of a third of the day, cohabitation is not always easy. Regis Monot, commercial director of Steelcase Morocco, says it clearly: "Etiquette is essential for the smooth running of the company". All the managers interviewed by La Vie éco agree. The problem is that the company is a prime battleground. There is, first, the opposition, inherent in the hierarchy, between managers and employees due to increasingly high objectives. There is also competition, also natural, between employees themselves due to the individualization of performance. Added to this are socio-cultural aspects, such as team members each coming from different backgrounds and educations.
Fortunately, for a long time, the company, like any other form of social organization, has been able to remedy this. Corporate culture, group dynamics..., each company ultimately manages to create its own common code. This is because, despite the differences, there are still common and immutable bases in terms of behavior. One of the first and certainly the simplest is the little hello when entering the office or workshop. Samira Raïssouni, certified coach, confirms: "Politeness should be natural. Making it a habit to greet your colleagues when you arrive in the morning is a small gesture that doesn't require any effort and helps maintain a friendly atmosphere". A manager tells an anecdote experienced in his company: one of the colleagues had the unfortunate habit of entering an office to greet only the person he needed, ignoring other colleagues. He ended up understanding when the same was done to him.
Another embarrassing case, the use of informal or formal address. It is unnecessary to remind you that the question remains complex for many. It's the same as how to call people by their first name or use the terms "Mr.", "Ms.".
The way you address your colleagues, male or female, and your superiors is part of the customs that you should master very quickly so as not to give a bad impression. In a small company where everyone sees each other every day, relationships can be closer and the style of exchange less formal. It's the opposite in large companies where the large workforce leads to compartmentalization and therefore less familiarity. In this case, you should wait for the other person to suggest informal address before you risk it. Otherwise, your attitude may be perceived as contempt or disrespect.
Another important behavior: behaving well in meetings. Because meetings are important in working life, it is essential to observe an irreproachable code of conduct. It is obvious that the first politeness is to arrive on time. During the meeting, the minimum is to pay attention to colleagues' comments and wait your turn before speaking.
But one of the main areas of personal conflict is the open-plan office, an organizational method that more and more companies are adopting to rationalize investments and facilitate communication. In such an environment, noises of all kinds are permanent. For example, the mobile phone can be a source of disruption. If it is intended to remain on all day, some precautions should be taken to avoid disturbing colleagues. In meetings, for example, it is common to see many heads bowed over their phones. "I always leave my mobile phone with my assistant to avoid being disturbed during meetings. I also encourage others to do the same," says this manager.
Some companies display good rules of conduct
In the absence of individual awareness, it is preferable to clearly define common rules of life. Thus, to restore calm, some companies actually put up posters in the designated areas to remind people of the prohibition of shouting, to ban conference calls in the open plan office or to encourage employees to put their mobile phones on vibrate. Others recommend not to extend discussions beyond a certain time, otherwise they are invited to continue the discussion away from the team in a meeting room, a coffee corner or even a specially designed booth.
These places are essential to avoid conflicts. Unfortunately, not all companies have understood that the ergonomics of the workstation, or, by extension, of the space, is an essential condition to promote efficiency and productivity. This sometimes results in makeshift arrangements that generate the opposite of what is desired. "You must always keep in mind that what you do may disturb your neighbors," explains the commercial director of Steelcase Morocco. If you have to eat at your desk, avoid leaving leftovers lying around. In short, it is essential to make compromises to live in a group. Being courteous and caring about the comfort of others is simply a way of expressing self-respect.
Posted on April 27, 2010
La Vie Eco
