Essential Office Etiquette

2010Facilitated by Itukisa (Pty) Ltd

AGENDA• Introduction• Session 1

– What is office etiquette – Office relationships– Professional conduct

• Session 2 – Professional attire– Courtesy for individuals with a disability – Handling difficult people and personal issues– Ethical dilemmas– Personal contact etiquette

AGENDA (CONT.)

• Session 3– Etiquette in meetings– Appropriate use of the internet, email, telephone and cell

phone– Attending business functions, social gatherings and office

parties• Session 4

– Open plan office etiquette – Bathroom etiquette – Confidentiality – Unacceptable behaviour at work and common office etiquette

mistakes

Definition of Etiquette

The Concise Oxford Dictionary defines etiquette as the conventional rules of personal behaviour in a polite

society

Office Etiquette

• Personal Behaviour

• Polite Society

• Conventional Rules

Office Relationships

Nobody wants to spend eight hours in an office with

someone who does not know how to behave

Office Relationships

• Office behaviour

• Addressing colleagues

• Conversations at work

• Saying Please and Thank you

• Displaying affection

• Sexual harassment

Professional Conduct Basic Do’s And Don’ts• Show respect for management and your colleagues

• Dress according to the company requirements

• Avoid expressing negative attitudes as they lead to negative behaviour

• Introduce people to one another

• Say please and thank you

• Remember names

• Avoid using vulgar and inappropriate language

Professional Conduct (CONT.)

• Be on time

• Be discreet

• Be courteous

• Be concerned with others, not just yourself

• Dress appropriately

• Use proper written and spoken language

Professional Attire• Personal appearance

• Clothes

• Hair styles, colour and cleanliness

• Accessories

• Make-up

• Posture

• Skin

• Nails

• Perfume / colognes / after-shave

• Dress code

Courtesy For Individuals with a Disability

• Ask before you help

• Wheelchair or mobility impairment etiquette

• People who are blind

Ask Before You Help• Don’t assume they need help

• People with disabilities can usually get around fine

• Treat as independent people

• Offer assistance only if needed

• Ask how before you act

• May depend on their arms for balance

• Avoid patting a person / touching his wheelchair

• Don’t make decisions for them

• Please respect their privacy

Wheelchair or Mobility Impairment Etiquette

• People who use wheelchairs have different disabilities.

• Don’t lean over someone in a wheelchair

• Or ask a wheelchair user to hold coats

• Setting your drink on the desktop attached to someone’s wheelchair is a definite no-no

• Don’t push or touch a person’s wheelchair; it’s part of their personal space

Wheelchair or Mobility Impairment Etiquette (CONT.)

• If you help someone down a curb without waiting for instructions, you may dump them out of the chair

• Keep the ramps and wheelchair-accessible doors to your building unlocked and unblocked

• Be aware of wheelchair users’ reach limits

• When talking to a wheelchair user, grab your own chair and sit at their level

Wheelchair or Mobility Impairment Etiquette (CONT.)

• If the service counter at your place of business is too high for a wheelchair user to see over, step around it to provide service

• Ensure that security guards and receptionists can answer questions about the most accessible way around the building and grounds

• If the nearest public restroom is not accessible or is located on an inaccessible floor, allow the person in a wheelchair to use a private or employees’ accessible restroom

Wheelchair or Mobility Impairment Etiquette (CONT.)

• People who use canes or crutches need their arms to balance themselves, so never grab them

• They may lean on a door for support as they open it

• If you offer a seat to a person who has limited mobility, keep in mind that chairs with arms or with higher seats are easier for some people to use

People Who Are Blind

Identify yourself before you make physical contact with a person who is blind

Introduce them to others who are in the group, so that they are not excluded

Offer them a tour of the office.

If a person who is blind needs to be guided offer your arm - don’t take his

Difficult People• Dealing with difficult people

– Basic needs• How do your colleagues signal these needs to

you?– “I need to be understood”– “I need to feel welcome”– “I need to feel important”– “I need to feel comfortable”

Personal Contact

• Introductions

• Who is first

• Names in order

• Handshakes

• Personal body space

Meeting Etiquette• Arranging a meeting

• Agenda and minutes

• Before the meeting

• Formal meetings

• Duties of the chairperson

• During the meeting

• End of meeting

Internet Usage

• Remember the human

• Adhere to the same standards of behaviour online

that you follow in real life

• Know where you are in cyberspace

• Respect other people's time and bandwidth

• Make yourself look good online

Internet Usage

• Share expert knowledge

• Keep flame wars under control

• Respect other people's privacy

• Don’t abuse your power

• Be forgiving of other people's mistakes

Office Etiquette

• Email etiquette

• Telephone etiquette

• Cellphone etiquette

Business Entertaining

• Entertaining local associates

• Give sufficient notice

• Avoid the hard sell

• Choose the venue and the menu wisely

• Watch budgets and tastes when you order drinks

• Start business talk carefully

• Never be a greedy guest

• Keep the conversation going

Open Plan Office Etiquette

• Showing consideration

• Be accessible

• Keep your desk tidy

• Be careful when having conversations

• Never shout to a colleague

• Use designated aisles or walking routes in an open plan

workspace

Open Plan Office Etiquette

• Never use anything which might cause disruption to others,

e.g. a speaker phone or radio unless permission is granted

• Do not have loud music playing

• Do not speak in a language your fellow staff do not understand

• Avoid taking personal phone calls

• Be wary of speaking openly about any issues of confidentiality

Open Plan Office Etiquette (CONT.)

• Move to private enclosed space to make or take private calls

• Always switch your answer machine on before leaving your desk

• Don’t interrupt during the call

• Pungent or bad odours are one of the most complained about aspects of working in an open plan office

• Practice good hygiene- don’t go overboard with aftershave or perfume

Open Plan Office Etiquette (CONT.)

• Choose neutral smelling foods when eating at your desk

• Eat in designated areas, or outside

• Do not eat in front of someone fasting

• It is not polite to fight in an open plan environment

• Do not use vulgar language

• Keep confidential information you may accidentally over hear private

• Don’t gossip

Open Plan Office Etiquette (CONT.)

• Don’t invite yourself to an informal meeting, if you haven’t been invited

• In general, it’s easy to get along well in an open plan working environment

• Being accessible to people but still maintaining boundaries

• Treat people how you would like to be treated

Bathroom Etiquette• No business in the bathroom

• Wash your hands

• Emails during a bathroom visit?

• Don’t lie in wait

• Keep down the smell

• Dealing with cultural difference

• Not the place to socialise

• Keep it clean

Confidential Issues

• Computers, fax machines and printers

• Computer display

• Telephone, internet (email) and other communications

• Passwords

• Storage of confidential information

• Access

Unacceptable Behaviour

• Gender neutral

• Business meals are for eating and networking

• Adhere to the protocol in your office when addressing superiors

• On casual dress days wear business casual clothes

• Avoid flirting

• Do not scream and shout at your colleagues in front of others

• Never treat colleagues differently, all are equal

• Always wear shoes

Unacceptable Behaviour (CONT.)

• Do not chew gum with your mouth open

• Avoid funky ring tones on your cellphone

• Do not give yourself or a colleague a manicure or pedicure in the office

• Avoid negative behaviour

• Never bad mouth your colleagues or organisation

• Replace paper in the copier and fax machines

• Do not steal food and drinks from the fridge

• Taking office supplies home is unacceptable

Common Mistakes

• Men opening the door or pulling out a chair for a female co-worker/ women waiting for a male co-worker to open the door or pull out a chair

• Men waiting for women to exit an elevator first

• Waiting for the person who called to end the conversation first

• Tracking down a caller when the line was disconnected during a call

Common Mistakes

• Hand writing all personal notes

• Shaking hands across your desk

• Deferring to age and/ or gender when making introductions

• Exchanging business cards

• Addressing your boss by his/her first name when around others

Summary• Introduction• Session 1

– What is office etiquette – Office relationships– Professional conduct

• Session 2 – Professional attire– Courtesy for the physically challenged – Handling difficult people and personal issues– Ethical dilemmas– Personal contact etiquette

Summary (CONT.)

• Session 3– Etiquette in meetings– Appropriate use of the internet, email and telephone and cell

phone– Attending business functions, social gatherings and office

parties• Session 4

– Open plan office etiquette – Bathroom etiquette – Confidentiality – Unacceptable behaviour at work and common office

etiquette mistakes

Fasset Call Centre

086 101 0001

www.fasset.org.za

Thank you