LEARNING TO BEHAVE LIKE A PROFESSIONAL.
Business Etiquette
Good manners are necessary to thrive in the business world. You need to train yourself and start involving in things that will sharpen your focus and grow your intellect. As the world becomes increasingly competitive, the gold goes to the individuals and the team that have an extra bit of polish. The person who makes good impressions will be the one who gets the job, wins the promotion or clinches the deal. Manners and professionalism must become second nature to anyone who wants to achieve and maintain a competitive edge.
Often, students focus on becoming experts in their particular field and neglect other concerns, including proper attire and etiquette. Their resume looks great, and they may get through the interview process, but then they get into the workplace and may not succeed. Their behavior is so unacceptable that they are rejected by their peers.
The thing is, you can have good credentials but a good presentation is everything. You cant neglect etiquette, or somewhere in your career, you will be at a competitive disadvantage because of your inability to use good manners or maintain your composure in tense situations. You must constantly practice “please” and “thank you” when you ask for something. They also include using a polite tone of voice, opening doors for others, and standing when an older person enters the room. You may want to take a class in etiquette to learn the proper way to eat in a nice restaurant and handle various utensils, the proper way to act at a formal party, and so on. Of course, it is critical that you are honest, reliable, dependable, and ethical at all times.
People in professional sports are fined if they are late to meetings or refuse to follow the rules established by the team and coach. Business professionals also must follow a set of rules. Many of these rules are not formally written anywhere, but every successful businessperson learns them through experience. You can begin the habits now while you are still in college so that you will have the skills needed for success when you start your career.
Habits for success include;
- Making a good first impression
- Focusing on grooming
- Being on time
- Practicing considerate behavior
- Practicing good “netiquette”.
- Practicing good cellphone manners
- Staying prepared
From the minute you enter your first job until the day you retire, people will notice whether you follow proper business etiquette. Just as traffic laws enable people to drive more safely, business etiquette allows people to conduct business with the appropriate amount of dignity. Business etiquette may compass different rules in different countries. It is important, therefore, to learn the proper business etiquette for each country.
There is a whole lot more to add to professional behavior but I’ll stop for now and continue in another article. FOLLOW ME for business-related topics.
Good grooming in business does not always mean wearing a suit. Growing numbers of businesses have adopted business casual as the proper attire. the key to remember is casual does not mean sloppy. It’s also important to recognize how your appearance impacts both you and the company. What do you think proper business casual means.
