From sharing office space to being on time, to socialising with work contacts, acceptable workplace etiquette is essential. The way you greet and interact with the people you encounter every day at work can make long-lasting positive or negative impressions and affect success in your job.
Good manners are good for business, while great manners can set you apart. Here, therefore, are some workplace etiquette pointers:
Desk-iquette
Take pride in your work area and be more efficient at your job. If your work area is a cubicle or open plan, you can hear your next-door neighbour tell his wife he's working late and close an important deal.
- Unclutter your desk. Try to set yourself a rule that whenever you're out of the office for more than a certain time -- say an hour -- you'll clear everything from the desk.
- Avoid strong smelling food and drink at desks. And don't leave curled up sarnies lying around.
- Make sure your decorations are tasteful and that you don't put up anything that could be considered offensive.
Phone-iquette
Since customers are the ones who put the profits into a business, they don't appreciate being treated with rudeness - especially over the telephone.
- Try to answer before the third ring.
- Always answer with the name of your company or business. If it's someone's office, you may use their names: "Good morning, Mr. Smith's office. This is Mr. Jones." Never transfer a caller without telling them you're doing so.
- If you must put the caller on hold, come back to let them know what's happening. Offer to call back so they don't have to wait.
Mobile-iquette
Debrett's, master of social advice, has published guidelines to help mobile phone users get through this minefield.
- Know when to turn your mobile phone off or vibrate it.
- When you get a call, keep it short.
- Inform others at the beginning of a meeting if expecting an important call and ask for their permission.
- Keep your ringtone sensible -- not everyone will necessarily enjoy your selection.
Net-iquette
Almost 2 million e-mails are sent every second. But while HR professionals have concerned themselves with privacy issues and the amount of time spent sending personal e-mails, few have focused on the do's and don'ts.
- Make sure your email is properly laid out; written in plain English without jargon and text-speak.
- Use an accurate subject line related to a business issue.
- Review the e-mail before you send it.
- Don't overuse the CC function. Who really needs to receive it?
Meeting-iquette
UK workers believe that more than one-third of meetings are not just unnecessary, but counter-productive. So how should you make the best use of the time? How can you think smarter and make meetings count?
- Respect others' time and always arrive promptly.
- Don't leave your phone switched on, take calls or send e-mails on your BlackBerry or laptop.
- Stuart Duff, senior business psychologist, recommends egg-timers in every meeting room, along with a strict policy of 20-, 40- or 60-minute meetings.
- Create a meaningful agenda and make the chair responsible for keeping to it.
- Ensure each meeting is concluded with an action plan that's followed up.
Dress-iquette
In business, impressions count. One person's easygoing dress-down Friday is another's slovenly bad manners, while a suit can make you look like you mean business.
- Don't dress as if you're off to a nightclub.
- Clothes must be high-quality, clean and ironed; hair and nails well cared for and shoes polished.
- Accessories for both sexes should be sensible and functional.
At the end of the day, good manners really do matter and could make the difference between gaining the respect of superiors and peers -- or being looked upon with disdain. If you do make a slip up, such as being late or forgetting to turn off your phone in a meeting, then how you deal with it will make all the difference to how you're perceived.