Work Etiquette

From a novice, for beginners…Experience makes a great teacher!

Be nice and talk less. People and co workers need not essentially keep lively conversations every day. What really matters is work, satisfactory work and learning. Learning process never stops. Until the day we die – because that’s when we learn what death isJ! So to get back to what I am thinking about…ah, it is important to learn, and do justice to the money we get paid to work in any place. No one needs to have “friends” at work place. Being cordial, pleasant, well mannered, respectful and helpful are the only and very essential qualities at work. Make sure you do not forget these. Avoid over sharing, giving unsolicited advices, unsolicited help (unless it’s a critical situation), trying to sound like a know all and being Ms. Smart pants.

Learn to talk like a diplomat. You can really present the bitterest of information in the sweetest and confident voice – and better still, get the message across. If you get all sweaty, panicked, angry and bitter, the message you want to convey to your team or boss gets lost in the pool of your emotions. All they’ll care is how you have taken this incident or a success or failure – rather than the actual success or failure. I am not trying to say behave like Buddha. It’s more like being balanced in the way you write your emails, talk to your co workers and boss and communicate with the rest of the crowd at work. Don’t be curt, but be right on target. Keep the focus. If you can, spice up the focus with little pleasantries. But don’t get carried away in pleasantries and forget your focus.

Understand everybody is different. Everyone you work in any work place is hired based on certain virtues. Learn to accept their knowledge and understand your differences. Just because you do certain things well does not under estimate your co worker’s ability to do something else better. As we are all so unique, so are our specialties and talents. Always be willing to learn and share your knowledge. But never try to share what you know – if no one asks you. Keep to yourself until you are asked to talk. Sometimes, you may be very nice to share your workarounds for a specific task with your co worker… But they might think you are being imposing and demanding that you want everyone to follow “your” way. You know that is not so. Why do you want to get into such a messy situation? Zip your mouth until you are asked for help or an explanation. If you are never asked, write it down for your reference later and forget it.

Greet, Listen and Smile. Being good and nice to people is important and also listening to people. Nobody wants to know if you folded your cloths all night long. But everybody would be happy if you wait for a little minute for them to answer your “How are you?” question. Remember you are not asking a rhetorical question when you smile at someone and ask how they are doing? Show you really consider them as your fellow human being. So listen, answer appropriately and sympathize.

Be yourself. It’s important to be polite, not to create an argument or come across as a strong willed and adamant personality. It’s equally important to show your originality. Showing originality does not mean hurting others or stomping your foot down on somebody’s ideas. You have to agree with people but when something they say does not match your ideas and life style, you can definitely disagree gracefully. You don’t have to stop listening or walk away or get mad. Just listen quietly, let them talk, vent out or anything. If someone ask for your opinion, say “Sorry, I respect your point of view but differ from it, this is my reason” and stop right there. You need not engage in a passionate tirade of reasons to substantiate your points.

Keep your commitments. Before committing for a deadline, gauge your work. Take everything involved in your work into consideration and then some time for review and unexpected delays. But never miss a deadline. You can over estimate a wee little bit and assign a day or two extra for the completion. But when you say a date, deliver the final product, right on time. And make sure you had two days before the deadline to review the final version and make all necessary edits. A final hand off should look like a final hand off – in any stage. Not like a half baked corn bread that’s gooey and crumbles to the touch. If at all you have to miss a deadline for some reason, let them know, in advance. Look at your plate before accepting additional tasks. If your plate is already full, don’t overload it! It’s a big no no for dieting and work!! Eat only what you can, and stay healthy! Same way get only what you know you can accomplish and stay peaceful!