Image and Etiquette
Bookmark this on Delicious What are the most important skills to have to get ahead in your career? Some essential skills include increasing your visibility, getting others to perceive you in a positive light, developing your executive presence and having strong interpersonal communication skills. What are interpersonal communication skills? A general definition would be that [...]
Posted on April 16th, 2012 by Tazneem
Filed under: Communication | 1 Comment »
Bookmark this on Delicious Following a LinkedIn discussion on the appropriateness of smartphone’s use at the dining table, I was prompted by a colleague to write about the differences between generations, more specifically as to what they think is acceptable compared to what my baby boomer friends think is appropriate. I decided it would [...]
Posted on March 20th, 2012 by Jennifer
Filed under: Communication, Techno-Communication | 1 Comment »
In any office, it is important to be respectful of others’ workspaces, as well as mindful of the presentation of your own. When your office layout is composed of cubicles or is an open environment, considerations of space and conduct are doubly important. As a component of the shared office, all the elements of your workspace – the volume of your voice, the cleanliness of your desk, the perfume you apply in the morning – will affect nearby colleagues as well as the general office atmosphere. In addition, with this type of setup a boss or supervisor can observe employees in a more detailed way: another reason to keep your self-presentation sharp. Finally, it is important to acknowledge the boundaries of each individual’s cubicle by not interrupting a colleague at any given moment.
Posted on February 28th, 2012 by Diane
Filed under: Business Etiquette, Etiquette | 1 Comment »
We send and receive dozens of work-related emails every day. Messages – often ones that are internal communications – crowd our inboxes and our time. But how many of those incoming emails are truly necessary and important? When does the amount of spent reading and responding to colleagues’ emails become counter-productive? These questions have surfaced as companies have begun to explore new ways to improve efficiency and to relieve their employees from daily floods of redundant messages. In this post I will discuss one CEO’s sweeping change to internal communication in his company – plus a few small ways that you can improve email techniques among your own colleagues.
Posted on January 25th, 2012 by Diane
Filed under: Business Etiquette, Communication, Techno-Communication | 1 Comment »
Bookmark this on Delicious How do you build strong relationships with your clients? For many, networking with clients outside the office is as important as the work done during business hours. This often takes the form of extensive dinners or late nights of eating and drinking. However, as we head into the New Year [...]
Posted on January 17th, 2012 by Diane
Filed under: Business Etiquette, Executive Presence, Networking | No Comments »
Consider your usual written correspondences: most likely you write and receive dozens of emails every day, and text messages fly in and out of your cell phone. Concise and rapid messages are ideal on busy workdays when there are plenty of proposals, meetings, and follow-ups to fill up your schedule, not to mention your inbox – and now, PDAs and tablets have made written communication more efficient than ever. Of course, when we are so accustomed to quickly skimming messages on a screen, receiving a classic handwritten card or note is a special occasion. This is why writing Christmas cards is one of my favourite holiday traditions – it is a wonderful yet extremely simple gesture that sustains personal connections not only between loved ones at the holiday season, but also between business contacts and partners.
Posted on November 28th, 2011 by Diane
Filed under: Business Etiquette, Holiday Etiquette | 4 Comments »
When it comes to corporate gift giving, many people tell me they feel they are navigating a mine field. Spend too little and you risk seeming unappreciative; too much and you risk embarrassing both your client and yourself.
As the holidays approach, rather than feeling anxiety over what to give, look at this as an opportunity to strengthen the bond with your clients, and express how you appreciate working with them. It isn’t hard if you follow few simple do’s and don’ts.
Posted on November 24th, 2011 by Diane
Filed under: Business Etiquette, Holiday Etiquette | No Comments »
Last week I reviewed Narinder K. Mehta’s recent publication, Five Steps to Your Next Job, a valuable resource for anyone on the job hunt. In my previous post, I featured the book’s insight on the latest trends in the contemporary job market, notably building your resume and making professional connections via social networking and establishing your “online presence.” This week, I would like to continue the discussion by focusing on one aspect of the job search that always has been and will continue to be decisive in the hiring process: the job interview. Mehta offers many tips on interview preparation from the moment you receive the call to the post-interview follow-up. He also provides breakdowns of different types of interviews – and the accompanying business etiquette that you need for these various contexts, which I will discuss further in this review. Whether the interview is traditional, over the phone, or during a meal – preparation for the appropriate context is essential.
Posted on November 4th, 2011 by Diane
Filed under: Dining Etiquette | No Comments »
Long plane rides lend plenty of time for reflection. On an 8-hour flight home from vacation this summer, I started thinking about how handy my business trip to-do list is, even for casual summer holidays like this one. Sometimes international travellers will head to the airport without thinking twice about how their destination might differ from their home country, or how their own customs and manners might fit in with another culture. In my opinion, it’s always best to prepare before travelling abroad: just a little pre-voyage homework can ease your adjustment to a new place and will demonstrate respect for your host’s nation and customs.
Posted on October 5th, 2011 by Diane
Filed under: Business Etiquette, Travel | No Comments »
Life is filled with meeting and greeting new people. Even though we’re reminded repeatedly; “Never judge a book by its cover,” we do. We’re constantly making snap judgments about the people we meet and greet. Curiously, it turns out, our first impressions tend to be quite accurate:
“We have long known that people jump to conclusions about others on the basis of very little information but what’s striking about these findings is how many of the impressions have a kernel of truth to them.”
– Psychologist Sam Gosling, The University of Texas at Austin.
In other words, we make assumptions, or jump to conclusions, with very little information and generally, we’re right!
Appearance, body language, intonation and interaction all work together to create a first impression. When they work in harmony, the result is positive. Let’s examine the four keys:
Posted on August 24th, 2011 by Diane
Filed under: Body Language, Communication, Dress, Etiquette, Image | No Comments »
