Friday 24th of November 2017
Workplaces comprise employees specialising in different fields but working together to achieve co
...mmon business goals. They follow the company's...
Workplaces comprise employees specialising in different fields but working together to achieve common business goals. They follow the company's culture and protocols and comply with its rules to maintain standardisation and decorum. The professionalism showcased by employees in the office is known as business etiquette. It is integral to workplace culture and defines how team members communicate, collaborate and coordinate. They help maintain relations and build trust and respectability to ensure smooth workflows and streamlined operations.
A lack of business etiquette can make the work environment stressful and chaotic. It can lead to ego issues, disputes among team members over taking credit for the work and the prevalence of biases that can lead to inefficiency and employee turnover. Thus, individuals planning to buy a business for sale in South Africa must build a positive work culture that increases productivity and improves employee retention. Here is a list of five essential types of business etiquette that must be a part of the company protocol. Employees and the management must adopt these to create a positive brand image and a solid organisation.
Every workplace is different because they are governed by a unique set of rules and follow the company culture. For example, the customs followed in media companies will vary from the rules practiced in a law firm or real estate agency. Some business etiquette is common for all workplaces, including remote ones, that should not be tampered by the employees. These include maintaining a clean and presentable appearance, following punctuality and dressing up professionally for meetings and work days.
Employees must know how to operate in an environment where the same resources are shared with others. They must ask politely for the resources needed and thank others for sharing them. The workers should not talk too loudly or play music that can disturb others. They must greet everyone they meet and clean up the area if they have created a mess.
Communication is the most important part of building rapport and relationships with co-workers, clients and suppliers. Entrepreneurs must set the tone for formal communications and ask the employees to follow suit. Those who purchase a business for sale South Africa must learn the existing communication policy and make adjustments to ensure the implementation of ethics and empathy. Emails, memos, chats and other messages must be sent in a professional language without slang or abbreviations.
The message should be concise and must be proofread before pressing the send button to avoid typos. It is essential to maintain a consistent pitch or tone while talking on the phone. Also, mobile phones should not become a distraction when interacting with colleagues. Emails should be replied to on the same day and keep the stakeholders in loop when sending important information.
Every office requires the maintenance of professional behaviour, which involves showcasing proactive and agile behaviour that ensures positivity and productivity. All team members must be respected and involved in discussions and meetings to enhance inclusivity, diversity and equality. They must be honest with each other and maintain transparency. Every worker should be supportive and provide the assistance needed to collaborate and work effectively.
They must greet everyone with a smile and be ready to take on responsibilities that come their way. Employees must go the extra mile to ensure there are no obstacles in the path of achieving goals and the deliveries are made on time. They must know how to work in a team and share workload while maintaining accountability. They must be receptive and offer advice and suggestions whenever needed without apprehensions.
The pandemic has made remote work common across workplaces. Many employees prefer to work from home or follow the hybrid work arrangement of coming to office on selected days in the week. Instilling the workplace cultural values in remote workers can be challenging for the business. Thus, workers must maintain professionalism to ensure they fit into the company culture and do not offend anyone. It is vital to follow the work hour schedules even when working from home.
Entrepreneurs who purchase businesses for sale in South Africa must create a work policy for remote employees to ensure they are aligned with the company rules and understand expectations. The remote workers must respect their work commitments and be organised to avoid missing meetings and sending out deliveries. The managers must be mindful of the time zones of the remote workers and should not disturb them at odd hours in their country. The virtual meetings must be scheduled in advance, and everyone must be introduced at the beginning. Remote workers must ensure there is no noise in the room or any distractions that can impact the virtual conversation. They must maintain eye contact and must be dressed formally. Also, team members should not interrupt each other and let them finish before taking over the conversation.
Meetings are an important part of the workday schedules of all employees. They can be in-house interactions with team members, cross-departmental exchanges or discussions with clients at their offices. Employees must know how to behave in these situations. They must address people by their names, shake hands and maintain eye contact. They should not be fidgeting with stuff and pay attention to the speaker.
They should turn off their mobile phones or put them on silent mode to avoid checking messages or texting during meetings. The meeting agenda must be emailed to the participants in advance, and hospitality etiquette must be followed if the meeting will be followed by lunch. The audio-visual equipment and microphones must be checked before the meeting and everyone must reach on time. During the lunch, the employees must avoid conversations while chewing food and must excuse themselves if they have to visit the restroom.
Wrapping Up
Business etiquette is a must in the workplace and should not be neglected. Entrepreneurs who build a start-up or purchase an existing business for sale in South Africa must prepare a workplace etiquette policy. This policy must be communicated to all workers to maintain professional behaviour and the code of conduct.
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