A fool will not know that he is committing mistakes as he cannot distinguish between right and wrong. Similarly, a coward will always be over-cautious and will never take a lead. Since he will always be a follower, the question of his committing mistakes also will be rare. The degradable thing is not committing mistakes but your effort to cover it up or to put the blame for it on someone else. This is not expected of a cultured and good-mannered man. Owning up your mistakes takes the wind out of the sails of your critics. It is easier to make money than to earn respect and accolade from people who know and interact with you like colleagues and employees. Life will definitely be easier if one follows the Etiquettes in life while making introduction, handshake, time management, controlling temper, doing gossip and politics in office, entertaining visitors in office, good telephone manners etc.
What we can do:-
- Make sure to treat each person you interact with such as a secretary or a janitor, no matter what his or her position in the corporation, with respect and make it a rule to be pleasant to everybody no matter what the situation is.
- Let people know that you appreciate what they do which will boost morale and improve work quality.
- Keep records of people who matter to you and acknowledge if they receive a promotion and wish them on their birthdays.
- When organizing meetings make sure that all the participants know about the schedule, the objective of the meeting, matter that is to be discussed and the expected duration of the meeting.
- Distribution of minutes and summaries of meetings and thanking each participant after meetings is a basic courtesy.
- Always return calls, if you are unable to answer have a polite message on the answering machine that will be returned at the earliest. Never be rude or impatient with anyone on the phone.
- Never make anyone wait, be it an employee or employer, or a business acquaintance. Never be late for a meeting or for work.
- Dress is also a very important aspect in maintaining good business etiquette. Businessmen have to appear impeccably groomed.
- Women have to dress appropriately and take care that they do not give a wrong impression to their colleagues. Proper care taken can avert a lot of embarrassment.
- Make sure your employees practice good etiquettes to customers and to each other to be able to work in a friction free atmosphere. Smiling courteous service will definitely help improve business and make a customer become regular.
Vinod Chandrashekhar Dixit
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
