Office environments, over the past few years, have had to sail through the seas of change. From being comparatively informal, office environments have managed to escalate to more formal ones. This escalation has created a necessity. A necessity that only validates professional behavior at the office, anything else will just not do. Believe it or not, but a lot of companies, and big ones at that, have been known to their employees for reasons associated with unprofessional behavior. This only underlines how important it is to behave professionally at the work place. However, some people may think that it’s just important to follow only the big rules and let go of the less important ones. For example, people may think it is only important to dress really well to work, but okay to eat a five-course meal at the desk and leave behind a mess. This is just not done. It is important to follow both the important and ‘less’ important rules. Make your move and read on to gain access to a sizeable number of pointers that are guaranteed to give you an insight into the dos’ and don’ts at the workplace.
How To Practice Professional Office Etiquette
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No matter how relaxed your company is about clothes, always ensure you go to work with tidy clothes. Shabby or provocative clothes are not allowed. There really are no two ways about this rule.
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If you are borrowing supplies from a colleague, do so after asking him/her for permission and return the borrowed article as soon as possible.
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If your company is okay with decorating cubicles, make it a point to have aesthetic and minimal decorations at your cubicle. You don’t want to work in a cubicle that resembles a Christmas tree.
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Treat a colleague’s cubicle as his/her private workspace. Ask for the respective colleague’s permission before barging into their cubicle.
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When talking to colleagues at your office, make sure you do so with a normal tone of voice. Make it a point to use polite language too.
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When talking on the phone at office, ensure that the volume of your voice does not reach annoying limits. Also, as far as possible, try keeping your cell phone on silent.
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Keep your cubicle clean and organized. A messy cubicle is extremely unprofessional and can also speak badly on you.
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If you are in the habit of eating at your desk, do so only after asking the people around you if they will be okay with the same. Do not eat food that smells too much and do not leave a mess at your table post eating.
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When eating at work, strive to do so by making as less noise as possible. You don’t want to disturb your colleagues with loud chomping noises.
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As far as possible, steer clear of office gossip. Gossip is nothing but a waste of time and can even take a toll on your productivity.
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Be punctual. Do not keeping anyone waiting for you. Remember, everyone else’s time is just as important as yours is.
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When at a meeting, make it a point to keep a phone on silent. If at all you do get a call during the course of the meeting, do not bother to look at your phone because this will only make you look disinterested in the proceedings.
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Don’t ever make sexual advances at a colleague. By doing this, you will only be putting your job and your reputation at jeopardy.
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Although it may be tough, try your best to completely cut out personal calls during working hours.
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If at all you find yourself in a heated argument with a colleague, let good sense prevail and end it by playing a passive role instead of an aggressive one.
