How employees conduct themselves and interact with one another can have a significant impact on your success and the overall atmosphere of a workplace. Workplace etiquette goes beyond the traditional “please” and “thank you” niceties, including a range of things from how you handle disputes to being respectful and punctual. Here are some tips to keep in mind to ensure you are contributing to a positive, productive workplace culture:
- Respect others’ opinions. Maintaining a positive, open outlook when encountering differing opinions from colleagues helps create a more collaborative work environment. Listening to other points of view and respectfully offering your own can lead to better work relationships and more effective outcomes.
- Be proactive with colleagues. Proactively reaching out to managers and colleagues for feedback and assignments can help you build relationships, secure projects and ultimately lead to better results for both you and your customers. Proactively seeking feedback on your work can help you grow and improve as a professional while also making a good impression on company leaders.
- Communicate politely. Your choice of words can easily change how other receive the message you are trying to send. Being polite and professional helps avoid misunderstandings and maintain a friendly work environment.
- Punctuality and time management. Sometimes delays are inevitable, but when possible, being on time and prepared for meetings shows respect for colleagues’ time and allows for more productive meetings with less wasted time.
- Maintain privacy when appropriate. Some workplace communications, such as giving praise and recognizing good work, are appropriate to hold in public. However, constructive criticism and conflicts resolution are best done in a private discussion to avoid disruption and embarrassment and to maintain morale.
- Body language. Sometimes actions can speak louder than words. The way you conduct yourself both verbally and physically will be recognized by colleagues and clients and can have an impact on relationships. When in meetings, actively listen without getting distracted by phone or computer messages when possible.
Overall, workplace etiquette can help reduce stress, improve relationships in the office and lead to a better work environment for everyone. Keeping these tips in mind and maintaining a positive outlook, even in difficult situations, will give you, your colleagues and your customers a more positive, collaborative and productive experience.