1. Follow The Golden Rule
In the office and in the schoolyard, nobody likes — or truly respects — a bully. “You should never use your position of power as a platform for bullying your team. Not only will you lose the loyalty of your staff, but you will find yourself in a real bind someday when one of your employees becomes your boss. And it will happen,” says New York-based manners expert Thomas P. Farley, editor of Modern Manners: The Thinking Person’s Guide to Social Graces.
2. Dress With Respect
You’ve heard that you should dress for the job you want. But if you’re not sure what to wear to a new job or an event, dress up, not down. “Being overdressed is better than being under-dressed any day because you can always eliminate certain clothes like a jacket or a tie,” says Whitmore.
3. Don’t Forget Special Occasions
Even if your day is packed, take a second to savor a slice of celebratory cake in the conference room. “You’d be surprised at how much a little ‘happy birthday’ can mean to the people you see day in and day out. It proves that you see them as a colleague rather than a fellow drone,” says Farley.
4. Tame Your Technology
Silent, vibrate, or something simple and soft — these are your three options for your phone ring setting. “Stay away from cute and quirky ring tones that may get on others’ nerves,” says Whitmore. And, of course, never let your phone interrupt a person or meeting.
5. Practice Email Etiquette
Nowhere are bad manners more rampant than in the world of email — and a slip of the button can be much more damaging, and permanent, than a slip of the tongue. Here are four rules that Whitmore suggests following: Use spell check. Don’t send large attachments. Always change the subject line to fit a new email. And finally, respond to messages (by email or phone) within 24 hours.
