Do You Know the Rules of Conduct in the Business World?

Poor manners can leave a bad impression on colleagues, partners, and associates, potentially jeopardizing business.

The reason for this is often not ignorance, but rather an overload of work and personal obligations. That is why etiquette is more necessary in the business world today than ever before. We often find ourselves in various business situations where concentration is crucial, and we may not even notice when someone greets us or asks us something. However, it does not hurt to recall the rules of good behavior. Etiquette consists of a set of generally accepted rules of conduct based on social norms. These serve as guidelines that help us maintain a professional relationship, which is essential in the business world.
To reflect on the everyday details that may shift during your workday and improve your behavior, the JobsDB portal provides a reminder of business etiquette.

Punctuality
In the business world, it is fundamental not to be late. If you have a scheduled meeting, do not allow yourself to leave too late or underestimate traffic jams. It is better to arrive 10 minutes early and wait than to arrive after the agreed time. After all, what would you think of a partner who does not arrive on time for scheduled meetings?

Greeting
Regardless of how long you have known your colleagues or if you are just getting to know new people in your business environment, saying ‘Good morning’ and ‘Good day’ costs you nothing. True, you do not have to shake hands with every colleague every morning and repeat yourself like a parrot, but you should not forget to greet.

Handshake
Have you ever been in a situation where you shook hands with someone from the business world and were unsure if you were offered a hand or a limp noodle? Of course, you do not need to show all your strength and break the other person’s hand, but at least extend your hand and offer a decent handshake so that the person on the other side does not think you are uninterested.

Expression and Tone
In a business environment, avoid swearing, inappropriate jokes, and gossip. Do not let your tongue run before your mind. Additionally, when you are at work, do not shout. If you have to prove your position by yelling around the office instead of solving a problem through conversation, it may be time to address the issues that truly concern you and clear things up with yourself. No one is born knowing everything.

Clothing
In some professions, there are specific work uniforms where all employees are dressed the same. Lucky are those who have that. However, most offices have a roughly organized dress code, such as business attire where suits and ties are expected, or a more casual dress code where jeans are acceptable, but not sweatpants. What should definitely be kept in mind are primarily personal hygiene and the length and transparency of clothing. Arriving at a meeting in a transparent shirt is not a winning combination, as the chances are that your target audience will remember you well only in terms of body shape, but not the content of what you discussed.

Phone and Mobile
If you have already scheduled a meeting, do not allow calls to disturb you. Check your priorities and organize yourself so that you do not have to think about two topics at the same time. Talking on the phone while the other person next to you is sitting and waiting for you to return to the topic for which the meeting was scheduled is very unprofessional.

Using the Internet
Today’s technology has enabled numerous easier and faster ways of communication, from classic email sending to social media and even video calls over the internet. Do not forget that, regardless of the method of communication, there is a person on the other side, not a computer. Do not write emails in all caps and do not wear pajamas during a business video call.