Common Courtesy Makes Business Sense
Let’s admit it. We spend more waking hours with our colleagues at work than we do at home with our love ones. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, an employed person ages 25 to 54 spends on an average 8.7 hours working. That’s more than the hours an average person spends eating and drinking, cleaning, partaking in leisure sports, taking care of others, and even sleeping. And when we spend this much time together in close proximity, having good manners is important. Good office manners not only create a pleasant working environment for you and your colleagues, but they also increase productivity, not to mention making you more likeable. Bottom line is having good office etiquette make perfect business sense.
I recently came across an article by Amy Levin-Epstein of CBS MoneyWatch.com that offers five helpful etiquette rules and I’m inspired to add a few of my own. I invite you to share yours in the comment section.
- Hello Goes a Long Way – It doesn’t take more than two seconds to say hello with a smile. It may be the nicest gesture a colleague needs to make through a rough day.
- Mindful of Your Colleagues’ Time – Just because the door is opened or you work in an open space, it doesn’t mean your colleagues are available anytime for a chat about the next big project. Consider scheduling a short meeting if you know the conversation will take up more than five minutes.
- Refill, Please – Whether it’s the printer or the paper towel rack, if you’re the person who uses the last of the paper, it is only courteous to refill before you head back to your desk.
These are a few that came to my mind as I was reading Levin-Epstein’s article. There are plenty more articles and resources on this topic that you can find by simply Googling “office etiquette.” For starter, read Ms. Levin-Epstein’s piece or this insightful Forbes story. Be sure to come back and share your thoughts. 