Continuing on with advice to young folks just starting out in their careers.
Manners. Be polite, say thank you and please. Seems almost too basic to point out, doesn’t it? It’s not an original concept, but seeing the bloom if ill-mannered louts that manage to elbow their way into the workforce, it bears repeating.
Manners in general get short shrift these days. Not specifically with regards to situational business etiquette, like gift giving and when to bow to Asians, which really could be a topic all by itself, but the very basic, everyday interaction with your fellow workers, and specifically those who are or are perceived to be beneath your rank.
Would you like to that this said about you? “Why, she’s such a refined young lady” or “He’s very nice young man, a pleasure to work with”. Well then, read on.
Be nice to the worker bees: the admins who sort out your documents, the mail room clerk who brings your mail, and the receptionist at the front desk. Each of them have the power to at best dispense little doses of irritation, to at worst, even sabotage your career. So, don’t forget yourself and indulge your inner jerk, just because you can. Be nice to them, always.
Pay attention to whom you’re talking to: if you’re engaged in a business conversation with someone in your office, give them all your undivided attention, and don’t let others interrupt. Whether that’s a phone call or a someone stopping by. Ignore the phone call, and acknowledge the person who’s hovering trying to get your attention with an “I’ll get back to you”, or as more common here in Okie-land, “Let me holler atcha”
“Thank you for asking” – “I appreciate what you did today” – “Thanks for doing X”
The amount time it takes to say little things like this, measured against the long-term dividends: no comparison.
( Kris @ Everyday Tips and Thoughts has a good post on giving thanks. It’s instructive to read both the posts and the comments )
If you’re a young person interviewing for a position, please please please please write a thank you note to the interviewer, whether you feel good about the interview or not. Please. All the career website tell you to, and wouldn’t you know it, not enough of you do.
Go visiting. Don’t mean go socialize, and waste people’s time with idle chatter about the latest American Idol episode. If someone sends you an email or leaves a voice mail, chances are they want to talk to you (duh!). Go find them, and pay them a personal visit. It shows you care.
Knock, and know *how* to knock. First of all, don’t just barge into peoples’ space, whether it’s a cubicle or an office. Do knock. Secondly, do it discreetly. Two or three soft taps, and wait for a response. No response, repeat the knock, a little louder. I’ve had folks try to hammer the door off the hinges, and then barge in, seemingly satisfied that all societal niceties had been taken care of by the attempted door demolition (idiots!). Here’s a hint: if you knock loudly, enter forthwith, and get a blank stare from the office occupant, they’re probably thinking along the lines of “Why, you little bastard, I oughta……”
If you must interrupt, apologize. Too many times, people feel free to come up and break into people’s conversation, without a second thought. An apology takes no time at all, and no pride, either. Just do it. My apologies, I didn’t mean to be so rude.
Hold doors open for people. Again, the basics. Not just when you’re on a date, but coming into the office or factory in the morning, hold the door open for friend and stranger alike. It’s the right thing to do.
Good morning, good evening, good afternoon. It’s perfectly acceptable to utter these forgotten greetings upon meeting a fellow human being, followed by a slight nod of the head. A good segue might be “how are you today”, and then talk about the weather. Ah, but now I’m getting into another post altogether, the fine art of small talk, and this post is long enough.
I better stop now. I’m starting to sound like a cranky uncle.
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Great post Andrew! I was wondering with the popularity of email and such if a hand-written thank you was even something that was done anymore or not. (I would.)
You always have to be nice to everyone at work, whether you want to or not. You never know who will be your boss one day, or who you will need a favor from (not to mention it is just the right thing to do).
Just remember, anytime anyone does something even remotely nice for you, say thank you.
everyday tips recently posted..10 Tips to Radically Improve Productivity in the Home Office
Kris, writing snail-mail thank you notes is becoming even rarer. When I was in sales, it was drilled into me to thank each and every customer for the order. Having worked in procurement for 10 years now, and having released many many orders, I can say that getting thanked for the order is on the decline.
I occasionally break out the nice stationary and the good pens and write out a letter to a distant friend or relative, just for kicks.
Nothing irks me more than pushy, self-entitled folks. No brainer to be polite!
Financial Samurai recently posted..Is Unemployment Really That High
It is logical then, that rude people have no brains.
‘Go visiting’ – so important! I see too many emails even though the person sits in the next cabin! I’m more likely to remember if a person talks to me fact-to-face than via an email.
Nice post 101!
Moneycone recently posted..Never Pay Full Price
Not to mention that walking around beats sitting on your butt in a chair, firing off one email after another.
I love this post and those out there that aren’t young should take note too!
Answering your cell phone while having a conversation or in meetings has always seemed unacceptable to me. I don’t understand why it’s not considered bad form. Not that I haven’t done it before, but I feel I’m being rude.
My boss has a thriving busy business and he’s trained everyone around him that he will answer his cell phone every time. We talked recently how that makes the client or employee feel when they are interrupted by his calls. It was the exact opposite of what his intention was. He now keeps his phone on vibrate and only answers between meetings. After a week he said his stress had gone down ten-fold.
Molly On Money recently posted..People- Places and Things and How I’m Forgetting the Names All of My Nouns
Looks like your boss has had a change of heart, for the better. If I have to answer my email via blackberry during a meeting, I try to be as sneaky as possible, doing under the table when no one’s looking.
My mom is an administrative assistant and she always told me growing up, “after every job interview the boss asks me what I think of the candidate.” When I went for my first interview “as an adult” I was later told that I was tied, but that the employer asked the secretary what she thought, and she mentioned that I had been really nice to her while waiting in the lobby. It got me the job. Nobody is better than anybody else, and those who believe they are better may end up paying a really high price. Thanks for reminding everyone of this, it is common sense but sometimes you forget in the haste/stress of a long work week just how important it is to treat all of your co-workers (etc) with respect.
Exactly! the admins in the lobby are very powerful people. They know exactly who’s coming and going, and who’s calling who.
Politeness definitely does not get mentioned enough nowadays. I think people just feel entitled to so much that they forget to operate with a modicum of courtesy for their fellow man. Like you said, this definitely shows up professionally too, in more way than one. For instance, how much more likely is someone to report you for something that you may or may not have done legitimately incorrect if they like you versus if they find you to be rude?
Roshawn @ Watson Inc recently posted..How Would YOU Retire In 10 Years Round Up
Hi Shawn, good manners don’t cost very much, and generate good karma. Not only will worker bees not report you, but will go out of their way to process your work or request before others. Picture this: there are two tasks laying on the WB’s desk. Which one is going to get priority, the one for the “nice young man” or the one for “unpleasant horse’s ass” ?
These are great advices for when you’re starting out. The admins are so important, you have to treat them really well. I try to be polite to everyone and I don’t have any problems at work.
retirebyforty recently posted..Pay Off Your Debts Early
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I’ve always found the most polite people, are the most sincere and trustworthy. They always say “please” and “thank you”.
It never hurts to always look people in the eye either. Shows you’re focused on them instead of your next text message
Good post and reminders!
My Own Advisor recently posted..January 2011 Dividend Income Update
Good catch, looking people square in the eye is a good practice to teach the young’uns.
I second the comment about the admins. Most executives wouldn’t be able to function without them. Typically with all the layoffs, the only admins that are left are the ones that work for senior management. They do have a lot of influence and are usually have close relationships with decision makers.
Great post.
Sandy, that’s a good observation. In our company, there’s even the case of one admin being shared by several top execs. Triple the power.
As the saying goes…. you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Being polite to everyone in the organization from the top down can only help our career, but that doesn’t mean you can’t yell at people when they deserve it.
The Biz of Life recently posted..How to Do Things Faster
Early in my career, I yielded twice to my temper, yelling at the top of my voice and banging the table …. I later went and apologized, but neither relationship recovered. I’ve since raised my voice in some business situations (negotiations), but only under control and for calculated effect.
(welcome back, Biz, hope the trip went well)
These are some good tips. I’m not always the most polite person and sometimes I am rude without intending to be, but I try to hold the doors open and to acknowledge people. One of my personal pet peeves is when I recognize someone from my work and I know they know who I am and they make eye contact with me, yet all I get is a blank stare. Politeness is basic, and easily forgotten in a way which is a good thing but remembered subconsciously. It’s those that are rude that get remembered in a bad way.
Where’s Tip #1? I’ll go and search for it
Invest It Wisely recently posted..Midweek Reading- Catching Up Edition
Another pearl of wisdom from a mentor: “Everyone will forget how you came in, but they’ll always remember how you left”
P.S. something’s up when I hit submit – I get a bunch of PHP errors. The comment still goes through but it seems one of your plugins may be choking.
Invest It Wisely recently posted..Midweek Reading- Catching Up Edition
Thanks, I thing I have too many plugins. Must clean them up.
Very good post. It’s easy to be polite, and it can usually help you. Being rude and annoying is just as easy, but can usually hurt you. With both being so easy to do, why not choose being polite?
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[...] Our friends over at 101centavos.com has a great career tip for you that will take you a long way along your path to becoming Stoopidly successful “Be Polite!” [...]
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You’re so right!!! Being polite is very important in all kind of settings and it doesn’t only open doors, it usually allows us to stand out of the crowd and possition our “brand” in others’ mind.
I have found good manners can also change the mood of a discussion… whenever I’ve felt attacked on a conversation or e-mail I put extra effort on showing respect to the person “attacking” me. That usually makes others understand they don’t have to be rude in order to make a point and, once again, benefit your image.
[...] Centavos has some really good advice on Being Polite specifically in a work setting. Speaking of jobs, Financial Samurai shares Examples Of Good [...]