How to Master Business Etiquette in the New Normal

How to Master Business Etiquette in the New Normal

The way we do business has always been changing, but the COVID-19 pandemic has caused changes with a scale we haven’t seen before. It has introduced businesses to new work standards to keep their operations afloat. As the world adapts to the new normal, companies are pushed to explore various options to be more practical, strategic, and creative while battling the challenges of the global health crisis.

Over the course of the pandemic, numerous companies and corporate executives came to us for consultation and/or training on business etiquette in the so-called “new normal.” This did not come as a surprise as everyone had to embrace a work-from-home setup and utilize business communication apps and platforms.

Business etiquette is a set of communication protocols professionals are expected to adhere to. This set of manners and practices plays a very important role in building executive presence.

As an executive presence coach, I support C-suite, senior executives, and business owners to be more mindful and strategic on their image, communication, and composure. Business etiquette, a set of communication protocols professionals are expected to adhere to, is one of the frequently discussed topics. Usually upheld by custom and not always spoken, this set of manners and practices play a very important role in building executive presence, corporate credibility, trust, and an individual’s overall personal branding. Therefore, it is important for business professionals to be able to uphold these standards in their interactions with colleagues and business partners that happen physically as well as virtually.

Common communication platforms

The pandemic gave rise to various external and internal messaging solutions. These platforms utilize various channels such as mobile phones and functionalities such as video conferencing, task management, and group messaging. Other platforms even have specialized features for project management, collaboration, file sharing, and customer messaging. As people get used to remote work, these platforms prove to be a big help in real-time communication and efficient task completion.

Business communications have to be kept professional at all times. Otherwise, your credibility, executive presence, and overall personal brand will get hurt.

Some of the most popular communication apps that rose to popularity during the pandemic include Slack (internal messaging), Trello (collaboration), Asana (project management), and Zoom (video conferencing). Not to mention personal and group messaging features of popular social media channels. Through these platforms, internal and external business communications are made fast and reliable.

Business communications, however, should not only be fast and reliable; it has to be kept professional as well. Otherwise, your credibility, executive presence, and overall personal brand will get hurt – something you wouldn’t want to happen in a cutthroat business world.

Video conferencing etiquette

Everyone’s time is valuable. People working from their homes may have to attend to some chores other than their workload, so respect their call schedules and demands. More importantly, make them feel that their presence is important and that you appreciate their time and effort. Here are some bits of advice for you:

• Send them a calendar invite specifying the meeting’s details.
• Don’t make them wait; hop on the call five minutes earlier if possible.
• Dress up appropriately and look presentable.
• Keep your focus when talking and listening. Look at your camera and not at yourself on the screen.
• Speak clearly and ask relevant questions. Take notes when needed.
• Mute your microphone when you’re not speaking and ensure that you have good quality audio.
• Keep your camera in a stable position and focused at eye level. Use proper lighting and appropriate background.
• Focus on the call/meeting by muting your smartphone and turning off any notifications that may distract you.
• Prepare everything beforehand – materials, presentations, etc. Test your audio and camera early on to prevent any technical difficulty during the call.
• Send meetings notes or summary via email (or any official communication platform) to note any discussed areas, action items, and agreement made. When people are working remotely, such notes come in handy often. The notes will help increase clarity and avoid confusion.?

Sensitivity, Empathy, and Respect

I believe that business etiquette in the new normal all boils down to how you observe sensitivity and empathy towards your colleagues and business partners. Doing business in challenging times such as the pandemic should be easier when you know how to respect others and make yourself deserve the same respect.

Doing business in challenging times should be easier when you know how to respect others and make yourself deserve the same respect. This means making everyone comfortable in expressing themselves while being sensitive to their personal wellbeing and work-life balance.

It goes beyond dressing appropriately during Zoom meetings or respectfully answering queries during calls. It is a matter of helping to create a collaborative space where everyone respects each other’s freedom and background and where every opinion is welcome. It means making everyone comfortable in expressing themselves while being sensitive to their personal wellbeing and work-life balance.

Despite having a means to personally message co-workers, including higher executives, one must also be able to respect hierarchies and follow reporting protocols and communication flows. While there is open communication, it remains important to respect seniority and reporting lines when voicing out and addressing work-related matters.

As businesses go global and continuously embrace diversity and inclusivity, multicultural communication etiquette is also given more importance than ever. Online communication tends to make interaction among people of different cultural backgrounds, ethnicities, and languages more prone to misunderstandings. This underlines the importance of being culturally sensitive and aware of these differences in order to foster a good business relationship anchored on respect.

Being culturally sensitive is crucial for executives to foster good business relationships in the (globaly) workplace.

Business etiquette must be observed in order to keep professionalism in the workplace – be it online or in-person, whether or not there’s a pandemic. Your presence and manners tell a lot about who you are as a professional in the new normal so it’s a must to pay attention to these areas.

Note: This article was published in the A Plus Magazine .

About the Author:

Tracy Ho is an award-winning executive presence coach, personal branding & image consultant. Tracy specialises in supporting C-suite, senior executives, managers and business owners to strengthen their personal brand, build a stronger presence and eventually, make a greater impact in a global workplace. She is the founder of Frame & Fame Personal Branding , a personal branding, image consulting and executive coaching firm that helps clients rise to the next level.