Professional Etiquette ( Part 1)

Etiquette or what is known as your behavior in the society, I believe is the most underrated factor today. Even though people are becoming more professional in some aspects of the work, still there are few understated etiquette that needs revisiting and reapplication.

Etiquette in general parlance means the accepted code of behavior by your community or a set of people.

So, office etiquette is something that should be followed by each individual working in that corporate, or even entrepreneur space.

To give a wide perspective, let's divide this article into two parts-

1) Etiquette followed as a Leader

2) Etiquette followed as a Team member.

I always consider, Leader to be the mirror of the team. So to adopt and display the professional etiquette, will determine how the team absorbs the same.

Although general office etiquette remains the same for both, a leader and a team member, there are few points where a Leader can stand out.

Let's ponder over few vital etiquette that makes the leader, an inspirational one.

1) Unbiased -

For a leader, each member is and should be equal.As a human, we have the tendency to like few people more than other, which does not mean we dislike others. But a leader has to be cautious and put aside their precedent opinions, when it comes to roles, responsibilities and giving credit for a work. You might have a long time associate, a friend or a relative in your team, but this should not hinder your work ethics.

2) Courteous -

Naturally, with position comes power. But being grounded and courteous is the basic humane quality you "should" possess. And even if you take live examples, leaders like Ratan Tata, Kumar Mangalam Birla, and others, what sets them apart is their humility.

3) Clear roles and responsibilities-

You should be transparent with the roles and responsibilities of each member of the group and the organisation. Few leaders like to keep hiding the roles of other members of the same group, which leads to jealousy or false impression about someone.

4) Image of the Company -

Leader has to have a strong shoulder, which carry the image of the company. They represent their team members and the organisation to the world. So they should be on the top of their game with abiding by their basic etiquette all the time.

5) Grooming -

The mark of the leader is how they carry themselves, and clothes and grooming forms a major part of it. Dressing as per the company policies is a must, as the team member replicates the leader. Set yourself apart from the team with enhanced dressing and grooming, which portrays you as a leader. Along with dressing, following general grooming and hygiene should be taken care of. Remember, impressions last forever and takes time to change, once set.

6) Walk the Talk -

As I said earlier, Leader becomes the mirror, so the leader has to follow what they preach. Words and actions when matched, sets the perfect platform for the team members to follow. So as a leader, Lead the way and this can be done when you actually mark the correct footsteps in front of them.

Simple points, which might be known to people, but are not followed with heart.

As per my experience, once you bring these points in your practice, it will bring an ocean of change in the Outlook you will have as a leader.

In next segment, we will cover the etiquette a team member is expected to follow.