Demonstrating Courtesy and Respect in the Workplace
by Molly Thompson, Demand MediaMaintain a positive, professional attitude at the office.
Remember all those old sayings your grandma used to quote?
Adages such as, "You can catch more flies with honey than with
vinegar" and "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"
probably sounded really corny, but they're still applicable, especially at
work. Combine those concepts with a few other basic tenets you likely learned
as a kid -- be polite, don't take things that don't belong to you, and use your
"inside voice" -- and you've got the foundation of respectful
workplace behavior.
Common Courtesy and Good Manners
Common Courtesy and Good Manners
Greet people at the office with a smile, look them in the eye
and make an effort to exchange polite conversation. A positive attitude can be
contagious and your friendly greetings each day demonstrate your respect for
everyone from the receptionist to your boss to the janitor. Fall back on the
manners your parents drummed into you as a child: hold doors for people, say
"please" and "thank you" and shake hands when you're
introduced to someone.
Personal
Space and Belongings
You know how you hate it when someone takes your last diet
soda out of the breakroom fridge, right? One of the first rules of workplace
respect is to leave co-workers' belongings alone. Don't help yourself to things
that aren't yours -- this includes food, coffee mugs, office supplies and
assigned parking spots. And respect co-workers' personal space, too. Don't
barge into their offices or cubicles without knocking or announcing yourself,
and don't interrupt when other people are having a private conversation.
Professional
Courtesy
There's usually one person in every workplace that can't seem
to ever get to a meeting on time, and she often shows up late for work and
lunch, too. She's always "sorry" and has some sort of excuse, but the
message she's really sending is that she doesn't have much respect for other
people's time or schedules. Demonstrate professional courtesy by showing up on
time for meetings, presentations or other work-related events, including being
on time for work every day. This also means meeting deadlines and completing
assignments or duties that your co-workers depend on to get their own jobs
done.
Appearance
Counts
It might not seem like a big deal, but if your cubicle looks
like a tornado hit, or you leave common-use areas a mess, it sends a message
that you don't really care what others think or respect them enough to clean up
after yourself. Your appearance matters, too. Everybody's entitled to an
occasional bad hair day, but if you typically show up under-dressed or unkempt,
you're sending a signal that you don't care how you look or whether it brings
down the professional image of the office.
Silence Is
Golden
If you have to hear about your co-worker's poodle's digestive
problems one more time, you're going to scream. People who talk loudly on their
cell phones, blast their music or don't seem to have an "inside
voice" at work are demonstrating major disrespect for their colleagues.
Keep your voice down and your personal phone calls private. Respect your
co-workers by using headphones if you're playing music at work. A corollary to
this is to listen more than you speak. Pay attention when co-workers are
talking to you, keep judgmental or snide comments to yourself and try to stay
out of the office gossip mill.
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