Basic norms and rules of business etiquette of an office worker and civil servant

When you start working, you will very soon realize that the ability to follow the basic rules of business etiquette contributes to professional success in any field and is valued as highly as business qualities. It will help you easily fit into any team and quickly gain credibility with colleagues and management, especially if you quickly manage to catch the difference between business and social etiquette and learn to choose the right line of behavior.

The basic rules of business etiquette

Good manners in an office or government office are somewhat different from what is considered decent (familiar) outside.

If a man turns out to be the leader, women should not wait for him to get up when they enter the office. Although there are well-educated men among the bosses who have this habit brought to the level of a reflex and who always get up when a lady enters the room, this is an exception. And even if it’s nice, the secular tone at work is inappropriate. In an office, a state institution, a male boss is the first to go through the door, and when you are traveling on business, he is the first to get into the car.
The words “thank you” and “please” in a work environment are even more desirable than in “high life”. Thank your colleagues for any, even the most insignificant, service and do not forget about the “magic word” when you make a request or simply pass on an order from one of the employees to your superiors.
Always smile while greeting your colleagues and respond with a smile to their greetings.
Talk to people in a calm, friendly tone and show them signs of attention regardless of their gender.
If a man walking in front of you to the door has a lot of documents, overtake him to open the door and let it pass. Helping in the office should always be the one who is more comfortable and more convenient, however, in official relations, a clear hierarchy is maintained, which you should feel and support. This does not mean that you should be timid in front of your bosses or show increased attention to every word, no, but you should give him or her due respect.

The accepted rules of business etiquette can differ significantly not only in different industries, but also in individual companies. However, there are rules that both office workers and government employees must abide by. Among them are punctuality, matching the image of the company in clothes, the ability to keep secrets and the ability to leave personal problems outside of work. Let's talk about each of these rules in more detail.

The need to do everything on time

The rules of business etiquette in the office, government agency require that you always come to work on time, complete all tasks on time. Delays are not allowed, delays in work that must be delivered at exactly the promised time.

Never miss business meetings, come to them in advance so as not to jeopardize the reputation of the company, and not just your own. If you need to linger, warn about this in advance, the authorities should be aware of where you are. Remember that the observance of accuracy, punctuality in all matters is an indispensable rule of business etiquette of a civil servant and office worker, as well as showing respect for others, natural for any educated person.

How to dress in the office or public service

Observe generally accepted rules of business etiquette in clothing.

The appearance of the employee must correspond to the image of the company, creating a pleasant impression, and when you work in a government agency, this is even more important.
Women need to wear skirts and dresses no longer than the knee; pantsuits of strict cut are allowed. It is unacceptable to wear bright, flashy shades with sequins, rhinestones, and tight-fitting clothes at work in the office.
Men should adhere to a business style, wear suits, pants, shirts with or without a tie. Jeans and sweaters are best excluded from the work wardrobe.
At work, you can wear modest jewelry in harmony with clothes, like other details of the costume.

Privacy rule

You must be able to keep the secrets of the company, of any transaction, not extending to this topic either with colleagues or with your loved ones. Do not read letters intended for other persons, transmit all messages personally, without intermediaries and unauthorized persons. If you need to send a fax, call the recipient in advance so that he is nearby and can personally receive a document or letter. Do not mix your personal life with work, do not talk about problems in life, seek solace or ask for help from colleagues. In the office, it is important to maintain composure and a good mood, regardless of the bad mood. These rules of business etiquette of a public servant and an office worker must be strictly observed.

You and superiors

The rules of business etiquette for subordinates imply a remote, non-familial appeal to a manager. Even if the boss (boss) - a girl or a boy is only a little older than you, it is worth saying "you". If you are in the manager’s office, and a business partner or other boss comes in to him, to stay with you or to leave — he must decide if he asks you to leave, there is no reason to feel restrained. If someday the boss insults you in the presence of strangers, do not answer him the same. If you are upset, do not jump out of the office, try to calmly go out and find a secluded place where you can calm down. Do not discuss what happened with colleagues. You can find out the relationship with the leader after hours, calmly listening to his wishes and expressing your complaints. The higher the bosses, the more difficult your role is, and in some situations it is important to remember the rules of business etiquette. If a particularly respected person needs to be led along the corridor of the institution, you need to open the doors to miss an important guest, and then move next to him, only a quarter step behind. If the corridor branches out, you will have to show it the direction with an elegant gesture. If the corridor winds, you can say, “Let me guide you, ” and then it’s bold to go ahead.

A few words about bad manners

There are norms and rules of business etiquette that are unambiguous for all employees: do not read other people's letters, speak with restraint and politeness, be friendly with colleagues and keep a distance with bosses. But sometimes at work, an exception is made from these rules, for example, when you need to find a document in a table with another employee who is not there. General conduct in the service and in the office should be worthy, with impeccable manners. You constantly need to monitor your behavior as you walk, communicate, and sit. Remember that it is indecent to touch your nose, ears, hair, or other parts of the body at all.

What can not be done at the workplace in any case:

Chewing, poking around in the teeth.
Nibble pens, pencils, paper or nails.
Correcting makeup, manicure, painting lips at the workplace - these are the basic rules of business etiquette for the secretary.
Yawn without covering your mouth.
Put your legs on the table, put your foot on the foot

Daily required:

Monitor the cleanliness of clothing, hair, body, use a deodorant, but not perfume.
Carry a neat handkerchief.
Keep your teeth healthy.

These rules and wishes are indispensable norms of etiquette, they allow you to become not only a good, valuable employee, but also a pleasant person with whom you want to deal. Appearance perfectly demonstrates respect for other people.

Good Tone Rules for Communicating with Colleagues

When you just start working in the office and get to know your colleagues, you begin to build relationships, on which the climate in the team will depend, and the results of the overall work. How to behave to win them over? Be friendly with everyone, but do not immediately seek to get close to someone alone, give yourself some time to get to know people better. Feel free to ask employees about work, but at first do not start personal conversations with them. Do not worry, if you could not join the team from the first day, there is nothing wrong with that. Always thank colleagues for their help and remember that you cannot go beyond the rules of business communication etiquette.

For instance:

Do not bother colleagues with your conversations and do not interfere in other people's conversations;
do not gossip and do not listen to gossip, do not eavesdrop on other people's telephone conversations;
Do not discuss health problems and body functions with colleagues;
Do not try to express or impose your personal opinion on any occasion;
do not scold anyone in the presence of strangers, even if you are right three times, suddenly lose your temper - immediately apologize;
do not pretend that you are busy more than others, sometimes you can politely ask your colleagues not to make noise, but do it politely and without a call;
do not be selfish, in your official zeal try not to harm your colleagues in order to gain any advantage or curry favor with your bosses.

And the main rule of business etiquette, both of an office worker and a public servant, says: “you need to be polite, tactful, courteous and tolerant in communication with colleagues and management, never going about your emotions.”

Telephone etiquette rules for the secretary

The first impression of the company often comes from telephone contact, and it is difficult to get rid of a bad first impression. Very often, when you call a company in the case, you can come across an answer that has nothing to do with business etiquette or simple rules of politeness. Some employees answer by telephone as if they were doing a favor, others do not consider it necessary to call a company or department. And everyone knows how pleasant it is after that to talk on the phone with well-mannered people who respond quickly, warmly, express their willingness to help.

Telephone calls are usually answered by the secretary, but not only he, but all employees must know the basic rules of business communication etiquette, which are important to observe when communicating by telephone.

Do not make people wait for an answer, immediately pick up the phone and answer. If you can’t talk, ask to call back, do not make the caller wait. And connecting music to the line to fill a pause is considered bad form.
Immediately after picking up the phone, say hello, name your company and introduce yourself. If you work in a large institution, you need to name a specific department to help the subscriber navigate.
When someone else is asked on the phone, accept the message for him or offer to call back later.
During the conversation, keep yourself in control and even behave correctly with the most dull customers. If the person is “on the platoon, ” help him calm down, but in response to the insult, just hang up.
Watch your speech and choose words, remember that jargon in business communication is completely inappropriate. Never answer “aha” or “oh key”, only “yes”, “good” or “of course”.
Hold the receiver in your hands, and not between your shoulder and chin, speak clearly and directly into the microphone, not past. And never talk with your mouth full.
When you call, say hello and immediately call yourself and the company you represent. Speak politely, briefly and to the point.

Business etiquette in communication with visitors

Government officials and office workers often receive clients in their office. Good manners are extremely important here, people like to deal with someone who respects them. The rules of etiquette of business communication and behavior must be observed in everything: both in meeting the visitor at the door, helping him to undress, and in not making him wait. If you still have to wait, be sure to apologize, even if the fault for this delay lies not with you, offer him tea or coffee. Meet people kindly, with a smile, try to establish informal contacts, but never gossip about anything. Keep your distance in conversation, but be correct, polite, and patient. Escort visitors to the cabinet door as your guests.

Good tone in business letters

The rules of etiquette of business correspondence affect both the appearance and content, content of the letter itself. Before writing, you need to make a plan that will help to briefly and clearly state the essence of the matter. It is important to take into account several mandatory rules for conducting business correspondence.

The letter must be written correctly in terms of style, spelling and punctuation.
It is customary to print official letters, this is evidence of respect for the addressee.
According to the rules of good manners, none of the letters, with the exception of letters of thanks, should not remain unanswered.
The letter must be neatly executed, business letters are usually written only on white A-4 paper.
Always date your letters at the bottom left and leave a personal signature, last name and initials.
When applying, it is customary to use the word "respected", and when using the personal pronoun "You", write it with a capital letter.