According to CareerBuilder.com, there are six business etiquette blunders to avoid if you want to keep that professional image in the office.
Having a wimpy handshake – You’re only given one opportunity to make a strong first impression and if your handshake is weak or of the “wet fish” kind, then others may under estimate your abilities or see you as lacking confidence. Practice your handshake with someone you trust and who will give you honest feedback.
Being late – This applies to client meetings, staff meetings and your arrival at work each morning. How you value others’ time is communicated by your arrival, whether on time or late. Always allow additional travel time when getting to a client site as it’s far more impressive to arrive early than a few minutes late.
Accidentally sharing other’s email address – This most often occurs when sending email to a group of individuals and you forget about using the bcc option of your email program. A sincere apology will go a long way in seeking forgiveness from any offended parties.
Dressing inappropriately – When meeting a client for the first time, always do your homework in finding out what their company’s dress code is. And then arrive just one notch up from what that is. If you’re told “Business Casual”, ask for their definition of it. It may mean khakis and a golf shirt or it may mean dress slacks, dress shirt and no tie.
Forgetting that business social events are still business – What happens at the company picnic doesn’t stay at the company picnic. It follows you back to the office, into staff meetings and surfaces at the most inopportune times. Take caution in how much you drink, what you say and even how you dress when socializing with the boss and co-workers.
Emailing the wrong person the wrong message – Hitting “send” or “reply to all” by accident is everyone’s nightmare. When writing an email message, make sure you have it properly addressed and that it’s a message you won’t regret sending at a later date. Email is not for venting or declaring your boss an incompetent jerk. Those emails will always find their way to those above you and just might end up in your personnel folder.
