national association of urban etiquette professionals NAUEP Elite Etiquette Extended Endorsement For Certified Etiquette Professionals Seeking to Provide Professional Development CORPORATE BUSINESS ETIQUETTE AND PROTOCOL
national association of urban etiquette professionals NAUEP Elite Etiquette Extended Endorsement SESSION OVERVIEW Corporate Etiquette Consultants work with a variety of businesses and corporations to help prepare new hires, junior executives and senior staffers to adhere to the standards and rules of behavior that govern etiquette in business. With more and more companies recognizing the need for soft skills training, this session will prepare you to conduct professional development classes everywhere from small businesses to large corporations.
SESSION GOAL To teach professionals etiquette in a corporate environment. SESSION LAYOUT Theater style SESSION TIME One hour
CORPORATE ETIQUETTE Corporate Etiquette is a code of behavior that delineates expectations for professional behavior according to contemporary conventional norms within professional environments, social class or groups. Since you are a Certified Etiquette Professional, you are already familiar with general business etiquette, this certification is designed to reinforce what you have learned and include more business protocol for higher ranking vice presidents, elected officials, and those in senior positions.
SESSION TOPICS General Workplace Etiquette Introductions and Greetings Digital/Online Etiquette Business Travel Etiquette Dismissal Etiquette
GENERAL CORPORATE WORK ETIQUETTE
CORPORATE WORK ENVIRONMENT In recent years, especially with the growth of technology, workplaces have increasingly opted for a more relaxed and laid back work environment in offices and call centers. The result has been mixed. In areas that don t deal heavily with the public, customer complaints have not risen significantly, but for those who deal with the public, customers resoundingly agree they prefer to be treated in a professional manner even if its going through a drive thru at a fast-food restaurant. This realization has companies realizing there is a need for a level of professionalism, even on the front line.
Those who work in a corporate work environment include: Government/Elected Officials Corporations Television/Journalism Medicine Banks/Financial Industry Insurance Consulting Firms
Corporate Culture Corporate culture is the pervasive values, beliefs and attitudes that characterize a company and guide its practices. To some extent, a company's internal culture may be articulated in its mission statement or vision statement. A company s corporate culture usually includes Vision Values Practices People Place A company s employees reinforce a company s culture by their professionalism, methods of doing business and their business ethics. If you do not represent the company s corporate culture, you may be sending the wrong message to clients, customers and colleagues.
GENERAL CORPORATE ETIQEUTTE There are many unspoken rules in the business world that set top employees from those who never move up the corporate later. General business etiquette is needed to keep peace in the office. General Office Rules - Be present and on time for work and meetings - Do not gossip and repeat confidential information - Try to solve issue in your department within the system, try not to go over your supervisor s head for minor issues - Treat everyone with respect and value their time - Do not post or share offensive information - Do not discriminate - Do not get too personal with colleagues or clients - Abstain from workplace violence - Practice good communication and expand your vocabulary - Act in a professional manner at all times - Keep your work area clean and organized - Dress professionally and be well groomed at all times - Even if a casual work environment, dress to the level of the position you aspire to
CORPORATE INTRODUCTIONS In the corporate environment, rank and status are EXTREMELY IMPORTANT! It is still considered polite when a senior executive or woman (of any status) enters the room. Especially in government Senior Officers Elected Officials Dignitaries Top-Executives In practice, most of the will make a gesture to stand the office will wave-them down or tell tem to keep their seat.
MEETING EXECUTIVES AND OFFICIALS When you are introduced to or introducing higher level executives, you will follow the general introduction rules of etiquette. The following are just a few more helpful hints and examples when dealing with elected officials. General Rules - Wait for the official to offer their hand - If the person does not offer their hand, bow you heat at the neck. - When you receive a business card, acknowledge it. - Never offer your hand first to politicians or celebrities. - Don t rush the introduction/speak clearly - Make eye contact - Be courteous - Wait until the introduction is complete before you shake hands - Once introduced, use the person s name throughout the conversation. - If you are comfortable with introductions, offer a shared experience or something about the person to break the ice and move the conversation forward. - Don t refer to people as my most valued customer or client. It makes other people feel inadequate. - Use the person s first and last name and don t change the - Form when introducing people. Ex. Jane, this is Mr. Smith. The Introduction Formula Rule #1 Determine the situation s Very Important Person VIP (In business, rank determines VIP status. Clients and Elected officials are more important than rank. RULE #2 State the VIP s name first
DIGITAL ETIQUETTE Now more than ever, businesses are doing business from a distance. From skype to conference calls, the chance of executives coming into contact with some from of digital communication is inevitable. No matter what level one is on the corporate totem pole, it s a good idea to mindful of your digital imprint and the trail you leave behind on social media. All digital equipment given to you by a company is the property of the company. They can confiscate what they have given you, or review all of your digital files without your permission. Below are a few helpful hints to help you electronically - Don t post anything that would embarrass you or get you into legal trouble. - When you email others there are copies left in the sent file, in your history and recent activity. In other words, hitting delete one time doesn t delete electronic files everywhere. - Do no post personal pictures of you online. - Do not post your personal information online. - Do no post anything on social media when you are too emotional, or after a night of drinking Tequila. - Do not post derogatory information on editorials on your social media. - If there is something negative and untrue about you online, you can contact the website owner to remove it, if they won t you may have to seek some legal action if is placing your livelihood, i.e. employment at risk. - While skyping, make sure your background is presentable and there is no trash or objectionable items visible - When live chatting, make sure you do some personal grooming so you can look professional on camera.
BUSINESS TRAVEL ETIQUETTE Travel is normally a part of executive level professionals duties. You may be required from time-to-time to travel for training purposes or to a conference. Never make the mistake of thinking you are on vacation during business travel. Though you are away from the office, you are never away from your corporate image. Keep it professional and don t get plastered at the bar with your colleagues. As tempting as it may sound, the ending result will be a nasty hang over and Monday morning gossip. Business Travel Etiquette - Dress Appropriately Do some research about your destination to determine what you should wear for causal outings on the town and to business meetings with the highest executives. Even in social settings, try to stick with business casual so you won t let your guard down too far. - Be Punctual Most airports require you to arrive at the airport about an hour early. Make sure you arrive on time for meetings and car service if provided. - Tip Service Providers Tipping 10 percent to taxi drivers or Uber drivers and 20% to bartenders and waitresses assures you have a nice trip. - Follow Social Rules Follow the hosts lead when dining and follow basic etiquette. Even though you may be in a social setting, you still want to remain professional. - Research the City s Culture As mentioned in the first tip, do your research so you can know what is and is not acceptable
DISMISSAL ETIQUETTE There are times when there is a transition at your job when a company decides to move in a different direction concerning employees. If you ever find yourself on the other end of a pink slip in your high-powered position, there is still a level of professionalism and etiquette that you should still try and maintain. This not only includes not giving everyone the middle finger as you walk out the door, but this even extends to social media and what you say after you leave the job. Here are few more tips to help you separate from a company without tarnishing your name - If planning to leave a company, be sure to give a two weeks notice. Also be aware of your vacation time and sick days and all other time accrued so you can utilize before you leave the company. - Do not go on social media to bad mouth a company. - If dismissed, you will likely be escorted out and not allowed to return to your desk, do not make a scene, keep it professional and leave with dignity. - During your dismissal, don t be afraid to speak the truth. - Don t give excuses - Don t burn bridges