Golden Rules Of Office Etiquette

Corporate Etiquette refers to set of rules an individual must follow while at work.One must respect his organisation and maintain the decorum of the place. Collaboration is the way we work now. That means people don't just work together in meeting and conference rooms anymore but are in collaboration all the time be it at personal, hallways, or virtually via internet or smart phones, and it's often spontaneous and informal, rather than planned in advance. Therefore keeping a fine balance between privacy and accessibility will improve relations with colleagues. 

People are watching - Don't do anything that you don't want the entire company to be talking about you for several years to come. It’s OK to drink in the party but it’s NOT OK to get drunk in the office party. Getting dunk and blabbering everything is a big NO NO. 

There is no such thing as free lunch - If you have asked someone for lunch or dinner please pay the bill, in case if this involve your senior then best way to handle is that you pay the bill in advance (if possible), so that at end of the meal chq is not presented and the question of who pays become moot. If you have been invited for lunch and dinner then please offer to split the bill. 

Unwritten rules that exist in the cubical workplace - One man’s music is another man’s noise so please keep your cell phone/landline phone tone moderate-low. Also keep your noise level in account, no one likes to hear constant chattering or high pitched laughing.Remeber this before using speakerphone. 

Key to treating people well - More than being friendly focus on being responsive because it is how a person responds to situations and to others goes long way. Some of the examples of responsive behaviour include willingness to collaborate, showing concern for others, being proactive to help others, ready to share information and accepting responsibility for one's mistakes.Please don't pop chewing gum in fromt of your co-worker or sneeze/cough in public without covering out mouth.

Action needed - what one says should match one's behaviour  failing to do so affect one's credibility to earn respect. One's actions should reflect what one feels and thinks and should not be swayed or influenced by popular opinion. Never criticise or make fun of any of your colleagues.There are several other ways to sort it out.sit with your colleagues, discuss issues face to face and decide on something which is mutually acceptable.

Positive Language: FOUL/ABUSIVE language is NOT COOL. The use of positive language when interacting with others encourages them to open up and this in turn makes it easy to understand what they want. Positive words carry no threat of offending or disappointing others but reflects one's willingness to understand the other person.