Transcript Using Good Manners

Using Good Manners
Used with permission of Career Solutions Publishing
http://www.careersolutionspublishing.com
Using Good Manners


Using good manners is
basically being nice to and
considerate of others in
communication. The ability
to use good manners in the
business world will be an
asset for you in your future
career.
This lesson will provide you
with tips on using good
manners.
Tips for Using Good Manners
The following are ten tips for using good manners:
1. Treat all people with respect.
2. Show deference to people of higher rank and to
customers.
3. Shake hands when being introduced.
4. Pay close attention to people who are speaking with
you.
5. Do not interrupt.

Tips for Using Good Manners
6. Make small talk when
necessary.
7. Turn off cell phones during
meetings and businessrelated social events.
8. Excuse yourself when you
leave a meeting before it is
over.
9. Do not pry.
10. Apologize when you make
a mistake.
1. TREAT ALL PEOPLE WITH RESPECT

Treat everyone you work with as you would like to be treated
yourself. This includes supervisors, co-workers, customers,
suppliers and visitors. Demonstrate respect through your
attitude, actions and words.

Some ways to show respect:



Be fair in your dealings with everyone, no matter what their
position in the company. There is a saying, “Be careful how you
treat people on your way up because you may meet them again on
your way down.”
Never take advantage of others. Accept co-workers’ “sore spots.”
As you get to know people, avoid topics that you know make them
nervous or defensive.
Refrain from using bad language. Telling dirty jokes and using
sexual language are unacceptable at work.
2. SHOW DEFERENCE TO PEOPLE OF
HIGHER RANK AND TO CUSTOMERS

Courtesy includes showing special respect to
supervisors and customers and to others who can
aid your company. Though you may not agree with a
decision or request, accept what you cannot change
and show your support without grumbling. Stress
may make you want to snap out at your boss or a
customer who seems to be making unreasonable
demands. Doing this, however, may lose a sale,
cause office strife and endanger your career.
2. SHOW DEFERENCE TO PEOPLE OF
HIGHER RANK AND TO CUSTOMERS

Some ways to show deference:


Acknowledge a superior’s request with a positive
reply: “Yes, Mrs. Simpson.”
Let superiors and customers pass first in a busy
hall. Open doors for people. Give your
customers the best parking spaces. Ask what the
other person prefers, instead of saying what you
prefer.
3. SHAKE HANDS WHEN BEING
INTRODUCED

Shaking hands is almost universal in the
business world. By shaking hands, you
imply, “You are worth knowing. I want to
meet you.”
3. SHAKE HANDS WHEN BEING
INTRODUCED

Points to remember about a handshake:




Even if left handed, always shake with the right hand.
Grip firmly, but without too much pressure. Try to
match the grip the other person is using. Avoid “bone
crusher” grips; this is not a contest of strength.
Overcome limp, “cold fish” handshakes. The
handshake is a formal greeting that communicates
your level of confidence.
In Japan, a slight bow may be preferred to a
handshake. It often is best to let someone from
another country make the first move.
4. PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO PEOPLE
WHO ARE SPEAKING WITH YOU

Anyone speaking likes to be the center of attention at that
moment. Show them the courtesy of listening.

Ways to show you are paying attention





Keep your gaze on the person talking, rather than allowing
your eyes to wander around the room. However, avoid an
intense stare.
Nod and make simple affirmative responses: “Right,” “I see.”
Don’t use pauses in the conversation to bring up irrelevant
comments.
Ask short questions that show you are listening and would
like more information.
Avoid shuffling your feet or look nervous.
5. DO NOT INTERRUPT

Interrupting a person who is talking or
butting into someone else’s conversation
is extremely rude, unless there is an
urgent matter or an emergency. It can
make you unwelcome, even in situations
where your work is excellent or your input
would be useful.
5. DO NOT INTERRUPT

If you feel that you must say something while
someone else is talking:



In a meeting or conference, jot a note about a
comment you’d like to add and wait for the speaker to
finish.
During a conversation, if an important matter requires
immediate attention, say “Excuse me,” or “Sorry to
interrupt, but…”
With people who talk non-stop and never give you a
chance to break in, raise your hand or index finger to
shoulder level to catch their attention.
6. MAKE SMALL TALK WHEN
NECESSARY

Office conversation can’t always be – and
shouldn’t always be – confined to
“important” matters. Talking about the
small details of daily life helps co-workers
get to know each other better. However,
small talk should be brief so conversations
can move on to discussions about work.
6. MAKE SMALL TALK WHEN
NECESSARY

Here are some examples of small talk:




“What’s a good type of potted plant to grow in my
sunny window?”
“I certainly hope we don’t have that transit strike.
Getting to work would just be awful.”
“If we have another day of this rain, I’m going to
go crazy.”
“I think the transmission in my car is dead. Do
you know a good repair shop?”
7. TURN OFF CELL PHONES DURING MEETINGS
AND BUSINESS-RELATED SOCIAL EVENTS

Cell phones are one of the major
improvements to personal communication
of recent years. However, allowing them to
ring during meetings or taking calls when
you are socializing with your co-workers is
simply another for of interrupting.
7. TURN OFF CELL PHONES DURING MEETINGS
AND BUSINESS-RELATED SOCIAL EVENTS

How to deal with urgent calls:



Tell your group in advance, “I may have to take a call
from my daughter’s doctor. I’ll try to make it brief.”
If your cell phone is equipped with a vibrating
announcer, turn this on in place of the ringer and
excuse yourself with a brief explanation if the call
comes through.
Move into another room if possible to take an
emergency call, or at least move away from the
conversation area and talk as quietly as possible.
8. EXCUSE YOURSELF WHEN YOU
LEAVE A MEETING BEFORE IT IS OVER

Leaving a meeting before it is over draws
attention to you and can communicate a
negative message. Other participants will
wonder what you have to do that is so
important you can’t finish the meeting with
them.
8. EXCUSE YOURSELF WHEN YOU
LEAVE A MEETING BEFORE IT IS OVER

To ease the situation:




Announce (briefly) when and why you must leave at the
beginning of the meeting so your departure won’t be a
surprise.
Have any materials you need to take with you ready to go
so that you don’t disrupt the meeting with a flurry of activity.
Ask a co-worker to take notes of any important matters that
come up after you leave.
If there is a natural pause a few minutes before you must
leave, say something like “I have to leave at 3:45. Is there
anything I should know before I go?”
9. DO NOT PRY


Being curious is acceptable, but prying
into something that is none of your
business is taboo in business situations.
When people want you to have information,
they will provide it or give clues that the
subject is okay to talk about. Until then, don’t
ask for personal or confidential information. A
topic that you feel comfortable sharing may
be “off limits” to someone else.
9. DO NOT PRY

Situations that involve prying can include:




Asking about promotions, demotions or employee
ratings.
Trying to discover information about someone’s
health or marital problems.
Attempting to uncover a person’s political,
religious or social beliefs if not freely offered.
Reading material on others’ desks or computer
screens.
10. APOLOGIZE WHEN YOU MAKE A
MISTAKE

Admitting an error can be difficult,
especially when the boss is glowering at
you. However, properly delivered, your
apology helps build trust. It shows that
you are honest, aware of your mistake
and willing to learn from it.
10. APOLOGIZE WHEN YOU MAKE A
MISTAKE

Ways to handle an apology:
–
–
–
–
–
When possible, admit your error before it is discovered by
someone else.
Go beyond a simple “I’m sorry.” Ask for tips on how to
avoid a similar situation in the future.
If you need to describe how the mistake occurred, explain,
but don’t try to justify it.
Take as a learning experience any criticism that follows
your apology.
Be sincere in your apology without acting like a beaten dog.
Keep your dignity.
Using Good Manners Practice

The following pages will let you practice the
topics discussed in this lesson.

On the next pages, you will see a series of
statements. For each statement, select
“True” if the statement shown is true, or
“False” if the statement is false.
Using Good Manners Practice

Select “True” if the
statement shown is
true, or “False” if the
statement is false.

If people give you
attitude, give it back
to them.
o
TRUE
FALSE
o
Using Good Manners Practice

If people give you attitude, give it back to
them.
o
FALSE
You should always treat people with respect
even if they have not treated you respectfully.
Treat others as you want to be treated.
o
Using Good Manners Practice

Select “True” if the
statement shown is
true, or “False” if the
statement is false.

In most situations, you
should accept criticism
without grumbling,
even if you think the
criticism is unfair.
o
TRUE
FALSE
o
Using Good Manners Practice

In most situations, you should accept
criticism without grumbling, even if you
think the criticism is unfair.
o
TRUE
o
You should not grumble when criticized. You
should view criticism as a positive learning
opportunity.
Using Good Manners Practice

Select “True” if the
statement shown is
true, or “False” if the
statement is false.

Always try to shake
hands with a firmer
grip than the other
person.
o
TRUE
FALSE
o
Using Good Manners Practice

Always try to shake hands with a firmer
grip than the other person.
o
FALSE
While you should shake hands with a
firm grip, you should try to grip with the
same strength as the other person.
o
Using Good Manners Practice

Select “True” if the
statement shown is
true, or “False” if the
statement is false.

Tell someone who
is talking too much
to be quiet.
o
TRUE
FALSE
o
Using Good Manners Practice

Tell someone who is talking too much
to be quiet.
o
FALSE
You should never be rude and tell
another person to be quiet.
o
Using Good Manners Practice

Select “True” if the
statement shown is
true, or “False” if the
statement is false.

You should never
interrupt, even for
an urgent message.
o
TRUE
FALSE
o
Using Good Manners Practice

You should never interrupt, even for an
urgent message.
o
FALSE
There are situations, such as an
emergency, when you should interrupt
a presentation.
o
Using Good Manners Practice

Select “True” if the
statement shown is
true, or “False” if the
statement is false.

Small talk can often
make people feel
more comfortable.
o
TRUE
FALSE
o
Using Good Manners Practice

Small talk can often make people feel
more comfortable.
o
TRUE
o
Small talk can “break the ice” with others and
lead to further discussion.
Using Good Manners Practice

Select “True” if the
statement shown is
true, or “False” if the
statement is false.

Move away from
other people if you
must take an
emergency cell
phone call.
o
TRUE
FALSE
o
Using Good Manners Practice

Move away from other people if you
must take an emergency cell phone
call.
o
TRUE
Cell phone etiquette includes moving
away from others while taking a call.
o
Using Good Manners Practice

Select “True” if the
statement shown is
true, or “False” if the
statement is false.

Ask someone to
take notes for you if
you leave a meeting
early.
o
TRUE
FALSE
o
Using Good Manners Practice

Ask someone to take notes for you if
you leave a meeting early.
o
TRUE
It is appropriate to ask others to take
notes for you if you must leave a
meeting early.
o
Using Good Manners Practice

Select “True” if the
statement shown is
true, or “False” if the
statement is false.

If you don’t know what
your co-workers are
doing, check out the
papers on their desks.
o
TRUE
FALSE
o
Using Good Manners Practice

If you don’t know what your coworkers are
doing, check out the papers on their desks.
o
FALSE
You should maintain or respect your coworkers’ privacy and not check out papers on
their desks.
o
Using Good Manners Practice

Select “True” if the
statement shown is
true, or “False” if the
statement is false.

Try to hide your
mistakes and hope
nobody notices.
o
TRUE
FALSE
o
Using Good Manners Practice

Try to hide your mistakes and hope
nobody notices.
o
FALSE
In order to maintain your integrity you
should admit your mistakes promptly.
o
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT



Imagine that one of your co-workers is having health
problems that keep him from work several days a
month. While you are curious about his condition,
you also feel bad for him and would like to help him
catch up on his work
Think about how you would approach the person to
volunteer your help, without seeming to pry into his
personal health.
Write three questions you could ask to get a
conversation started.
Using Good Manners Summary

To be successful at work, you must use good
manners. Being nice and considerate to
your customers and co-workers or, as they
say, “treating others as you would like to be
treated” is a good starting point.
Using Good Manners Summary
Here is a summary of tips for using good manners:
1. Treat all people with respect.
2. Show deference to people of
higher rank and to
customers.
3. Shake hands when being
introduced.
4. Pay close attention to
people who are speaking
with you.
5. Do not interrupt.
6. Make small talk when
necessary.
7. Turn off cell phones during
meetings and business-related
social events.
8. Excuse yourself when you leave
a meeting before it is over.
9. Do not pry.
10. Apologize when you make a
mistake.