The Custom Training and eLearning Blog published a blog post on October 27 entitled, “All About Corporate Etiquettes.” The first paragraph of this post states, “According to research conducted by the American Society of Quality Control, 68% of business is lost by corporates due to the indifferent attitude of employees while dealing with prospective clients.”
This article goes on to say, “This proves the great need for employees to invest or be train in etiquette to refine and sharpen the blunt edges of their people skills.”
I couldn’t agree more! No one is born into this world with proper etiquette, excellent manners and social graces. These are learned skills. If employees have not learned these skills from their parents or educational environment, then employers must we willing to teach these skills.
Otherwise, the employer is simply leaving everything to chance under the assumption that common sense will prevail, which we all know is never a safe assumption. When these behaviors are left to chance, employee indifference, mediocre performance and a poor corporate image are the most common results.
If an employer wants its employees to treat everyone with respect, the employer must be willing to:
- clearly define its etiquette expectations for the industry in which it operates,
- provide team members with tools and processes needed to meet these expectations,
- ensure all team members are properly trained,
- monitor their performance,
- hold team members accountable, and
- provide continuous feedback.
As the world becomes more connected and we interact increasingly with people of other cultures, the knowing, understanding, and carrying out of proper etiquette is crucial to our success as business professionals. To gain a competitive edge and stand out in a world of mediocrity, all business professionals should invest in themselves by proactively seeking opportunities to learn and practice these essential soft skills needed to succeed in business and in life.
Yours in personal and professional development,
Starla West, Corporate Image Coach
