Q&A talks with Anna Post, great-great-granddaughter of etiquette expert Emily Post, and an author and spokesperson for The Emily Post Institute. She is a presenter of Emily Post Business Etiquette Seminars.
Q: You’re speaking at a Tunxis Community College Foundation breakfast on Oct. 6 at Avon Old Farms Inn in Avon on “Business Etiquette and Its Impact on Your Bottom Line.” What are some examples of business etiquette impacting the bottom line?
A: Statistics show that incivility in the workplace can cause workers to waste work time worrying about rudeness, avoiding the instigator, or even cause them to leave their job — a job they are qualified to do. This has a negative effect on productivity and retention, not to mention recruitment and company reputation when the word gets out. On the flip side, workplaces that actively promote a civil work environment have significantly higher productivity and customer loyalty.
Q: At the end of the day, how much difference does business etiquette make? Don’t nice guys finish last? Can your career end because of an etiquette faux pas?
A: Yes, there are plenty of stories about how someone was fired for a breach of good etiquette — which often amounts to a breach of old fashioned common sense — as opposed to being fired for lack of technical job skills. My goal in the presentation is to focus on increasing awareness by identifying places where we have a choice to make and then making the right choice, not only to avoid trouble but to make the best possible impression on others. Etiquette is about something much more essential and important than holding your pinkie finger out while you drink tea — it’s about treating others with consideration, respect, and honesty. Do this, and you can still be an assertive go-getter — it will only take you further, faster.
Q: Promotional material for your appearance says you’ll address this question: “How should you respond to overbearing questions during a presentation?” How do you differentiate between probing and overbearing?
A: Overbearing questions imply a lack of respect — they take us past the point of deeper knowledge to being tough on a presenter for no justifiable reason. Some people do this on purpose in what they think is a show of superiority; others get caught up in their own agenda and are unaware of how belligerent they sound to the rest of the room. These situations tend to arise when the questioner either doesn’t like or doesn’t understand the information at hand.
Q: What are you most asked about when it comes to cubicle etiquette? What seems to be the most common breaches of etiquette down on the cubicle farms?
A: Questions of noise are the biggest frustration I hear about when it comes to cubical farms or open-office environments. Interestingly, the question of whether or not whispering is rude is asked almost as often as what to do about coworker whose conversations carry.
Q: What are some of the rules of business etiquette when it comes to electronic correspondence? Do they differ from old-fashion, pen-and-paper correspondence?
A: E-mail has brought a whole new set of business etiquette questions to the table. The timetable for prompt replies has moved from several days to a week through snail mail to immediacy in some workplaces. Questions of spelling and grammar, salutations and closings on reply chains, and formality of address are all new. The immediacy also brings up questions of whether or not the message’s author should take time to reflect on hasty or sloppy words, and whether or not a response should even be by e-mail.
Q: When it comes to dining out for business or attending work functions, what are some of the more common etiquette mistakes people make?
A: Being late, speaking with your mouth full of food, and failing to participate in the conversation are three of the worst mistakes people can make. When in doubt about what courses to order, which fork to use, or when to start eating, look to your host and follow their lead. The three best practices are to be on time, actively participate in conversation, and thank your host twice: once when you leave, and the next day in a follow up call, e-mail, or handwritten note depending on the formality of the event.
For more information on the Tunxis Foundation breakfast on Oct. 6, call (860) 255-3604; or e-mail tx-foundation@txcc.commnet.edu. Individual admission is $75 and includes a hot breakfast. Tickets must be purchased by Wed., Sept. 29. Reservations can be made online at tcc2010withannapost.eventbrite.com.
