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This text emphasizes the importance of understanding and adhering to business etiquette and protocol to succeed professionally. While discipline and rule-following are essential, recognizing that rules can sometimes be broken is equally important—provided one knows the rules well beforehand. Business protocol, though often overlooked, plays a crucial role in job interviews, maintaining good relationships with superiors, and enhancing one’s influence within an organization.
The article outlines seven key unwritten business rules. First, always prioritize the customer’s perspective to maintain strong relationships. Second, demonstrate strong work ethics by being punctual and going beyond assigned tasks. Third, make others feel important through empathy and recognition, which fosters positive interactions. Fourth, engage actively where customers and industry peers gather, such as conferences or online groups, to stay connected. Fifth, show respect in formal settings by standing until invited to sit. Sixth, take personal initiative by seeking tasks beyond your duties. Finally, “go the extra mile” by putting in more effort than required to advance professionally. Together, these principles help navigate a dynamic business world by ensuring respectful and effective interpersonal interactions.
The expert in leadership and new ways of working, Mick Yates, and his collaborator Cristi Waterson, offer us a brief list of the protocol rules that we must comply with to interact well in our work
You can be a disciplined person. You always follow the rules. However, we are not perfect. Sometimes, we break our own rules. But before you break the rules, you need to know them. In business it is important to know and comply with its protocol.
Protocol in business is a fairly unknown topic. But it’s useful when you’re going for an interview or when you need to maintain a good relationship with your boss. In addition, some of these tips will specifically help you become more influential. For example, if you master the rules of business etiquette, it will be easy to move up.
So here are the unwritten rules about business etiquette that you should never break:
Rule 1: The customer is always right.
In business, it doesn’t matter who is right and who is wrong. What matters are the consequences of arguing with people because you think they are wrong. Have you ever been assigned a task and then get negative feedback? We’ve all been there.
Each customer, for example, has different patterns of behavior. There is no right or wrong way to perform tasks. But for the sake of the customer, you have to unlearn what you learned previously and focus only on the instructions given.
If you make your customers look wrong, you risk damaging your reputation and customer relationship.
Rule 2: The work ethic.
Work ethics is not a complex issue. It involves understanding what is right and what is wrong. Here’s a simple work ethic technique that’s very powerful.
Start before you start. And it’s over before you’re done.
But how is it done? Don’t panic. Chances are, you’ve already complied with this rule before. And you just need to have consistency. Arrive at the job site 30 minutes before you start your job. Similarly, when you think you’ve done all the daily tasks, do another task that you can finish before you think about going home.
Rule 3: The feeling of importance.
This rule comes from the book written by Dale Carnegie on how to influence people. Imagine social problems such as suicide, crime, and family disagreements. They all have a relationship with the feeling of importance. For example, people commit suicide because they think they are not loved.
You have to make other people feel important, listen more, be empathetic, give recognition and affection. It is a key element in any protocol. Think of 5 other ways you can make the people around you feel important and put it into practice.
Rule 4: Go where your customers are.
There are two approaches to this rule. First, you have to be with other people, not isolate yourself. Second, you have to be where your customers are.
What do you think happens in a dynamic business environment? Of course, there are conferences, fairs and exhibitions to exchange ideas and network. You have to be at the center of discussions by positioning yourself where most people are. It’s a good way to find out what other people think about your business.
On the other hand, if you work as a social media manager for a company, for example, you have to join all groups with relevant clients.
Rule 5: Stand until you’re offered a seat.
Imagine you’re in a job interview, at a doctor’s office, or visiting a client, either way, you need to show respect. The bad news is, that many people are antisocial, and you will do them a great favor by using this rule. You just have to stand up, and say what you want. Don’t sit down until I give you permission to do so. Some recruiters use this technique to reduce the number of applicants.
Rule 6: Personal initiative.
Personal initiative means finding something to do and doing it. Obviously, outside of the tasks that have already been assigned to you.
Rule 7: Do an extra kilometer.
Before you even think about a raise , you have to put in the effort and do more than you’re paid to do. This is the only way to make sure that the next job will be better than the previous one.
We live in a dynamic world where we all come from different backgrounds; But through etiquette and protocol, we make sure we can interact properly.
Fundador | Profesor | Asesor en LeaderValues | Universidad de Leeds | Balcroft and IORMA
