A to the point deck on common corporate etiquette, including: Corporate Parties Email writing Meetings and Conferences Telephone and Con-Calls Lunch and Cafeteria Common Areas – lift, washroom, corridor, bay area Chat tools – Skype, communicator Personal Hygiene Language – words and phrases ~ by Seekhle Learning

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CORPORATE
ETIQUETTE
Tips and suggestions on Business Etiquette necessary for success
“First Impressions are last impressions”
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What and Why of Business Etiquette
Definition:
• Expected behaviors and expectations for individual actions within society, group, or class.Within a place of
business, it involves treating coworkers and employer with respect and courtesy in a way that creates a
pleasant work environment for everyone (http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/business-
etiquette.html).
Why is it important:
• People notice our behavior
• Clients notice our behavior
• Our managers notice our behavior
• Our colleagues notice our behavior

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Key areas where Etiquette needs to be followed
1. Corporate Parties
2. Email writing
3. Meetings and Conferences
4. Telephone and Con-Calls
5. Lunch and Cafeteria
6. CommonAreas – lift, washroom, corridor, bay area
7. Chat tools – Skype, communicator
8. Personal Hygiene
9. Language – words and phrases

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Corporate Party
Etiquette
1. Remember an office party is still an “office” scenario
2. If you don’t drink, politely say no
3. Hold that drink.This is not the place to show off your
‘drinking capacity’
4. Dress appropriately
5. If you’re a non-vegetarian, go for boneless
6. Try to leave at an appropriate time. Avoid hanging around
till the last moment and beyond
7. Take this as an opportunity to network with people you
usually don’t interact with
8. Keep work related discussions away as much as possible
9. And no drunken rants!Totally avoid complaining, bickering
or blaming someone at work or outside for your troubles

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1. Avoid ALL CAPS
2. Avoid Bcc: unless it is a bulk mail, using Bcc conveys lack
of transparency
3. To and CC must be in a proper order and not random,
preferably higher to lower designation
4. Avoid smileys unless other party initiates, and stick to 😊
only
5. Don’t use ‘reminder 1’, ‘reminder 2’.You are not the
snooze function of their alarm.Write a line or two urging
your recipient to respond and state the reason why
6. Avoid unprofessional words and phrases
7. Spelling and Grammar must be correct
8. Write a powerful and unique subject
Email Etiquette

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1. RespectTime, plan, start and end on time
2.Watch your body language: avoid leaning, relaxing or
distracting body language
3. Carry note taking material: it can be a diary and pen
4. Phone: keep it on silent, and if there is an urgent call,
excuse and step outside the room to take it
5.Watch your voice and tone: speak politely and avoid heated
arguments
6. Listen actively: the better listener is always at an advantage
7. Say something and make it useful
8. Make eye contact, with everyone
9.Watch what you eat!Avoid foods that make you sleepy
before a meeting
Meeting &
Conference
Etiquette

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1. RespectTime
a. if it’s a scheduled call make sure you start and end on time
b. if it’s unscheduled check with the other person is it a good time
c. stick to work hours of the other person when calling them
unless they requested odd hours call
2. Location of your call: choose to make the call from your
workstation, meeting room, or office premise according to its
agenda
3. No guess who game please: you can play the guess who game
with friends and family but not on an official call
4. No eating or chewing something while on call: it is distracting
as well as dis-respectful to chew something when talking to
someone, whether on phone or face to face
5. Avoid multi-tasking: it is distracting for you and the other
person on phone
6. Always call back if you told them you would: this will convey
your sincerity and ability to be organized despite being busy
Telephone
Etiquette

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1. RespectTime: a very extended lunch is both a waste of your
time and detrimental to productivity
2. Respect others food preferences. Food is a personal choice
and we must respect that
3.Wait for all to start
4. Share your food but seek permission before you dig into
theirs
5. Forget personal grudges at the lunch table
6. No loud conversations and laugh riots in the cafeteria
7. Phone away! : avoid indulging in your phone
8. If you are out for lunch with the team, follow proper dining
etiquette
Lunch &
Cafeteria
Etiquette

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Office Common
Areas & their
Etiquette
1. Entrance & Parking:
a. Co-operate with the security personnel, greet them with a smile, and
get to know their names
b. Don’t run to the lift, it will come back
c. Park in your slot only
2. Lift:
a. Press the button in the direction of your travel
b. Let people exit first and then enter
c. Stand facing the door, without obstructing it
d. If the lift door is closing rush towards the buttons and don’t put your
hands in between the doors
3. Corridor:
a. Walk with a smile in a normal pace, greet people as you go
b. Avoid gathering along with 2-3 people and block the passage
c. If others have blocked the passage, say “excuse me” loud and clear, then
walk through them

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Office Common
Areas & their
Etiquette
4. Bay area & workstations:
a. Speak in a controlled volume on your phone without disturbing
others
b. Never peek into others work systems
c. Stand opposite the person when you go to their workstation
d. Avoid eating food at your workstation, it invites germs and
pests
e. No loud gatherings and noises unless it is a planned HR Activity
5. Washrooms/Toilets:
a. Follow the instructions as posted by the admin/facilities team
b. No sprinkles on the mirror
c. Avoid office gossip with your friend.You don’t know who may
be sitting in the next lavatory
d. 1 paper towel is actually enough for wiping your hands
e. If something is broken or leaking inform housekeeping

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1. It is official communication – so keep the tone and words
professional
2. Avoid Emoticons – maximum a smile 😊 is ok
3. Check the status of the other person – Busy, Do not
disturb, Away or Available. Ping accordingly
4. If its an urgent message – try to call if possible, otherwise,
don’t wait for them to reply to your Hi. Send across the
main message in the first 2 pings itself
5. Never post confidential information through a chat tool
6. All chats are recorded on organization server and not just
your machine
Office Chat
Tools Etiquette

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1. Body odour – keep a deodorant/perfume handy
2. Facial hair grooming – you can either be clean shaven or
have a beard, the point is to maintain it
3. Hairstyle again a personal choice but needs to be
maintained
4. Oral hygiene – brush teeth regularly and rinse mouth
after meals
5. Smelly socks – change socks everyday
6. Keep nails and hands clean, cut nails regularly
7. Wash hands before and after meals or when returning
back from outside, or smoking
8. Keep clothes neat and ironed, they convey a lot
Personal
Hygiene
Etiquette

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1. I don’t know: this conveys lack of confidence and clarity
2. Fillers -You know, Like, I mean, I think: fillers are a major
distraction to people who are listening to you
3. That is over my pay scale / I will do only what I’m paid for /
I’m too busy
4. “What the …”: even without the ‘F’ word, this shortened
expression conveys the lack of control over your speech
and is always inappropriate at work
5. ASAP: is by no means the way to convey urgency. It
shows you are unplanned and are trying to push others
6. Complaining or blaming sentences - he’s lazy, that team
is like this only, it’s not my fault
7. No, But or no, no, no: the moment you start your
sentence with a no, you are negating what the other
person just said
Language
Etiquette

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