Proper Business Etiquette (40-53)

Business etiquette no longer exists primarily in the office. One must continue to act proper in the social setting as well as on the Internet. As an employee, you are the face of the company. Entry-level or senior executive, your actions represent the business for which you are employed. That is why it is always important to use proper business etiquette. To appear professional one must dress according to office standards, groom often, be punctual, pay close attention, use correct phone skills, remember the customs of others when introducing yourself, maintain precise dining manners, and avoid all distractions. In order to uphold successful teamwork, productive meetings, effective listening, and nonverbal communication, employees should always use business etiquette. Without proper etiquette companies can drive away customers, investors, and other critical audiences-and it can limit your career potential (Bovée and Thill).

Furthermore, what exactly is correct business communication etiquette? Listed below are a few examples of how good and bad communication with proper etiquette can make all the difference in the business setting.

Online:  

• Never use abbreviations or acronyms in an email. Consider how you converse with your friends via text and do the complete opposite!
• Always check for grammar and spelling errors when emailing.
• Be conscious of underlining, italicizing, and bolding. Sometimes using writing functions can make an email appear aggressive.

In the workplace:

• Dress according to office standards.
• Groom frequently.
• Pay attention.
• Consider posture or in other words, sit and stand straight up.
• Arrive punctual.

Social setting:

• Make an effort to know your client before actually meeting them. For example, know their culture.
• Describe your role within the company when introducing yourself.
• Focus on the topic at hand and try not to stray from the overall purpose of the meeting.

In addition, I research and watch several videos of business communication etiquette. I hope the video I have chosen helps you comprehend the right and wrong way to communicate in the business setting.

http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/business-etiquette-in-the-workplace-and-beyond.html 

Reference: 

Bovée, Courtland L., and John V. Thill. "Achieving Success Through Effective Business Communication." Business Communication Today. 12th ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2014. 17-25. Print.

"Business Etiquette In The Workplace and Beyond." Education Portal. Web. 25 Jan. 2015. <http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/business-etiquette-in-the-workplace-and-beyond.html>. 

Committing to Ethical and Legal Communication (17-25)

Being that this is my first blog I would like to focus on the ethical and legal concerns associated with creating and publishing this form of communication.

As stated in the textbook, Business Communication Today, “Any groups affected by a company’s decisions now have tools to give voice to their opinions and needs, and companies have many more conversational threads that need to be monitored and managed” (Bovée and Thill). A prime example of a conversational thread being utilized by companies is a blog. Blogs are a great way for companies to interact with their customers and other readers via the Internet. Not only do blogs support an informal means of communication, they allow readers to participate and comment in the conversation initiated by the company. However, when employing a blog site one must be cautious of the ethical guidelines required by the company and legal regulations bound to any form of communication.

To ensure ethical communication, one must first understand what their employers have deemed ethical and/or unethical. To assist with this overall question, businesses have established a code of ethics. Unless those in executive positions follow the code of ethics, lower level employees will not feel obligated to communicate or act ethically either. In regards to writing a blog, one must ask themselves a series of questions before posting their write-up. For example, and as stated in Business Communication Today, “Will the message achieve the greatest possible good while doing the least possible harm” (Bovée and Thill)? Or in other words, is what you are posting beneficial to the company whom you are posting for, or will the post negatively affect the audience and the company?

Furthermore, in addition to the ethical aspects of communication and blogging come the legal implications associated with any form of writing. One particular area that bloggers must be cautious of is law concerning intellectual property such as patents and copyrighted material. Using another’s work requires citation and without the proper form of credit, legal actions will be taken. Blogging creates a relaxed and comfortable environment for writers, however one must always give credit where credit is due.

Lastly, my question to you, as bloggers and active readers, is what actions can you take in the future to always ensure ethical and legal communication?

Reference:

Bovée, Courtland L., and John V. Thill. "Achieving Success Through Effective Business Communication." Business Communication Today. 12th ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2014. 17-25. Print.

 

Introduction

Hi everyone! My name is Eden Holloway. I grew up in Roaring River, NC, went to Elkin High School, and graduated in 2012. After graduation, I landed a management position at Bath & Body Works in Elkin confirming my decision to live at home an extra two years and work on my Associates in Art degree at Surry Community College. Upon the completion of my degree, I transferred here, Appalachian State University. I am currently a Junior in the Walker College of Business where I study Management. As of last semester, I was admitted into the Walker COB Honors Program and elected Secretary of the Project Management Club for the spring of 2015. Furthermore, there is a little about me and I look forward to working with each and every one of you this semester!