08/29/2024

Leveraging Professional Etiquette as a Competitive Advantage

Professional etiquette should be taught to improve workplace culture

Professional relationships have never been more important to people, companies and the customers they serve. They are also under immense pressure, disrupted first by a global pandemic and then by a long-term transition to remote or hybrid work, the rise of a multi-generational workforce, the introduction of novel technologies like AI and machine learning and many other factors.

The statistics are staggering. Recent research for Ernst and Young revealed that 75 percent of workers feel excluded at work. A separate analysis found that two-thirds feel disconnected from their colleagues. The consequences are multifaceted and far-reaching, including curtailed team cohesion, fewer personal connections, more communication challenges, reduced employee retention, diminished productivity metrics and declining customer service. That is why we need to get back to the basics, relying on professional etiquette to make our teams more connected and cohesive and our companies more resilient and adaptive.

Professional etiquette, the positive behaviors of an individual who gives, cares about how someone else feels and represents themselves well, can foster an environment where trust, collaboration and mutual respect flourish.

Please select this link to read the complete article from SmartBrief.