Know How to Download an App?
Among all the programs I conduct, among my favorite are the business etiquette dinners I facilitate with students and young professionals. During the course of those dinners, I demonstrate the United States (also known as zig zag) as well as the Continental styles of dining. After doing so, inevitably I discover that about one-third of my program participants use some independently developed hybrid style of handling their knives, forks and spoons.
Mishandling silverware. Is this a life or death issue? Heavens no. In most cases a silverware mishap won’t thwart a student, intern or new professional’s efforts to land a job or advance in his or her career. But as I told one student, if you’re smart enough to know how to download an app, you should be smart enough to know how to effectively navigate a table setting.
From my encounters with students and new professionals—all the brilliant young people who already know how to download apps—what are the practical workplace skills they should acquire before they enter an office building? Below I’ve listed 10 things every budding professional should know.
Workplace Skills for Students, Interns & New Professionals
1. Hold a knife and fork correctly. In the United States and a few countries in South America, diners generally use the “zig-zag” style of dining. Begin with your fork in your left hand, tines pointed down, and knife in your right hand. Cut two to three bite-sized pieces of food. Then, put your knife down, placing it across the top of your plate, and switch your fork to your right hand. With the tines pointed up, use your fork to lift food to your mouth. The rest of the world uses the “Continental” style of dining. Begin the same way, holding your fork in your left hand, tines pointed down, and knife in your right hand. Now, cut one bite-sized piece of food, and with tines still pointed down, lift that food to your mouth.
2. Navigate a table setting. As soon as you are seated, place your napkin in your lap. Please do not unfurl your napkin flamboyantly as if to make the sign of Zoro. Rather, discretely unfold it in half and place it on your lap. Your napkin should remain in your lap throughout the course of the meal. Use it to briefly dab your lips before you drink a beverage. Should you need to excuse yourself from the table, place your napkin in your chair. Return your napkin to the tabletop at the end of a meal. Use silverware starting from the outside of the place setting and working in. Once you use a piece of silverware, never return it to the tabletop.
3. Create a business-appropriate voicemail greeting. Create a voicemail message on your landline and smartphone that clearly states your name and the name of your employer. Invite others to leave a message and promise you will return their call as soon as possible. My voicemail message sounds something like this: “Hi, this is Mary Crane. I’m sorry I missed your phone call. Please feel free to leave your name and number. I will return your call as soon as possible.”
4. Leave a voicemail message. If you place a call, and the person whom you are calling is unavailable, leave a voicemail message. Clearly articulate your name, your employer and your phone number. Generally, I indicate that I will take responsibility for following up, saying, “I’ll take responsibility for phoning you again later today. However, if it’s easier for you to reach out to me, my number is . . . .” Repeat your phone number, remembering that it’s easier for you to say it than for others to record it.
5. Disconnect. As you progress in your career, you will discover the need to disconnect. Do so. It will help you preserve your sanity, increase your focus, and make you a better employee in the long run. However, before you go silent, manage your internal and external clients’ expectations. Go ahead and plan an out-of-town weekend escape. Before you travel, meet with your supervisor, describe your plans and confirm that it’s acceptable for you to turn off your smartphone or to check for emergency messages exactly one or two times per day.
6. Introduce yourself. Every time you meet someone, stand-up, make eye contact, and smile. State your name clearly. Extend your right hand for a handshake, holding your hand perfectly perpendicular to the ground. (If you allow your hand to dip over to a 45-degree angle, you’re more likely to deliver a limp wrist, cold fish handshake—something you definitely want to avoid.) Firmly grasp the other person’s hand, pump once or twice, and then release. If you have an unusual or a difficult-to-pronounce name, make sure you slow your speech and clearly articulate your name. In fact, you may wish to help others pronounce your name by providing them with a clue. For example, someone named Vaux might say, “It’s pronounced Vaux, like faux in faux fur or faux leather.”
7. Have a “real” conversation. With technology now ubiquitous, you may be tempted to email or text rather than engage in genuine conversations. However, especially in the world of work, talking will get you further than texting. John Stoker, president of DialogueWORKS, says “real” conversations contain the following components: R – recognize and suspend judgment; E – express thoughts, feelings or opinions without creating resistance; A – ask questions to understand; and L – listen and attend to other’s verbal and nonverbal messages.
8. Make your boss/supervisor look good. This means: no surprises. Keep your boss informed of the status of projects, especially delays and significant problems that you encounter. Turn in projects that are client-ready, i.e., free of typos and stains or stray markings. If you become aware of some inner-office or client communication that could affect your boss, make your boss aware of it. Support your boss’s decisions. Do not disagree or publicly criticize your boss, especially among your peers. Should you choose to share your disagreement with your boss, do so behind closed doors. Always dress in a manner that reflects well upon both you and your employer.
9. Ask. Whether you need help on a particular project, a few days off to attend to a personal matter or feedback from a boss or supervisor, you must learn to ask for what you want and/or need. Never assume that others are aware of your wants/needs. As you become aware of them, make sure you can specifically articulate what they are and why they are important to you. In terms of who you ask to address a want or need, be extremely selective. When you speak with that person, be direct, clear and specific.
10. Build a reputation. Warren Buffet once said, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that you'll do things differently.” Keep in mind that everything you do at work—how you greet coworkers, how you interact with clients, how you dress, eat and email—contributes to or detracts from your reputation. Make sure you build the best reputation ever.
What You Need To Know
Successful students, interns and new professionals take responsibility for their careers by ensuring they have interpersonal skills that position them well.
comments powered by Disqus
