Definition of Business Etiquette

Business Etiquette is a set of manners that is required in a professional environment .

The professionals are expected to follow certain rules and behave in certain manner within the workplace .

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Why Business Etiquette?

• It gives you an edge over others in the competitive workplace.
• It gives you confidence to stand out in diverse settings of the organization.
• Builds a positive image.

First Impressions

You get only one chance to make the first impression,

So,make sure you do everything right.

Remember,first impression might last for a lifetime.

E-mail Etiquette

E-mail etiquette is an involving art as this has to come in frequent use,recently.

You should always use professional language.

It should be crisp and to-the-point.

Telephone Etiquette

• Always identify yourself at the beginning of all calls.
• Speak clearly and slowly.
• Be sensitive to the tone of your voice.
• Avoid interruptions.

Meeting Etiquette

• Be on time.
• Prepare well for the meeting.
• Do not use your mobile phone.
• Be brief and relevant.
• Never interrupt anyone.

Dress Etiquette

• Proper grooming adds stars to your personality.
• Wear professional clothes.
• Neat and well-ironed.
• Simple yet elegant.
• Never wear strong colognes.

Body Language

• Make proper eye contact.
• Always keep your arms and hands open.
• Make sure you are actively listening.
• Make your emotions visible on your face.
• Make poxer posing a habit.

Office Etiquette

• Be punctual.
• Be a good team player.
• Avoid using slangs and vulgar language in the office.
• Treat all co-workers with respect and courtesy.

Conclusion

• Business etiquette helps you stand out of the crowd in the workplace.
• Leaves a good first impression.
• Helps you make healthy work relations.
• Enhances your chance of success.
• Helps you become a self-brand.

Meaning

Business ethics (also called corporate ethics) is a form of applied ethics or professional ethics that examines ethical principlesand moral or ethical problems that arise in a business environment.

It applies to all aspects of business conduct and is relevant to the conduct of individuals and entire organizations.

Importance

• The ethical operation of a company is directly related to profitabilityin both the short and long term.
• If a company is perceived to not operate ethically,investors are less inclined to buy stock or otherwise support its opperations.

Principles of Business Ethics

1.Honesty:

• Ethical executives are honest and truthful in all their dealings and they do not deliberatly mislead or deceive others by misrepresentation , overstatements , partial truths.

2.INTEGRITY:

• Ethical executives demonstrate personal integrity and the courage of their convictions by doing what they think is right enven when there is great pressure to do otherwise .

They will fight for their beliefs.

Principles of Business Ethics

3.LOYALTY:

• Ethical executives are worthy of trust,demonstrate fidelity and loyalty to persons and institutions by friendship in adversity,support and devotion to duty;they do not use or disclose information learned in confidence for personal advantage.

4.FAIRNESS:

• Ethical executives and fair and just in all dealings ; they do not exercise power arbitrarily , and do not use overreaching nor incident means to gain or maintain any advantage.

Principles of Business Ethics

5.CONCERN FOR OTHERS:

• Ethical executives are caring , compassionate , benevolent and kind.

6.RESPECT FOR OTHERS:

• Ethical executives demonstrate respect for the human dignity , autonomy , privacy , rights , and interests of all those who have a stake in their decisions.

7.Law Abiding:

• Ethical executives abide by laws , rules and regulations relating to their business activities.

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Principles of Business Ethics

8.COMMITMENT TO EXELLENCE:

• Ethical executives persue exellence in performing their duties , are well informed and prepared , and constantlyendeavour to encrease their proficiency in all areas of responsibility.

9.LEADERSHIP:

• Ethical executives are conscious of the responsibilities and opportunities of their position of leadership and seek to be positive ethical role models by their own conduct.

Principles of Business Ethics

10.REPUTATION AND MORALE:

• Ethical executives seek to protect and build the cmpany’s good reputation and the morale of its employees by engaging in no conduct that might indetermine respect.

11.ACCOUNTABILITY:

• Ethical executives acknowledge and accept personal accountability for the ethical quality of their decisions and ommissions to themselves , their colleagues , their companies , and their communities.

Ways to demonstrate Business Ethics

• Accounting practices:
• Financial honesty and transparency is a basic expectation of shareholders , customers and employees.
• It serves no one when organization ‘cook the books’-whether it be intentional or accidental.
• Truth-in-Selling:
• When an organization markets a product or service , they are obligated to deliver what was promised to the customer.

Ways to demonstrate Business Ethics

• Integrity in Management Practices:
• Management practices are the underlying foundation for organizational integrity.
• Customer Service integrity:
• Service after the sale is what service integrity is all about .

It is easy to make promises before a sale but following up and ensuring a great

customer experience is what makes some organizations stand out.

Ways to demonstrate Business Ethics

• Personal Integrity:
• It is important for business lesders to live a lifestyle of honesty , integrity and high ethical standards because what these leaders do can harm the reputation of the organization.
• Product Integrity:
• Product integrity is important to those of us who purchase products and services.

This is when public perception and brand come in to play.

Conclusion

• Ethics in business is about knowing the difference between right and wrong and choosing to do what is right.
• To retain a positive image , business must be commited to operating on an ethical foundation as it relates to treatments of employees , respectingthat surrounding environment and fair market practices in terms of price and consumer treatment.

What is Diversity?

Divesity is a complex combination of people from different cultural backgrounds.

They make the entire community a wider space of individuals with different perceptions and identities.

Elements of Workplace Diversity

Benefits of Workplace Diversity

• Mutual Respect:
• Workplace diversity fosters mutual respect amongst the team members.

Different cultures and age groupes bring diffenrent dynamics to the table and

employees gain respect for each other.

Benefits of Workplace Diversity

• Conflict Resolution:
• When people start gaining respect for each other’s differences . The road to conflict resolution becomes easy . They start learning from each other and reduce conflicts.

Benefits of Workplace Diversity

• Business Reputation:
• When an organization makes effort to build a diverse workforce , it acquires respect and profitability.Fair employment practices and diverse workforce attractsmore qualified people.

Benefits of Workplace Diversity

• Job promotion:
• When you work in an organization that respects and encourages diversity , you become globally accepted. You will be treated with respect and integrity when you join international organizations.

Benefits of Workplace Diversity

• Increased Exposure:
• Workers learn a great deal from their colleagues . Not everyoone has the same working styles and techniques and that can be an exposure to other people.

Strategies to manage workplace diversity

• Prioritize Communication.
• Treat each employee as an individual.
• Encourage them to work in diverse teams.
• Be open-minded.
• Observe carefully and listen to their problems.
• Keep them motivated.

Conclusion

• Workplace diversity is a must have if you wish to gain respect in the global matters.
• It is just not for the benefit of the company , the employees gain exposure to different working styles and techniques.
• People from different cultural backgrounds , ethnicity , age , or gender make the workplace a box of so many varied ideas and learning.

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The Cost Reduction Principle

Goals of Process Improvement

Three Types of Process Activities

Where is Customer Service Delivered?

How is exellent Customer Service delivred?

Definition

The ability to successfully organize and assemble a group of people with shared interests, usually in a formal setting, for the purpose of discussions is known as meeting management skill. Effective meeting management involves planning and organizing well-structured meetings where members of the team can accomplish more in less time.

Within an organization, various types of meetings are conducted where information sharing takes place e.g. for the purpose of problem-solving, planning, decision making, or a general staff meeting. Such meetings serve as an important means for coordination between teams and constitute a significant part of the life of every organization.

Why is meeting management important�

According to studies conducted, about 30% of the work time of an average employee is spent in meetings. Wondering why? It is believed that only 38% of the true meaning and feeling of any message is conveyed by the manner in which things are said, 7% is carried by the choice of words and the remaining 55%, which is the largest fraction, is carried by facial expressions and other non-verbal cues. These statistics obviously make written memos and telephonic conferences relatively less important than face-to-face meetings.

Therefore, if meetings are so important, so is the ability to manage them effectively. Cost efficiency serves as the primary importance of meeting management skills. The more organized a meeting is, the lesser time will be wasted by employees, resulting in increased productivity and revenues for the organization.

Good meeting management skills also ensure valuable contribution by all team members, which helps in finding the optimum solutions for issues at hand. Meeting management also plays an important role in improving communication, interpersonal relationships, teamwork, as well as employee morale and satisfaction.

How to improve meeting management skills�

Since effective meetings are indispensable to the success of an organization, the success of your job as well as your career depends to a great extent on your meeting management skills. Following are the tips that will help you improve:

Begin by communicating the purpose. Within the first five to seven minutes, outline the purpose of the meeting very clearly by telling what goals and objectives you wish to accomplish through this meeting. Also use this time to set a foundation, establish certain parameters, and decide a timeframe to run the meeting in.

Encourage participation by all. In order to make a meeting more effective, you must be able to manage it in a way that allows for open discussions. The participants of the meeting who are shy or reluctant should be given equal opportunity and encouragement to share their opinions and contribute their ideas.

Press for closure. A decision is not necessarily made at the end of the meeting only. There can be several items on the agenda of a meeting. To ensure that the members do not lose track of time or topic, press for closure after a decision is made for each and every item on the agenda. Summarize the main point at each step i.e. the end of every discussion, as well as at the end of the meeting. Allocate the roles and responsibilities and have everyone acknowledge their agreement.

Time Management

Time.

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-We can’t stop it, slow it down, multiply it, add on to it, stretch it. . .

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-We can’t make it more than it is.

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-We have 24 hours of time every day,

365 days per year

What is Time Management?

Time management:

• The prioritization, scheduling and execution of daily responsibilities to a level of personal satisfaction.

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• Effective time management does not mean you have more time; it means you make better use of the time you have.

Planning vs Scheduling

• What is planning?
• What is scheduling?

So planning is effectively defining what is to be done and how. And scheduling is the when.

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Planning vs Scheduling

Advantages of Effective Time Management

• Reducing stress
• Gaining time
• Reducing avoidance
• Promoting reviews and eliminating cramming
• Staying motivated
• Feelings of confidence and self empowerment

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Steps To Initiate �Time-Management Techniques

Effective time management can be broken down into three skills:

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• Prioritization

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• Scheduling

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• Execution

ABCD Rank-Order Method

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80/20 Rule

Time Mapping

Prioritization: ABCD Rank-Order Method

• Task A highest-priority, B second-priority and C low-priority
• Rewrite and complete in new order
• Divide tasks into 4 boxes. Box 1 high importance and urgency. Box 4 least important and urgent
• Start with Box 1 and work your way to Box 4

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Prioritization: 80/20 Rule

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• 80/20 Rule, focus on 1 or 2 significant tasks
• 2 out of 10 tasks will produce recognizable gains

Scheduling

• Matching a specific task with a designated time period
• Use Time Mapping

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Time Mapping

Method 1:

• 3 to 5 hour chunks or boxes of time
• In each time do a specific responsibility
• Geared toward big projects

Methode 2:

• Small blocks of time 15 to 30 minutes
• Specific tasks (phone call, running errand) for specific times

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Execution

Tips to Improve Execution:

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• Assign a deadline for each tasks
• Break projects down into smaller tasks and assign deadline for each
• Work on one section until it’s completed
• Reward yourself after accomplishment

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�Additional Time Management Ideas�

• Delegation
• Schedule interruption
• Keep a journal
• Stressed out? What to do?

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• Organizing Skills
• Recharge yourself
• Additional tips.

Definition

• Disability of a person usually means a physical or mental impairment that restricts his ability to participate in everyday activities that the society calls ‘normal’. Disability awareness as a skill refers to being mindful of the disabilities of people and managing to communicate and work with them effectively.
• Therefore, it is not enough to realize that discriminating on the basis of disabilities is unlawful. As an employer or supervisor it is important that you have disability awareness yourself and that you also develop consciousness amongst your subordinates about differentiating good and poor practices when it comes to working with the disabled ones.

Why is disability awareness important�

• One cannot begin to understand how important its awareness is unless he knows how frequently people with disabilities are found nowadays. Approximately 49 million Americans, which means one out of every five Americans, have a certain form of disability. One out of every twelve (8%) Irish people also have a disability. Yet, our society is enriched with their valuable contributions as they continue to share their lives.
• The largest barriers these disabled people encounter are other people because our societies have always been occupied with stereotypes and prejudice towards them. Pointing out, through disability awareness, such stereotypes and misconceptions about people with disabilities and then bringing about changes in behavior and attitude towards them is essential to enable all employees to work to their maximum potential.
• The resulting improvement in productivity, creativity, and employee relations certainly catalyzes the organizational as well as the individual career growth.

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How to improve disability awareness as a skill�

• Following are some useful tips to improve disability awareness such that the organization has a more harmonious and motivated workforce with maximum efficiency:
• Understand that not everyone is the same. The first step towards improving disability awareness as a skill, in oneself or in others, is acceptance of the fact that every individual is unique. A culture of inclusion must be developed by showing understanding and respect towards individual differences. This will ultimately evolve into a harmonious work environment desired by every organization.
• Dig deeper to understand better. If a worker or employee is suspected of a disability, carry out enquiries for more information on his health in order to get a deeper insight of his condition. This will help you determine his strengths and weaknesses as well as the suitable work environment according to his needs so that his efficiency can be maximized. However, this entire process must be confidential with the workers/employees reassured that the personal information obtained shall be shared, with their permission, only where required.
• Avoid making assumptions. As an employer or manager, it is imperative that you avoid stereotyping impairments and making wrongful assumptions that could cloud your judgment about someone’s ability to perform well. For example, in denying a promotion to someone with a history of depression, you could be taking away from the firm one of its best future leaders.

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Definition

• Reports and proposals are documents written for a specific purpose and audience. A report, generally, consists of an analysis of a situation or problem at hand and recommends solution for it. Proposals, in the similar manner, explain a need that is identified and offers a course of action in response to it.
• Reports and proposals may have varying lengths, structures, and writing styles. However, in essence, both are a means of written communication and the ability to do it effectively is known as one’s skills of writing reports and proposals.

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Why are the skills of writing reports and proposals important�

• Although verbal communication is the fastest of all methods, organizations generally have a preference for written communication due to the permanency of record that it allows as well as their availability for reference whenever required.
• The skills of writing reports and proposals, therefore, are extremely important to ensure that the information conveyed to the reader is exactly how you intended it to. After all, these written documents are what ultimately lead to action and make things really happen.
• Now that we have begun to understand its importance, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that poor report or proposal writing skills can cause you to miss opportunities, lose sales, or lose even your credibility because the reader might fail to understand or misinterpret the document.

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How to improve your skills of writing reports and proposals�

• Despite the fact that there is no rigid rule as to how your report or proposal should be structured, there are numerous useful guides available on the web that can provide help, if you need any. Following are some suggestions that will help you improve your overall skills of writing reports and proposals:
• Try to meet your readers’ expectations. Never let yourself take the reader for granted. Whether the reader is a friend, a relative, an acquaintance, or just someone who highly recommends your service, make sure of the clarity of your report because nobody like to struggle through a poorly written document. Place yourself in the readers’ shoes before you begin writing so that you are able to meet their expectations, without having them lose interest at the first glance or as they read further into it.
• Avoid writing like an amateur. If you wish to improve your skills of writing reports and proposals, you must develop and retain your credibility with the readers. Therefore, always check you facts and figures and never let your readers lose confidence in you for making an incorrect or confusing statement. You must write with clarity, showing your logical train of thoughts, and ensure the authenticity of your statements.

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