Do manners make or break your career? How to Nurture Good Manners?

Introduction

Do you remember the last time you were asked to mind your manners? You may be surprised, but good manners are a key element to career success. Good manners are simply how you conduct and compose yourself at your professional environment. They effect how other people think of you or perceive you, their feelings about working with you, and even how good you are at your job. Rude people, or individuals with bad manners, are judged quite harshly in a professional environment. So, do remember to mind your manners to ensure you are making the best impression while on the job.

Manners and Professionalism

Professionalism does not just mean doing the job you have been assigned. It is more about how you do the job that you have been given. You need to ensure that your manners help boost your professionalism. Dress properly for your work. Make sure to report to work prepared and ready to do the job. Avoid being late and wasting time. And ensure that everyone you interact with knows what you are there to do. Good manners that reflect on your professionalism include politeness and punctuality. Failing at these basics will highlight your lack of professionalism.

Manners and Reputation

Reputation is another job trait that reflects highly on your manners. Being rude to your co-workers and lying are two qualities that can severely damage your reputation. Reputation is based largely on how you present yourself, and most of those basic manners that you have learned in grade school help improve and build your reputation. Do understand that if you develop a bad reputation, it will be more difficult to get hired or stay in a role.

Manners and Communication Skills

Manners are not only connected to your communication skills, but also to your problem-solving skills. Manners are shown through patience in your work. Bad communication, or rushing to a solution, is exactly how inaccuracies and errors seep into the work. Note that “patience is a virtue” and this holds good in every industry. Speaking well with clients and colleagues depends on your manners. From the basics of engagement, thank you and please, to handling conflicts sympathetically and gracefully, people tend to work best with individuals who work well with them. Remember to communicate with respect while communicating with others, especially in delicate situations, to develop stronger relationships and be efficient at your job. If you cannot collaborate or communicate effectively, you are not serving the business.

Manners and Team Work 

Whether you are a fresh graduate looking to begin a career or a qualified and seasoned professional in the industry for many years, teamwork skills are a very crucial. At the heart of any successful organization is great teamwork. And good teamwork is the product of good manners among teammates. Good team players can get the others around them excited about a project and deliver quality work. This is an essential skill in managers where the success of a team and the organization is based on working as a team and fostering a cooperative work environment. However, it is also essential in technical workers who inevitably need to cooperate and work well with colleagues to accomplish team goals. So ensure that you are on your best behavior when your success depends on more than just your contributions.

Basic Examples of Good Manners and Etiquettes

Following are the basic examples of good manners and etiquettes in a professional environment:

• Think about what you want to say and never rush to comment about things you do not know much about. Being a good listener is better than speaking.
• Don’t start a sentences, with ‘ums’ and ‘ers’ in between, it makes you look awkward. Try speaking to yourself in front of a mirror, it works at increasing your confidence in speaking.
• Never speak loudly. You will quickly lose respect if you do, as this can be seen as overbearing and rude. So, practice turning your volume down if you tend to have a loud voice.
• Speak with respect to and of others, you can practice this by avoiding negative remarks that may insult someone else.
• Avoid telling crude jokes, for this shows signs of immaturity and often creates a bad impression of you.
• Always respect your seniors and listen to them and learn from them.
• Using the terms ‘Thank You’, and ‘You are Welcome’ shows that you have good manners.
• Hold open a door for anyone following you closely. There are no strict gender rules in this day and age.
• Always speak highly of your family, even if there are things about them that you do not like. Don’t wash dirty family laundry in public. It is negative and rude.
• Do not use filth language and curse words. It is unprofessional! People who do this are usually very immature and have no self-control or respect for themselves and others!

Bottomline

Good manners are simply consideration and respect for others or being aware of the needs of others. They are the oil which lubricates the friction of interpersonal relations and creates a happy and successful society. So, learn to give respect and take respect!