16) Business Etiquette in the Age of McDonald’s

Etiquette. The word may bring to mind images of the Victorian Era and unnatural rules of behavior. But today basic etiquette is an important part of presenting a positive image to your boss or to your clients or customers.

The skills required to project a relaxed and competent image are now receiving attention from all types of organizations, which expect employees at a variety of levels to be able to successfully present themselves and the company’s interests.

“Many people that make it to the top understand these rules, and they expect others to know them too. Most of the people I work with are upwardly mobile and good at their jobs but might lack the social skills to take that next step,” explains Jane Wilger, President of Wilger Image Development, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Wilger provides common sense guidelines for situations businesspeople frequently experience, whether they are engineers, salespeople, administrators or executives. In her seminars, Wilger discusses all aspects of business meals, how to dress for success, body language, introductions, and even cell phone manners. A few of her favorite tips follow below:

* Introductions

While introductions may appear simple, these are the few moments in which critical first impressions are made on all sides.

“Always stand up when being introduced to someone,” says Wilger. “If you’re sitting across a large table it may not be possible to reach across and shake hands, but you can at least stand.”

The name of the person of highest rank, or the person of honor, should be spoken first; all others are being presented to that person. For example, “President Clinton, I’d like you to meet Jane Smith.”

“The person of highest rank,” says Wilger, “is first the client, or any person who is outside of your organization, unless they are a member of your family. Second, it is the person with a higher position, so that a manager would be introduced to a vice president.”

* Handshakes

“Whether you’re a man or a woman, jobs can still be won or lost on the basis of a firm handshake,” says Wilger. Men and women should shake hands with each other the same way as woman to woman or man to man. Offer your hand turned at a 90 degree angle to the floor and don’t hold just the fingers or try to crush the other person’s hand with an iron grip.

During a cocktail hour, hold your drink in the left hand. Do this both to keep your right hand free, and so it is not cold and wet from holding a glass.

Some men may wait for a woman to offer her hand to be shaken, rather than automatically extending their hand to her. Wilger advises women to “get your hand out there right away so there is no confusion.” She offers the same advice to anyone who might have a disability in their right hand or arm. “Bob Dole puts his left hand out there to shake right away, and people just learn to shake left hands with him.”

* Dining

“Your napkin should go into your lap within the first ten seconds of sitting down,” says Wilger. And once in your lap, the napkin should never again be placed on the table until everyone leaves at the end of the meal. If you need to stand or leave the table during the meal, the napkin should be left on your chair.

Wilger says she is often asked what to do if something is stuck in your teeth. “The rule is that it should come out the same way it went in.” If it went in by hand, such as grape stones, olive pits or bits of nut shell, it goes out by hand. If it went on a spoon, such as something in a soup, it should come out by spoon. An exception to this rule are small clean things such as fish bones, which likely went in on a fork, but can be removed by hand.

Wilger also notes it is best to be as discreet as possible. Trying too hard to cover up what you’re doing by hiding behind your napkin actually draws more attention to the process than if you try to quietly remove the problem food.

* Paying the Bill

If you think there might be a scuffle about who will pay the bill, or if you simply want it handled in a swift and subtle way, Wilger suggests the following. “Arrive at the restaurant a few minutes early, tell them you are entertaining a client and ask them to run your credit card through. Then the bill will come straight to you and all you have to do at the end of the meal is figure the tip and sign your name.”

* Small Talk

“The purpose of small talk is to find something in common and create a bond,” says Wilger. “The best way to do this is to ask people questions. Trying to be witty is less important than being observant and asking good questions.”

Wilger does not feel politics and religion need to be avoided as topics, as long as no blanket attacks are made, and especially if you know the person you’re talking with has similar interests. However, “never, ever bring up sex in any context,” said Wilger. “And never swear. People get into a social situation and they let their guard down. People are still often perceived as less intelligent if you have to swear to make your point.”

* Telephone Manners

A recent addition to Wilger’s bag of tips is cell phone etiquette. “Technology poses some etiquette questions that are entirely new to us. For example, cell phone time is often expensive. Don’t ask to use someone’s cell phone unless it is an emergency, especially if that person is a client. But regardless of whose phone it is, always offer to pay for the call.”

17) Russian business etiquette.

Addressing others with respect

Only people who are very intimate friends or relations refer to one another by the first name.

It is perfectly appropriate, when meeting someone, to simply state your family name without any additional greeting.

Ensure that you learn the titles of everyone you plan to encounter, as these distinctions are extremely important in this culture.

Usually, Russians have three names. The first name is a given name, while the last name is the father's family name. The middle name is a version of the father's first name, known as a patronymic; for a man, it ends with the suffixes “vich” or “ovich” meaning “son of.” For a woman, the patronymic is also the father's first name but with suffixes “a” or “ovna” added, which means “daughter of.” When you become well acquainted with a person, you may be invited to refer to him or her by the first name and patronymic.

As a visitor, it is appropriate to refer to your Russian colleague by either “gaspodin” [a courtesy title similar to “Mr.”] or “gaspazhah” [similar to “Mrs.” or “Miss”] plus his or her surname. When using a person's full name and patronymic, an honorific is unnecessary.

General Guidelines

Generally speaking, Russians take pleasure in giving and receiving gifts. Be sure to bring an assortment of gifts, so that you will always have something appropriate to give.

Cheaper gifts do not have to be wrapped, while more expensive ones should be.

Gifts for children are usually opened in private, while gifts for adults are generally opened in the presence of others. If your gift was a hit, you will hear many 'thank-yous.'

Russians spend a lot of money on gifts. Avoid giving gifts such as pencils, pens, lighters (unless they are expensive ones), cheap wine or vodka, notebooks, etc.

When invited to a Russian home, bring a gift of chocolates, dessert items, good wine, or other alcohol [try to select something other than vodka, which is widely available].

Bringing a bouquet of flowers (not too expensive though) for women you are visiting (doesn't really matter how many of them are in the family you're visiting) is a good idea. Make sure you have an odd number of flowers. Even numbers usually are for funerals.

Gifts are expected for social events, especially as “thank-yous” for private dinner parties or overnight stays in someone's home. Thank-you notes and holiday cards are not considered appropriate because they have no practical use.

If there are children in the family, it is thoughtful acknowledge them with a small gift, such as a toy or candy.

It is considered bad luck to give a pregnant woman a baby gift until after the baby is born.

Selecting Flowers

In Russia, flowers are a gift given almost exclusively for women. The only few exceptions would be male teachers, doctors and visiting celebrities.

If you are visiting a family home, it is quite customary to bring along a bouquet of flowers for a wife, sister or mother. These female relatives are likely to be present at the time of your visit.

Pink, cream-coloured, orange, and blue flowers are rarely awarded any special meaning and, thus, are quite acceptable selections.

Avoid yellow flowers [unless you picked them up yourself on a trip to the countryside]. Some white flowers should also be approached with caution.

As in many other countries, flowers are an essentially romantic gift. Red flowers, especially in rich and dark shades, will be perceived as a display of love or strong affection.

The handshake is common. The Russian version is a firm grip with several quick shakes between two men. This is a daily procedure and saying 'hello' isn't enough, even if you know somebody really well. Between men and women or two women, however, the handshake is much softer. Men should wait until a woman extends her hand before reaching for it. Between women, the older woman extends her hand first.

Eye contact during the introduction is very important, and must be maintained as long as the individual is addressing you.

Only during greetings do Russians display affection in public. Relatives and good friends will engage in an animated embrace and kiss each other on the cheeks.

Generally speaking, Russians are most comfortable with third-party introductions. Consequently, wait a moment before introducing yourself to a new group. If, after a few minutes, no introduction is made, you may then take the initiative.

The “thumbs-up” sign can be an acceptable gesture of approval.

If you need to beckon a server, discreetly raise your hand with your index finger outstretched.

Official currency in Russia is a 'ruble', however, it is still common for businesses to make their calculations in US$. This doesn't mean that you actually have to pay in $--most of the stores, restaurants, and hotels will accept only Russian rubles. Unlike 5-10 years ago, a one dollar tip is not welcome any more since sometimes it's hard to exchange it to rubles. If you want to leave a gratuity to a waitress or a taxi driver, make sure you give rubles. A tip can be anywhere from 10 to 30%

Smoking in public places is still a common occurrence, although the Russians are slowly becoming aware of the need to impose some restrictions on this activity.

Behaviour Considered “Nyekulturny” [Uncultured]

The Russian word “nyekulturny” is popularly used to refer to anything considered uncultured, bad mannered, or otherwise socially unacceptable. The following points are examples of behaviours regarded as “nyekulturny.”

Wearing your coat and/or winter boots in theatres, office buildings or similar public spaces is considered unacceptable. Cloakrooms are usually available and should be used. And sitting on your coat during a concert or while at a restaurant is also frowned upon.

Speaking or laughing loudly in public is discouraged.

Whistling in a home or other indoor spaces is considered “nyekulturny”, and there is even a superstition that it will cause a grave financial loss. Moreover, when attending a concert or other performance, refrain from including whistling in your applause.

Do not sit with the legs apart or with one ankle resting upon the knee.

It is insulting to summon someone with the forefinger. Instead, turn your hand so that the palm faces down and motion inward with all four fingers at once.

Many common hand gestures popularly used in the West, such as the “O.K.” sign or shaking the fist, are considered very rude.

18) How to be a great manager

 Managers need to be connected to one another. Make a daily practice of talking to each other manager at your level about what is going on in his area. You will garner good information and build rapport with others. Sure it is fine to talk about non-work stuff too, and socialize if you have things in common.

 2

Treat everyone on the job with respect and courtesy at all times. This does not apply just to other managers. You need to set the example for everyone else. You need not be best buddies, but give others their due.

 3

You should have meetings with your people on a regular basis and in some cases, where time sensitivity is paramount, daily meetings to ensure that everyone's priorities are in line. Encourage questions and be courteous in answering them so as to encourage others to come forward if they don't understand.

 4

Learn to give out tasks to each of the people you manage. Some of them, like the older gent who has been there for 10 years, may not need close supervision and can be trusted to meet his quotas and deadlines. Still others, especially new people will need to be monitored periodically to ensure that they know what to do and how to do it.

 5

Keep everyone in your group aware of the priorities and the order of priorities so they will do first things first. Avoid telling one employee and expecting him to communicate it to his work mates, unless he is a qualified lead person. This presents the impression of favoritism, which you want to avoid at all costs.

 6

Allow each to talk about problems to you and be sympathetic. Giving them a hearing once in a while is good, and shows you are understanding. If the same person has personal problems all the time, however, beware. You may have a problem employee on your hands.

 7

New employees often come to the company from other places where they have been trained to do work in a superior way. Take note and learn from these new folks. You might have a chance to do things better or faster than before. Be open and flexible.

 8

Impose the same standards on all employees in the same way. Don't favor anyone. If it is vital to the job, non-performance needs to be addressed with a structured disciplinary program. Train your supervisors to handle these situations.

 9

Get your people ready to be promoted to higher levels by training and developing their skills. Even if it means a good one will be transferred to another part of the company, by developing your people, you are building a stronger base and your managerial achievements will be readily apparent to all.

 10

Your effort to be positive is a gift that can make you a better manager. Strive to see the good side of things and point these out to your staff. Never talk bad about the company or people in higher level positions or you will lower yourself in the eyes of your people.

19) Banking.