When it comes to common courtesy, corporate leaders and their employees do not see eye-to-eye. According to a recent survey by staffing firms Accountemps, 61 percent of leaders felt people become more courteous as they climb the corporate ladder, while 48 percent of employees disagreed and said civility declines.
example of rude office behavior. (Credit: BananaStock)
Whether managers are more rude than their employees may be up for debate, but what’s not in question is that being rude does not help you move up the corporate ranks: 65 percent of managers and 46 percent of workers say being courteous can accelerate advancement.
What are the most common breaches of etiquette? Senior managers said the most common breaches of business etiquette committed by staff and coworkers include running late to or missing meetings (34 percent), not responding to calls or emails in a timely manner (26 percent), and gossiping about others in the office (23 percent).
office is among the most common breaches of business etiquette
committed by staff and coworkers. (Credit: Jupiterimages)
Workers’ responses showed slightly different results. Employees cited talking about colleagues as the most common offense (24 percent), followed by being distracted during meetings (18 percent), and not responding to work communication in a timely fashion (17 percent).
“It goes without saying that you should show respect toward your colleagues, yet etiquette blunders happen every day,” said Michael Steinitz, executive director of Accountemps. “Showing up on time for meetings and paying attention when you’re there demonstrates that you value the time and efforts of others. Just being polite goes a long way toward creating a better work environment.
“How you conduct yourself in the office and treat others can be just as important to your career as your work performance,” he added. “Remember to think about how others may interpret your actions, and always aim to be considerate toward your colleagues.”
