In the 18th century, the Enlightenment philosopher Adolph Freiherr von Knigge wrote his book “On Dealing with People” and has since been considered a benchmark for good behavior. In private and professionally. Many of his principles still apply today - punctuality, reliability, politeness, etc. - but many of the realities of our current working world are not discussed in the two hundred year old book. Because for the good old baron, digitalization was probably as realistic as the reintroduction of the stagecoach was for us. Nevertheless, the digital working world is not free from rules of etiquette. These are expected – as the etiquette report 2015 for the book “The Etiquette Cure” by Kai Oppel shows – and should be adhered to.
Digital etiquette rule in the world of work #1
Pay attention to working hours
Nowadays everyone has a smartphone, often one and the same for personal and business use. But just because you can basically be reached at any time doesn't mean you have to be. In the evening on the couch you don't have to read emails or answer WhatsApp messages from your boss. Every now and then, think about what things really can't wait twelve hours. In the same way, it is only polite not to disturb employees and colleagues in their free time. Just think shortly before the late evening call whether it can wait until the next day.
Digital etiquette in the world of work #2
Also take your smartphone off the table
Whether in a meeting or eating together, many people always have their smartphone at hand. But if you're constantly staring at your phone, you'll only appear to be waiting for something more interesting. Even if some people don't want to believe it, the smartphone doesn't become lonely if it spends a few hours a day silently in your pocket. At the same time, you can give your undivided attention to the people you are sitting with in a meeting or at lunch.
Digital etiquette in the world of work #3
One call after the next
Call waiting functions, landlines and smartphones mean that you sometimes get another call during a call. In such a case, the following applies: ignore the knocking on the line and the vibrating smartphone on the table and finish the first call calmly. It is only polite to take the necessary time for each caller and not to make them feel that their request is less important than someone else's.
Digital etiquette in the world of work #4
The medium makes the music
Every medium has its advantages and disadvantages. Whether you contact colleagues or business partners via email, live chat, phone call or a short personal conversation depends primarily on the occasion. Things that only need to be briefly clarified in everyday working life can be quickly dealt with in a live chat. Nobody has to leave their workplace and their thoughts are not interrupted by the telephone ringing. Emails can be processed by others at their leisure if they have time for it. For urgent matters, a quick call can save a lot of time. No matter which medium you choose, the main thing is that you have thought about it beforehand.
Digital etiquette in the world of work #5
Take time for spelling
Everyone who writes a letter takes the trouble to provide it with a salutation and, if possible, to write it without any spelling or spelling errors. The same applies to an email. You will simply give the reader of your email a more positive feeling if you greet them first and don't rush straight into the door. However, that doesn't mean that you should beat around the bush in an email. After all, a business email is not an afternoon tea party: say what you want, but stay polite!
You can find rules of etiquette for your semester abroad here.
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