Michele Harmon
Loose lips sink ships.
Less is more in professional communication. Being clear and concise is the key. There is no need to fill the air with words that might get you in trouble. What is said cannot be taken back once it is out, either in conversation or in writing, including on social media.
I want to vent a bit because of something along those lines that happened to me recently. I had not personally experienced a direct hit on my gender, much less on my age, in years, and I have been more mature in years for a while and a female the whole time.
And while I may be older than, say, a millennial, I still have to wonder… exactly when does a 30-something think it is okay to ask me whether I would be more comfortable using a typewriter instead of a computer? I told him I had my first computer the year he was born. When does an employee compare someone over 50 to their “dad” and tell them it is time to sit back and enjoy their retirement? Both happened to me recently, and both might be considered age discrimination.
This past winter, the University of Texas Permian Basin had an etiquette expert from Dallas speak to the accounting students. Good manners should never be the exception; they should always be the rule.
Beyond good manners, your employees need to upskill themselves on appropriate office etiquette. Sadly, it dawned on me that employees are not that different from students in school. It is challenging to sit still, and it is difficult not to say whatever pops out of your brain. We have lost some filters by being alone or with only a small group of family and friends for too long. I learned many years ago that speaking to your friends and family is not how you talk to your coworkers. It will lead to trouble for the employee and the employer.
We all need to remember our table manners and our social skills. Your employees need to leave their personal feelings at the door, as does the employer. Everyone remembers the adage, do not talk politics or religion at the dinner table, for by avoiding those topics you will enjoy a more pleasant evening. There is a time and place for that conversation, but not over a meal.
Emily Post Etiquette has different modules on business etiquette, including language barriers, dealing with office bullies, and my favorite topic, Is Professionalism Declining? It is not professional for a young woman to wear shorts to call on a customer. According to a survey conducted by the Center for Professional Excellence at York College, way back in 2012, these are the problems employers are having most frequently with employees:
- Poor time management: 32.6 %
- Sense of entitlement: 27.2 %
- Weak work ethic: 23 %
- Poor attendance: 22.2 %
The same survey identified four indicators of professionalism:
- Interpersonal skills: (33.6 %)
- Work ethic: (27.3 %)
- Appearance: (25.3 %)
- Communication skills: (24.9 %)
Is the office more or less professional now, in 2022? PJs, house shoes, and sweatsuits are for the house and gym, not the office.
UTPB requires a course for business majors on Professional Communication wherein the student learns how to write emails, business letters, and social media posts, as well as make presentations and proposals, create written and video resumes, and do much more. Surprise, Surprise, Surprise, said Gomer Pyle. The course follows four high school English courses and two college English courses. When you are teaching someone how to communicate, less is not more. Research has suggested that it takes 10,000 hours to master a new skill. Practice makes perfect.
If your employees need to be reminded what to say and not to say, you can offer professional development modules and attach their training records to your new Human Resource Information Management System (HRIS). How many times have I recommended employers purchase an HRIS? A good one is fabulous for everything employee and simplifies the multiple systems you have been using for too long.
If you train an employee and document it on the HRIS and not in some file somewhere, you have the training record documentation at your fingertips to discipline or terminate them if they keep putting their foot in their mouth. The employer also has documentation that you made every effort to train all your employees on avoiding discriminating or harassing fellow employees or customers, much less those in a protected class when the EEOC comes calling.
As a review, protected classes include just about everyone these days. In Texas, Texas Labor Code, Chapter 21 (formerly known as the Texas Commission on Human Rights Act)—which covers employers with at least 15 employees—protects against discrimination based upon race, color, gender, national origin, religion, age, and disability. According to federal law, it is not just employees, but applicants and former employees as well who are protected from employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, and genetic information (including family medical history).
Resources I suggest for seminars, webinars, and e-learning on professional office etiquette include these:
- The Emily Post Institute at https://emilypost.com/advice/is-professionalism-declining
- Colleen A. Rickenbacher at ColleenRickenbacher.com
- The Modern-Day Man’s Understanding Etiquette series at https://www.themoderndayman.com/articles/
Next month I will address Jim Collins’s book, Good to Great, and another oldie but goodie, Peter Senge’s Fifth Discipline, to strategically plan staffing, a process that can be summed up by the expression, “getting the right persons in the right seats on the bus.”
“Your employees are the heart of your organization.” Dr. Michele Harmon is a Human Resource professional, supporting clients in Texas and New Mexico that range in size from five to more than 3,000 employees. Email: micheleharmon1@gmail.com