Culture is a
complex whole of our behavior, beliefs, knowledge, custom, outlook and all that
makes us identify ourselves as distinct individuals and as belonging to a group.
In the Corporate World, there are millions of small and large enterprises. But why
is it that just a handful of them stand apart from the rest at a higher
platform of respect and admiration? Well, it could not be just the pay or the
innovation or the product they make. It is more to do with the prevalent
culture at the workplace and its people. These are two intertwined
characteristics that earn them the reputation of being coveted work environments.
In fact, once these two things are set right at the foundation, most
enterprises succeed. The work culture that people wear manifests itself in many
ways; hence it is important that it be worn with care and pride. Of course, an
element of culture is for each individual to imbibe and uphold but the responsibility
of sowing the seeds for the growth of these elements rests with the workplace
caretakers. This article presents a few tips on building upon some of the identifiable
aspects of corporate culture which are worth being cultivated.
- Dressing Sense
The first thing that a person
notices about you is how you are dressed. What one wears is a personal choice
but the way you dress reflects your personal grooming, how you would like to
present yourself before others and more importantly how you would like to look at yourself. A torn pair of jeans or a
decked-up frock might be a fashion statement at a party but when in office, a
display of professionalism and neatness should be the statement. Hence, irrespective
of whether a dress code is imposed or not, it is important to dress smart and
dress tidy; and to carry it well.
- Language
People know who you are and what your
thoughts are when they hear you speak. Framing proper sentences is as important
as forming your thoughts. English is a beautiful language with room enough to
easily express appreciation as well as admission of mistakes. Make it a habit
to speak the golden words of ‘Please’, ‘Sorry’ and ‘Thank You’. During
conversations if you miss something, a ‘Pardon?’ or ‘Excuse Me?’ sounds way
better than a dull “Hmm?” or “Huh?” Avoid using a politically or socially
incorrect word when talking within the office premises. Yes, verbal abuse is
perhaps as old as human civilization. Agreed, that swearing might help to
provide an immediate let-out of piled up emotions. But words once spoken can
never be taken back. And that should be the single biggest reason to avoid
giving an immediate reaction and blurting out an invective. If something really
upsets you, drinking a glass of lukewarm water and walking it off is way safer
for oneself as well as the others concerned. Reaction delayed can be molded
into powerful actions. Hold on to your thoughts, hold on to your tongue; weigh
in the situation at hand and then respond; with responsibility and clarity. Assert
yourself and in doing so, always remember to use the words that you would like
others to use for you.
- Phone Etiquette
Today, almost everyone carries a mobile
phone and there have been lots of articles on phone etiquette. But still people
tend to forget when to lower their voice when speaking on the phone and when to
lower the volume of the phone itself. A buzzing and vibrating phone in the
middle of an important meeting is like a big fly flapping about in the room. It
is a distraction. Either put it on silent (sans
the vibration) or if it is an urgent call, just excuse yourself and attend
to it. Being on the phone in some long, mundane conversation when there are
people at your desk to receive your attention is rude. Poking about on the
phone or sending texts in the midst of a meeting is also bad manners. Clicking ‘selfies’,
or taking pictures of fellow colleagues without their consent is crude. Also, a
sexy, hot item song might be your favorite but setting it as the ring-tone of
your phone at full volume is distasteful. Refrain from it.
- Communication
Communication is one of the pillars of
corporate success and email conversations form an important part of it. Before
sending out an email, always read and re-read the text for grammatical mistakes,
if any; check if all the members of targeted audience have been included,
provide an appropriate subject line and most importantly, make sure it conveys
what you want to state. Most often, especially in the Indian context, we tend
to think and frame sentences in our local, more comfortable tongue and then
translate that to English. But unfortunately, sometimes the meaning gets
corrupted during the translation. Having a spell-check activated could be
helpful. If it is an important mail, having a draft proof-read by a colleague
would do no harm.
Also, it is an admirable trait to drop in
regular status emails to keep all the concerned parties involved and updated on
any on-going projects. This not only assists in keeping a track of the
conversation or discussion line followed but also ensures accountability. In
fact, not just regular emails but a task-tracker or project planner or simple
share-point sites could also serve the purpose
Another aspect of communication, especially
of relevance in a multi-lingual country like India, is to speak in a language that
is understood by all; not just the majority. It is understandable that people all
over are more comfortable speaking in their mother tongue but what we should
not forget is that an office is an environment where every individual working in
it has a right to a sense of belonging there. As long as it is not a private
matter, keep everyone involved and not left out. Speak in a common language. Build
a culture where everyone is included.
- Feedback
This is another very important aspect of a
mature culture. Feedback is not just about talking negativity or just pointing
out what went wrong. It is a great mechanism of identifying what could be made
better. It is an opportunity for owning up responsibility as well as for appreciating
the good work. A timely feedback session ideally after every project delivery
could provide important lessons. Associate feedback with positivity.
- Courtesy
Exchanging a smile is perhaps the simplest
and sweetest courtesy one could offer to ones fellow beings. A grumpy face not
only displeases the mirror but people watching you from the other side of the
glass are affected too. Holding the door, helping a co-worker get into the lift,
turning off lights when not needed or something as simple as, wiping off the
toilet seat after use for the next person are the basic stuff that everyone
should practice. Maintaining a queue and patiently waiting for your turn be it
while boarding the cab or while getting served at the cafeteria speaks of your level
of maturity and courtesy to your co-workers. As they say, courtesy begets
courtesy.
These are all very small things that everyone
can adhere to and yet, they could make a big difference in what we are today
and what we could be tomorrow. Hope we learn to become that difference.
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