How do you politely leave the conversation at a networking event?
What do I wear to a client meeting when their dress code is business casual?
Who orders first at a business dinner?
When (if ever) is it okay to use emojis in professional emails?
I’ve been working for 25+ years and still struggle with business etiquette questions.
It seems I’m not alone. Two different articles popped up in my feed recently on the topic.
Both claimed younger workers are craving guidelines on what’s appropriate and what’s not.
From what I’ve seen, we could all use a refresher!
For fun, we ordered the new book “Business Etiquette” by Emily Post’s grandchildren.
It is definitely written for the text-message generation. Most entries are 1-2 paragraphs, if that.
Much of the content seems like life 101 to me, though I suppose it’s not if no one ever taught you.
My grandmother was a stickler for everything from table setting to phone manners, so I learned young.
Thanks Mama!
Do kids even learn how to write a formal business letter in school?
The book did have useful points about some newer digital dilemmas.
- Once the parties to an email have sent one message with formal open and close greetings each, it’s okay to drop them and cut right to the content. It’s like a live conversation – we say “hello” or “good morning” one time at the start. Repeating it before every utterance would be weird.
- The “okay” hand emoji is considered an obscene gesture in some cultures. In others, it signals evil.
- One should explicitly ask parties on a call if they mind having the meeting transcribed by your AI notetaker. If anyone isn’t comfortable, respect their wishes.
I’m curious–how do you feel about this last one?
Case in point: My last book club discussion had almost as many AI Notetakers as real humans.
With 7-10 people on those calls, it’s unweildy. I’d rather not admit notetakers going forward.
As the host, I am recording and my AI assistant is taking notes.
I send my summary and a link to the recording to the whole group after.
People can also take old fashioned notes in real time.
Does that seem reasonable to ensure a good experience for everyone?
