Etiquette Advantage in Business Communications in a Digital World Gina Johnson The University of Alabama 2013 The Emily Post Institute, Inc. 1
The Most Important Communication Guidelines Be aware if it is public or private. 2013 The Emily Post Institute, Inc. 2
The Bulletin Board Rule The Bulletin Board Rule If you can t put it on a bulletin board for anyone to read, don t email it, text it, IM it, leave it on a voice mail, tweet it, or blog it. 2013 The Emily Post Institute, Inc. 3
The Most Important Communication Guidelines Be aware if it is public or private. Proofread: The focus is on your mistakes. 2013 The Emily Post Institute, Inc. 4
I Don t Care What They Think! This is the last time I'm going to be nice about time slips being entered in on a daily basis. I billed some bills early two days ago where all the time should have been entered in and then I open up the client this morning and see time slips entered by people that are almost 3 weeks old. This is going to STOP now or you can find another place to work. We have told everyone that this is a crucial part of this firm and I don't want to wait for you to put time in. I bill when I want and you should be right up to date for everything. Also, we all had English in high school and college, so why can't you use it when typing in your time slips, I don't have time to keep correcting your spelling and language. Some clients bills see the slips you type in. THE END Poor Grammar Comma missing Should be? Apostrophe missing or delete word 2013 The Emily Post Institute, Inc. 5
The Most Important Communication Guidelines Be aware if it is public or private. Proofread: The focus is on your mistakes. Mistakes reflect on you and on your employer. A proposal that misspells the prospect s name: Auxilary Services You cannot hide or salvage the poor ones. Please ignore the message I just left you. Hitting the Send button instead of Send Later or Draft. 2013 The Emily Post Institute, Inc. 6
Email 2013 The Emily Post Institute, Inc. 7
Email Mismanagement Fiasco We are getting less than 40 hours of work from a large number of our KC-based EMPLOYEES. The parking lot is sparsely used at 8AM; likewise at 5PM. As managers you either do not know what your EMPLOYEES are doing; or YOU do not CARE. You have created expectations on the work effort which allowed this to happen inside Cerner, creating a very unhealthy environment. In either case, you have a problem and you will fix it or I will replace you. You have two weeks. Tick, tock. The New York Times 2013 The Emily Post Institute, Inc. 8
Email Fiasco Alternate Hey Pete, So you met Dr. Dufree at the meet and mingle this past winter, he was the one who was so rude, his hair was a mess and his shirt was hanging out. Anyway, you ll be interviewing with him. Just remember to smile a lot and nod. He likes to think he s smart and stuff. So, when he brings up a lame idea, act like it s really good. I know it sounds bad, but once you get around some of that stuff, it s a great place to work. He s the only issue I have here, so it s worth it. Can t wait to see you next week! Later, Sarah P. 2013 The Emily Post Institute, Inc. 9
When Words Alone Are Your Image The Who, What, When, Where Rule Pick up the phone or visit someone in person if email becomes tense or strained. In the absence of facial expressions or tone of voice, interpretation defaults to the negative. Don t use email or texting to avoid a difficult situation. 2013 The Emily Post Institute, Inc. 10
7 Tips for Email Communications Let it simmer. Be careful with To and SUBJECT fields. Be careful with Reply vs. Reply All Proofread: grammar, word choice, spelling. Avoid text speak: b4, lol, CU L8R, 2MORO Emoticons: All caps. I AM WRITING TO Familiarity vs. formality. Salutations/Closings. 2013 The Emily Post Institute, Inc. 11
Texting 2013 The Emily Post Institute, Inc. 12
The Communication Brick Wall Anonymity False Safety Rudeness No Social Skills 2013 The Emily Post Institute, Inc. 13
Texting Tips 1. Don t text to friends while on the job. 2. Watch out for auto-correct. 2013 The Emily Post Institute, Inc. 14
Auto-Correct 2013 The Emily Post Institute, Inc. 15
Texting Tips 1. Don t text to friends while on the job. 2. Watch out for auto-correct. 3. Don t assume everyone has unlimited texting on their plan. 4. Keep it short. 5. Don t use elaborate text speak. 6. Focus on the person you are with. 7. No texting while driving. 2013 The Emily Post Institute, Inc. 16
Social Networking 2013 The Emily Post Institute, Inc. 17
Social Networking Key Tips Despite privacy protections, these pages are public. The content you post can be viewed and judged by anyone, including those in your professional life. You are responsible for your page and the comments or images you leave on others pages. 2013 The Emily Post Institute, Inc. 18
General Social Networking Tips Think before posting. Speak to your entire audience. Don t share overly personal information. Avoid negative posts. Don t social not-work! 2013 The Emily Post Institute, Inc. 19
Five Rudest Things You Can Do Online Griping about coworkers, bosses, or a bad day at work. Posting embarrassing pictures. Auto-filled email, tweet, text recipient gets the wrong message. Scooping important news on social media. Disrupting a good conversation. 2013 The Emily Post Institute, Inc. 20
Twitter 2013 The Emily Post Institute, Inc. 21
Failed Tweets Beware of Negative Tone True confession but I m in one of those towns where I d scratch my head and say I d rather die than live here. -Ketchum PR Account Executive/Vice President James Andrews, about Memphis during his visit to client FedEx 2013 The Emily Post Institute, Inc. 22
Don t Offend Japan called me. They said maybe those jokes are a hit in the U.S., but over here, they re all sinking. I was talking to my Japanese real estate agent. I said is there a school in this area. She said not now, but just wait. From Gilbert Gottfried s Twitter Account 2013 The Emily Post Institute, Inc. 23
Tips for Twitter Give credit. Know Twitter shorthand. 3:1 ratio for promotion. Don t over-tweet. 2013 The Emily Post Institute, Inc. 24
Facebook 2013 The Emily Post Institute, Inc. 25
You Are The Etiquette Expert You open your Facebook account and see that your boss has sent you a friend request. You feel uncomfortable accepting but don t want to offend them. You would 2013 The Emily Post Institute, Inc. 26
Tips for Facebook You don t have to accept friend requests. Check your privacy settings regularly. It s okay to untag photos of yourself. Safety is a priority over etiquette. 2013 The Emily Post Institute, Inc. 27
LinkedIn 2013 The Emily Post Institute, Inc. 28
You Are The Etiquette Expert You are home after a long day at work. You notice a request from an old colleague to write him a recommendation. He was someone you didn t particularly like and was part of the reason you eventually left the job. You would 2013 The Emily Post Institute, Inc. 29
Tips for LinkedIn Link with people you can vouch for. Connecting: who and when. Be honest about your skills and experience. Use a professional photo. 2013 The Emily Post Institute, Inc. 30
Personal You vs. Business You Does your online presence match your personal brand? Would you be comfortable if someone from work saw your Facebook page, followed you on Twitter, or read your blog? 2013 The Emily Post Institute, Inc. 31
Personal You vs. Business You Congruency = Trust 2013 The Emily Post Institute, Inc. 32
You are You are UCF! You are UIC! You are NU! You are! 2013 The Emily Post Institute, Inc. 33