Skip to main content

Time to Polish Our Professional Presence

 Professionals behaving professionally
Spring Cleaning

As winter slowly fades away, many begin to focus on spring-cleaning. Typically, the first places we begin to clean in our homes are the places most people can’t see, like going after those dust bunnies hiding in the dark under our beds and couches, getting the step stool out to clean the top of our grubby refrigerator and scouring our well-used ovens.  

Perhaps this year consider a spring-cleaning scrubbing and polishing of our professional presence.  After all, our presence is what defines us in our professional and personal life.  Surprisingly enough, our non-verbal, verbal, and written communication skills project our professional presence.  Our communication skills indicate to others whether we are professional or not.  It really is that simple.  

Not so simple, however, is the each of those components, the non-verbal, verbal, and written communication, are comprised of many other elements or components. The communication package is quite complicated.  So, it is important to concentrate on each of these components and realize that everything about us is sending a message to others.   Decide for yourself what you want that message to convey.  

Additionally, in our social lives, our non-verbal, verbal, and written, indicate to others the type of person we are—nice, confident, sad, bored, friendly, angry, etc.

Please pay careful attention to:

  • Attire and Appearance
  • Body Language
  • Facial Expression
  • Verbal Content and Tone of voice
  • Written
  • Handwriting
  • Grammar
  • Pronunciation
  • Electronic Communication
  • Email
  • Social Networking

Special Note

  • Tone of voice, facial expressions, and body language is 90% to 95% of the content of all messages.
  • Words equal only 5% to 10%

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

When is it Appropriate to Give Gifts to Supervisors

  Dear Rebecca, I've read your comments regarding office gift -giving online.    What guidelines apply when gifts are to a departing supervisor?    When the departure also causes the termination of others on the supervisor's team, should they also receive gifts? Thanks, Michael Dear Michael , Good question.   It is always optional to give gifts , especially in the workplace.   So, there is no firm 'guidelines' about giving to departing supervisors.   However, if it’s customary to give gifts to those who depart in your workplace, then everyone who is leaving should receive one.   It would be expected.   The gifts shouldn't be expensive and could be a farewell lunch or office party with a cake and beverages. Sincerely, Rebecca More by Rebecca How Our Actions Can Affect Our Professional Image       How to Eat Difficult Foods at a Business or Social Function Interview: business meals & ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Office Etiquette 101: How to Deal With Irritating, Loud, Sick and Clueless Coworkers

Tools for Sharing Office Space With Those Who Don't Share Well Coworkers can drive a person crazy.   No doubt.   Still, there are ways to deal with this behavior in a civilized manner.   What follows are the most common issues, tools to deal with issues, and some dos and don'ts for those sharing personal space in the workplace. How do I deal with the loud, irritating, and annoying workmate? Everyone who works in a cubical jungle knows this person.   He is the one who does everything loudly.   All hear his telephone conversations.   He often stands in the aisle telling jokes and laughs loudly.   His noisy demeanor makes it difficult to concentrate on work, resulting in a severe drop in productivity.   Professionalism is at stake as well, with a laugh track playing in the background of coworkers' phone conversations.     Noisy as well, she is equally familiar with office slaves.   She is the habitual fiddler.   She t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Good Manners are Important for Job Seekers & University Students

Interview with an Etiquette Consultant As an etiquette consultant, I'm often interviewed. Many of these interviews concern the importance of using good manners in the workplace. What follows are the most often asked questions and my replies.  Question Are manners important in the workplace and does it give someone an edge? My Reply One of my favorite quotes is “Our good manners are the key to open doors of opportunity.” Good manners are perceived by others as excellent "people skills", which are so highly prized by employers. Those with excellent people skills are those who succeed. Question  It appears that college students are primarily focused on how much they will earn when graduating, but sincerely lack finer personal skills. Will this hurt them in the workplace?  My Reply Unfortunately, yes. Too often university students think that if they narrowly focus on their studies, a huge paycheck is guaranteed. While it is true that employers are looking fo...
Post a Comment
Read more