You spend a substantial proportion of your day with your co-workers and that makes gentleman manners and etiquette a must, right?
While work-life balance is important, but the way you present yourself in the workplace is crucial for successful cooperation with colleagues. Therefore, remaining civil and respectful as gentlemen are, is essential for your career.
If you consider yourself to carry the spirit of gentlemanship, besides the rules you follow outside the workplace, there’s a certain etiquette that you should stick to while in the office. As there is no formally written guidebook you should obey, Gentleman Zone is here to help by giving you the know-how on how you should act in the office.
Follow Appropriate Dress Code
Did you know that during the 20th century, most companies enforced a strict dress code that you and everybody else had to follow?
Even though dress codes are a thing of the past for most businesses, that doesn’t mean you can dress however you like. Try to be formal and workplace-appropriate at all times.
Truth is, you’d probably want to jump in the sweatsuit and sneakers. However, if you want to be perceived as a genuine gentleman, a suit and tie are a better option. This too depends on the type of industry you work in. Don’t get overdressed if your colleagues aren’t that formal.
Learn: What To Wear With Black Button Up Shirt
Practice Good Hygiene
You’d be surprized how many, who consider themselves gentlemen, don’t cope with basic hygiene. This doesn’t mean overdoing your perfume or cologne to suffocate colleagues who work in the same office as you!
- Shower daily.
- Brush your teeth.
- Keep your hair (and beard) neat.
- Wear clean clothes.
- Even though stains can happen to anyone, try to be more careful while you’re wearing clothes for work.
- Keep your desk clean.
- Throw away the unnecessary pile of papers,
- Keep the trash in the bin.
- Wash the cups and glasses you use.
- Maintain a clean office environment.
Mind Your Manners
The first thing to a gentleman is good manners. Being polite, knowing how to act and socialize, is key to build a gentleman reputation. Respect other’s personal space and stay away from unnecessary drama.
Gentleman behavior is not limited to offices and workplaces. Good manners are a part of tradesmen etiquette as well! This means that no matter where you go or what you do as work, gentlemen behave similarly all over the world.
Respect Colleagues, Clients & Partners
Being an office gentleman doesn’t mean that you’re above others. It’s quite the opposite. Even though gentlemen seem powerful, that doesn’t mean one shouldn’t be kind or respectful!
- Remember the names of colleagues, clients, and partners.
- Keep opinions to yourself.
- Respect others.
- Do not interrupt.
- Listen to people when they talk.
- Watch your body language.
- Leave your phone while you talk or meet others.
- Use headphones to respect the audial privacy of people nearby.
- Try to be helpful at all times.
People can conclude whether you show respect just by the way you stand while listening. Even if you’re meaninglessly chatting, respect them enough to provide them with your undivided attention.
Keep Private Things Private
Did you know that most people despise gossip at the workplace? Yet, most are on the first row to get a new rumor once it starts.
Even though you can’t control others, you can be mindful and alter your behavior. Instead of spreading rumors and indulging in gossip parties, be a true gentleman and let secrets remain secret.
On top of that, a gentleman should never reveal too much about his private life. You can have a smaller circle of colleague buddies whom you can fully trust.
Unloading your emotional baggage onto your colleagues is highly unprofessional. Keep things private and be respectful to others and your personal life.
Focus on Communication
As a proper gentleman, you need to know what type of communication is acceptable on which occasion. For instance, if you communicate with important partners or clients, formal communication should be your go-to.
On the other hand, communicating with your colleagues should have a respectful yet friendly note to keep the atmosphere pleasant.
- Leave unanswered emails for at least 24 hours, especially remote work.
- Restrain from CC-ing higher authority in emails.
- Ask if it’s an appropriate moment for a talk, be it on the phone or in person.
- Call people back when you couldn’t answer their call.
- Do not moan over the behavior of other co-workers in public.
- Understand radical candor.
However, you won’t be able to communicate face to face each time. To maintain fit organization, workflow, and communication, you need to focus on that. Instead of wasting time, consider the Blink website that can help you engage and communicate with your colleagues, as well as share important files and documents safely.
Manage Availability
Even though you should be friendly, respectful, and ready to help, that doesn’t mean that you should put your work, tasks, life, and yourself last. A proper gentleman knows how to create a healthy balance between himself and the others. For that, one skill is essential – time management.
Time Management
Knowing how to manage time properly is a lesson every entrepreneur should know. Learn how to organize your time, so you can fit your work, family, friends, colleagues, and yourself into the schedule.
- Do not be late to work or meetings.
- Timely reply to emails and text messages, as well as returning calls.
- Stick to deadlines.
Mind Sound Pollution
Nobody likes loud music, annoying ticks, burps, caught, squeaky seating, or furnishing sounds. Just get a pair of airpods with a neat leather case, a pillow, a bit of office maintenance, and whatever it takes to stop it.
Mind Your Private Belongings
Leaving your jacket, bag, various trash, or any other piece of personal belongings to wherever circumstances catch you is anything but good manners.
Take care of what and where you leave things behind. Nobody is obligated to your stuff but you, even if it’s your own sit stand desk.
Gentleman Workplace Etiquette, Conclusion
Even though being a gentleman sounds neat, not everyone has enough nerve to do it. You’ll need to invest a lot of time and money into yourself and your surroundings if you want to be perceived as one. However, once you start your journey towards becoming the real gentleman of your workplace, you’ll never want to go back!
