Business Operations Etiquette
Business Operations Etiquette
As per the company’s operations, it is required that research be conducted to see the activities of other firms on a similar level. With your request, I managed to make multiple research trips in varying companies to see how they observe etiquette in their operations and select the best practices to bring to our organization. It is evident that cases of lack of etiquette when dealing with customers and staffs have increased. An example is a report that was presented on how the workers relate to each other, and it shows multiple inside conflicts need to be solved for smooth operations. This report shows all the data I collected from companies such as Boeing, there are recommendations on resolving the etiquette issue, and a conclusion based on my investigations.
The level of etiquette in the company has been on a downward curve, mainly on the way the management treat the subordinates. The high point we have is when it comes to interacting with the clients, where I can say that we are doing well. Our staffs give the customers attention; even if they are multitasking they ensure the clients have the best services that leave them satisfied (Benbunan-Fich, 2012). The client feedback that was collected shows that 85% of the customers were satisfied with the services they received and the personnel who served them.
Lack of etiquette can be very dangerous in the firm because it will result in delays, miscommunications, lack of trust, lack of sharing ideas among the staffs, and a feeling of oppression. When an employee feels disrespected such as being shouted at, he or she may pretend because they want to preserve their employment, but once the manager is gone, they will express their dissatisfaction.
Etiquette in the Visited Company: Boeing
I managed to visit multiple firms, but the one company with the ultimate etiquette culture was Boeing. The company has respect for its customers and the staffs, no matter their level. Any person found not to maintain the virtue, is warned or punished accordingly.
In the company, it may be difficult to differentiate between employees and the management, since they all treat each other with respect. When a manager has a point to pass to a subordinate, they have to call them to their office or visit their workplace, where they exchange ideas without having to dictate what should be done (Sabath, 2007). Subordinates have the room to report their management and other staffs who do not treat them with respect via the suggestion boxes.
I was pleased by the daily operations of Boeing. The reporting time is at 8 AM, and there is no or minimal lateness. All the staff and management gather in their departments, pray together, and exchange ideas on how the day will be run. At this level, all the people are allowed to contribute no matter their level. Shaking hands among the personnel is a common thing as a way to show unity among all the stakeholders.
Dress code is another way to maintain etiquette in the workplace. The dressing in Boeing is official such that almost all the staffs are in suits and ties and for any person in casual, they must be clean and smart. Casual dressing is mainly on the weekends. The company discourages gift giving since it may be a loophole for bribes. After an apparent observation, I never found any of their employees chewing while in public, which I came to realize was an etiquette measure since it is not advisable to talk to people while chewing. Another factor is the way the meetings were conducted. The meetings are official such that people must come dressed smartly. In addition, the person contributing must give an eye contact with the crowd and no chewing. Finally, recruits are treated respectfully to help them settle quickly and get the etiquette of the cooperation.
Comparison between the Etiquette in our Company and that of Boeing
A comparison between the etiquette of the two companies shows a significant gap in our organization. In our business, some of the subordinates are treated as minimal individuals and are forced to do things instead of liaising on what to do. In our firm, we have daily meetings, but the way they are run is entirely different from Boeing because there is no shaking of hands as a way to show respect and at times some people can address the meeting while chewing, which shows a lack of etiquette. The etiquette levels in our organization cannot be compared with that of Boeing, but some mechanisms can be used to ensure the staffs behave in an etiquette way. In Boeing, it is hard to notice the rank of any person since they are all in official dressing such as suits. On the contrary, most of the people in suits in our company are the top management since they are the ones who attend most of the executive meetings. Some of our subordinates dress in suits when they know they have meetings, which shows they know the value for official dressing.
Ways to Promote Etiquette in my Company
Etiquette starts while someone is young and the environment substantially determines how the kid grows (Refractor, 2001), and it is crucial in the ways people relate. At times, the child may grow in an environment that is friendly, but if they end up working in friendly environments, they will develop etiquette and respectful behaviors. Our company can reach the level of Boeing if all the stakeholders are ready to put the best effort.
The company does not have sufficient etiquette, but it can be installed by having exchange programs with the firms where it is well observed. The research I did was a pilot one and in the implementation process, more staffs from my company will have to travel to other firms that are known for respect and etiquette. In the process, they will observe how the things are done, and then come back to influence others on how to do them.
There is the need to come up with a strategy that will govern how staffs interact with each other and with the management. The program will list all the activities that should be avoided and the best-fit things to do such as shaking hands and dressing smartly. In the company, there is no dress code, which makes some of the employees to come to work in casual clothes, which is damaging to the reputation of the business. There will be introduced a dressing code such that all the staffs will have to be in formal clothes, and be allowed to remain casual on weekends.
In the morning prayers and assembly, all the people will be expected to report timely with minimal cases of lateness and once the meeting is over all the departmental personnel will shake hands as a way to show they are working in unison. Modes of communication determine the respect that can be found in an organization. There is the need to involve the employees in decision making, rather than the management coming up with a decision and forcing the employees to implement them. This process makes the employees feel oppressed because they are not listened to, but forced to do some of the activities that they do not wish to perform. Allowing free communication between the management and the subordinates that are not victimized strengthens the bonds and results in respectful existence.
How to Ensure Etiquette is maintained in the Organization
Once the etiquette process is implemented in the firm, it may be forgotten if measures to make it stick are not designed. All the employees will be expected to have official dressing, and those who do not adhere will not be allowed to their offices. Lateness being a major issue, all the people are expected to report before 8 PM; hence, those coming late must give a viable excuse, and if not, they will have to be punished or fined. Every employee and manager must treat each other with respect no matter their ranks as a way of ensuring that the communication is effective, which will result in strong bonds between the management and staffs (Hoffman & Shipper, 2012). Any manager or employee found to despise the other will have to face severe punishment such as job demotion. The consequences do not act as a way to victimize the employees and the management, but to help instill the culture of behaving respectfully and with etiquette. If all the research findings from Boeing and any other compliments that the staffs may add are thoroughly followed, chances of success will be increased because all the people will have etiquette in all their endeavors.
Recommendation and Conclusion
As a conclusion to the memo, it is clear that etiquette may be a minute thing, but with significant impact to any organization. Companies with poor etiquette cause disagreements between the employees and the management. Misunderstandings make their interactions weak; hence, affecting the mode of information passage. With poor communication, there are high chances that the productivity of the firm will be minimal because the employees will feel disrespected and will not perform to their best levels (Bhattacharya, 2005).
People who are not used to official dressing find it difficult to put on suits. All that is necessary is to sensitize the employees of any company on the need and success that can be gained through the smart dressing.
Etiquette is core for the success of an organization, but if it is forced, it will not be effective. For etiquette to be achieved the employees should be made to see its advantages; hence, they will have the urge to behave in a respectful manner to their colleagues. When a company is recruiting, it should ensure all the people given chances have a respectful character to help maintain what has already been instilled. Any person found to behave in a manner likely to show a lack of respect and etiquette should be advised accordingly and at times be punished.
References
Benbunan-Fich, R. (2012). The Ethics and Etiquette of Multitasking in the Workplace. IEEE Technol. Soc. Mag., 31(3), 15-19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/mts.2012.2211391
Bhattacharya, M. (2005). The Effects of Flexibility in Employee Skills, Employee Behaviors, and Human Resource Practices on Firm Performance. Journal Of Management, 31(4), 622-640. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0149206304272347
Hoffman, R. & Shipper, F. (2012). The impact of managerial skills on employee outcomes: a cross cultural study. The International Journal Of Human Resource Management, 23(7), 1414-1435. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2011.581635
Refractor,. (2001). Etiquette and relationships. The Lancet, 357(9262), 1136. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(00)04296-3
Sabath, A. (2007). Workplace etiquette: The unwritten rules of business success. Employ. Relat. Today, 34(2), 53-59. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ert.20152
