Are we “professional” enough?

We often complain about the work culture in India. When you ask today's young professionals working abroad, whether they would like to re-locate to India, they say that they do not like the work culture here as it is very unprofessional.

Who do you think is responsible for this state of affairs? What can we do to make our work environment professional and conducive to productivity?

Well here's a lesson in office etiquette that we all can follow.

When working with colleagues

*Employees should know their roles well.

*One should do their own work and not pass it on to others.

*Juniors should treat their seniors with respect.

*Seniors must delegate work justly.

Dealing with newcomers

*New comers should be formally introduced and made to feel comfortable in a new environment

*Job profiles should be explained to them and relevant study material given to them

*They should be shown basic trivia like the washroom, the cafeteria, the printing station, etc as part of induction

 Official communication

*Be very clear in your communication with your team members

*When in doubt, re-confirm any communication

*All official communication should be done by email

*Follow proper email etiquette. Do not use slang. Be careful of typos.

Show integrity to your company

*Be punctual

*Remember you are being paid for your time, so do not waste time chatting around the coffee machine, taking long lunch breaks, coming late and leaving early.

*Do not misuse office stationery

*Do not make too many personal calls.

Mind your informal communication, too.

*Do not indulge in gossip

*Do not spread rumours

*Avoid getting into unnecessary arguments

*Do not discuss politics or religion

*Avoid hurting anyone's sentiments

Employees represent the company

*Remember you are the face of your company so behave in a befitting manner

*Be polite to visitors

*Be loyal to the company

*Be sincere in your work

Dress conservatively

*Follow the dress code

*Avoid wearing indecent and revealing outfits

*Avoid wearing too much makeup

If we keep these simple pointers in mind, we can make our work place a better one!

By Sonia Menghani

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