The New Etiquette Tips at Work

I read Penelope Trunk, the Brazen Careerist's, Ten New Etiquette Tips for the Workplace and found them rather interesting. What was even more forthcoming was the comments reacting to her story. Many felt she thoroughly missed the mark!

I, for one, liked a couple of her tips and felt they could work in some work environments. You really need to know the culture and norms before incorporating all of these tips into your workplace, especially, if you want to keep your job!

You can read all ten of her tips at http://finance.yahoo.com/expert/article/careerist/40342 and even purchase her book, Brazen Careerist: The New Rules for Success. This book acknowledges how the rules for success have changed in today's work environment. Trunk encourages readers to think bigger, act more boldly, and blaze new trails in order to succeed on your own terms.

My favorite tip as a work/life expert who has supported thousands of people to help them better integrate work and life, is her tip #9, Call people on the weekend for work. Not that I don't value personal time, but I realize that in order to have the flexibilty you need and want during the week, it may be important to let go of the belief that it's bad to call work colleagues on the weekend because it's an intrusion of their time. Those who have clear boundaries will let you know that they don't welcome your call either by telling you or by ignoring your call. If you're working on an important project or client account and might need their input, let them know that you may be contacting them over the weekend and get their permission ahead of time (you can even find out the best times to reach them!).

The younger people in the workforce grew up being super-connected with their Blackberries, cell phones, instant messaging, and 24/7 access. They often prefer the flexibility of leaving work a little earlier or arrive a little later during the week so that they can focus on other priorities but then catch up for a few hours on the weekend. Note that a work schedule that cordons off five days a week for work and two days a week for a personal life means that the personal life takes a backseat every week of the year.

Trunk's advice: "The best way to get a life is to stop being so rigid about the distinction between time for work and time for life."

This is truly something to think about!!

Let me know what you think!

Sincerely yours,

Coach Natalie Gahrmann
natalie@nrgcoaching.com