SOFT -SKILLS FOR SUCCESS A comprehensive book of Business Etiquette and Personal grooming

Shreya Bagchi

NOTION PRESS

NOTION PRESS India. Singapore. Malaysia. Published by Notion Press 2021 Copyright © 2021 All Rights Reserved. ISBN 9781639577934 This book has been published with all reasonable efforts taken to make the material errorfree after the consent of the author. No part of this book shall be used, reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. The Author of this book is solely responsible and liable for its content including but not limited to the views, representations, descriptions, statements, information, opinions and references [“Content”]. The Content of this book shall not constitute or be construed or deemed to reflect the opinion or expression of the Publisher or Editor. Neither the Publisher nor Editor endorse or approve the Content of this book or guarantee the reliability, accuracy or completeness of the Content published herein and do not make any representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose. The Publisher and Editor shall not be liable whatsoever for any errors, omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause or claims for loss or damages of any kind, including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage arising out of use, inability to use, or about the reliability, accuracy or sufficiency of the information contained in this book.

This book is dedicated to my parents, husband and daughter

CONTENTS

Contents Preface ........................................................................................vi Acknowledgment ....................................................................... vii General Etiquette........................................................................ 9 Groom Yourself ......................................................................... 19 Self Esteem ................................................................................ 24 Professional Etiquette .............................................................. 28 Importance of Grooming .......................................................... 32 Workplace Etiquettes In HR ..................................................... 34

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Have Dreams, set goals, work for it, achieve your goals, and make your dreams come true

PREFACE

Preface At this moment around the world people are communicating. They are using different approaches, different styles and different languages, but the desired result is the same, to understand and to be understood. We communicate verbally, non-verbally as well as we do communicate with our Etiquettes. When I embarked on writing this book, I felt overwhelmed by the vastness of communication issues. The topic is almost limitless. I want to make this book practical and realistic. I recall my own experiences in training, coaching and facilitating communication, Soft-Skills.Then hereafter I try to cover the basic aspects of Business Etiquettes and Corporate grooming. Hope this book will help all the students and professionals to enhance their knowledge. As the proverb goes, “Etiquette is behaving yourself a little better than is absolutely essential” - Will Cu

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Acknowledgment First and foremost, praises and thanks to the god, the almighty, for showering the blessings throughout our writing to complete this book successfully.

I am extremely grateful to my parents Mrs. Ruma Bagchi, a postgraduate from Calcutta University, my father Mr. Kumar Bagchi, a postgraduate in Economics from Calcutta University, ICWA, CIIB for their love, prayers and their constant support. Writing a book was a childhood dream of mine. As well as my parents too have the same dream. They always believe in my potential even more than I believe in myself. I would like to express my deep and sincere gratitude to Dasgupta sir, a management graduate from Harvard University for his dynamism, vision, and motivating me to take up critical assignments. He was my mentor during my MBA days. It was a great privilege and honour to work and study under his supervision and guidance. I would also like to thank Baisakhi mam, my first communication teacher during BBA. She makes me understand the importance of communication. Her every word inspires motivates and helps me to become a good communicator.

Acknowledgement

I am thankful to my husband Dr. Shirshendu Roy, who has helped me immensely to fulfill my dream. Moreover, he gives wings to my dreams. Last but not the least, I am very much thankful to my little princess Shruti for supporting me in my journey. I would also like to thank Mrittika Ghosh (MA, M Phil, Pursuing Phd), Kumar Shankar Chatterjee (BHA, MBA), Tanuja Sengupta (MCom, MBA) who has also put their valuable openion. Finally, my thanks goes to all the people who have supported me directly or indirectly to complete the book. Shreya Bagchi 10TH June,2021

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General Etiquette Etiquettes -it’s a code for the way things are done. -Shreya Bagchi Introduction Etiquette refers to guidelines which controls the way a responsible individual should behave in the society. Etiquette makes us a cultured individual. It helps us show respect & consideration to others glad that we are with them. As the proverb goes “Survival of the fittest”, so without proper manners and etiquettes we cannot survive in our professional world. In today’s era of globalization, communication has become a very important part, & a modern tool for success. We communicate not only through verbally & non-verbally but also through etiquettes, as some business organizations have administrative manuals in which acceptable codes of behavior are listed. Etiquettes are nothing but giving respects to others, good manners & good behavior. Regarding etiquettes, we will focus on some elements of business behavior. These are as follows:       

Social Etiquettes Work etiquette. Meeting people. Telephone etiquette. E-mail etiquette. Dining etiquette. Etiquette for correspondence.

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Conversational etiquette. Social media etiquette.

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Wash room /Restroom etiquette.

Do’s and Don’ts of modern Social Etiquettes Do’s 1.Do ask questions, asking question makes your conversational partner feel good. 2.Do gauge your audience. 3.Do dress which makes you comfortable, or which you can carry. 4.Do prepare topics ahead of time. Don’t 1.Don’t interrupt while others are talking. 2.Don’t neglect Hygiene. 3.Don’t check your whats app messages, Facebook or even youtube videos. Work etiquette The following principles can be utilized by office employees to show proper etiquette, these include all aspects of the work environment. Work place Etiquettes Do’s and Don’ts. Do’s 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6)

Do arrive early at workplace. Do be willing to help out a co-worker. Do be open minded. Do network with people. Do create a proper personal email-id. Finish your work on time.

7) Do wear appropriate formal attire in workplace. 8) Do be flexible. 10

9) Adopt a can -do attitude. Those who accept challenges and display creativity are valuable. 10) Appear as professional as possible. Being well groomed is essential. 11) Learn office politics-develop effective listening skills to discover appropriate office behavior. 12) Give credits to your seniors. 13) Don’t differentiate people by position or standing in a company. 14) Be polite, present, and courteous. 15) Do smile. Don’t 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7)

Don’t have personal conversation at your desk. Don’t “Replay all” to an email chain. Don’t gossip about your peers or your boss. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t bring your emotions into the office. Don’t use emojis or multiple exclamation points. Don’t be nervous, but also don’t over step your boundaries.

Meeting people When meeting people both our non-verbal & verbal behaviour help to define our social skills. Using effective handshakes, good eye-contact, & making the proper introductions show proper etiquette. Handshakes are vital in social situation 1) Develop a comfortable handshake & keep it consistent. 2) Handshakes should not be too hard or too soft. 3) The host or person with the most authority usually initiates the handshake. Eye contact is another critical factor when meeting people

1) Eye-contact increases trust. 2) It shows confidence & good interpersonal skills. 3) It shows respect for the person & business situation. Proper introductions help to establish rapport when meeting people 1) Authority defines whose name is said first. Say the name of the most important person first & then the name of the person being introduced. 2) Introduce people in the following order: 3) Younger to older. 4) Non-official to official. 5) Junior executive to senior executive. 6) Colleague to customer. 7) Keep the introduction basic. 8) Remember names for future reference. 9) Provide some information about the people you are introducing to clarify your relationship with that person. 10) Always carry business cards. 11) Keep notes on people in order to follow-up both personally & professionally. Telephone etiquette When speaking on the telephone, proper etiquette is just as important as when we meet someone face-to-face. 1) If you miss someone’s call, always try to return your call on the same day. 2) Keep business conversations to the point. 3) Do not keep some one hold more than 30 seconds. 4) Always leave your phone number if you ask for someone to call you back. 5) Maintain a phone log to refer back for valuable information. 6) Listening is essential on the phone. 12

7) Make sure your voice mail is working properly. E-mail etiquette 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10)

E-mail is appropriate to use, but never use all caps. Always include a subject line in your message. Make the subject line meaningful. Use correct grammar & spelling. Always use a signature if you can, make sure it identifies who you are. Use active words. Do not ask to recall a message. Use proper structure & layout. Avoid long sentences. Be concise & to the point.

Dining etiquette In today’s business world, a tremendous amount of business is conducted at a dinner table. Whether at home or in a restaurant, it is important to have a complete understanding of how to conduct yourself when entertaining or being entertained. Anxiety while dining can be reduced by following guidelines on how to order your meal, what utensils to use & how to use them, & knowing proper table etiquette. Guidelines on what to order 1) When possible, let the host take the lead. 2) Ask for suggestions or recommendations. 3) Do not order the most expensive or the least expensive item from the menu. 4) Avoid foods that are sloppy or hard to eat. 5) Avoid alcohol even if others are drinking.

Choosing the correct silverware It is not as difficult as it may first appear. Knowledge of a formal table setting will allow you to focus on the conversation rather than what utensil to use. 1) Everything to your right you drink. Everything to your left you eat. 2) Dessert forks & spoons are placed at the top of the plate. 3) When you don’t know what utensil to use, watch what your host does & follow the same. 4) When you have finished, leave your plate where it is in the plate setting. Do not push your plate away from you. 5) Lay your fork & knife diagonally across your plate & side-by-side. 6) Proper table manners will increase your confidence & promote your ability to show your skills in handling social situation. Napkin etiquette 1) Do not shake the napkin to open it. 2) If the napkin is large, put the fold. 3) If you leave the table during the meal, be sure to put the napkin on your chair or to the left of your plate. 4) When you are finished eating, place the napkin to the right of the plate. Passing the food 1) Always pass to the right. 2) It is ok to pass to your immediate left, if you are the closest to the item requested. 3) Always pass the salt & pepper together. 4) If you want to have anything during the meal asks the nearest person for that 14

Eating 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10)

Being eating only after everyone has been served. Bring food to your mouth, not your mouth to the food. Chew with your mouth closed. Always scoop food away from you. Do not leave a spoon in the cup. Taste before seasoning. Cut food one piece at a time. Do not smoke while dining out. Do not use a toothpick, or apply make-up at the table If food spills off your plate, you may pick it up with a piece of your silverware & place it on the edge of your plate. 11) Never spit a piece of food into your napkin. Remove the food from your mouth with the help of utensil. 12) Do not talk with your mouth full. 13) Take small bites so you can carry on a conversation without the delay of chewing & swallowing large amounts of food. Correspondence etiquette Correspondence etiquettes are very important in work place. Whether you have just met someone, or have known the person for some time, it is important to follow-up meetings with written correspondence. 1) Write a follow-up letter or thank you note within 48 hours. 2) A handwritten note or formal letters always follow guidelines for writing effective business letters 3) Women should be addressed as “Ms”, no matter what their marital status 4) Do not forget to sign your letter 5) Always avoid typing error & misspellings Proper business etiquette is viewed as an important part of making