Everyday Etiquette for Office Life
Most bosses expect their employees to get along with one another and,more important, to get along with clients and customers.This means that however important your job skills are,they may not count for much if you don't also have some people skills. Fortunately,getting along with people usually boils down to simple, everyday courtesy.
Representing Your Employer
When you work for a company, you are its representative to the outside world. For this reason, everyone from a secretary to a CEO should know how to greet visitors and make them feel comfortable.
Both men and women should stand to greet visitors who come into their office. Coworkers also should be given a warm greeting, but you need not rise each time one comes into your office. For a visitor, though, your hand should be extended just as it would be if you were the host in your own home. Ask the person to sit down; and if there is a choice of seats, you may want to wave him into one.
Many managers and executives sit behind their desks when talking to co-workers and customers, but it is more gracious to move a conversation out to a sofa or two occasional chairs. Visitors should be asked whether they would like a beverage1. If the answer is yes, the manager should get the drink or ask a secretary or assistant to get it.
Office Greetings
Although corporate cultures vary from business to business and even from region to region, the exchange of daily greetings is a ritual2 everywhere. Co-workers usually say hello first thing in the morning and then simply smile when they pass each other the rest of the day. No further verbal greeting is called for, and no one should take offense3 when a colleague doesn't stop to chat. It is considered rude, though, not to acknowledge fellow workers when you see them, even if it is for the fifteenth time in one day. You can nod or smile, but don't look the other way when you see someone.
Office Chitchat4
Beyond routine5 greetings, how much people chitchat during the day generally depends on the atmosphere of the work environment. A formal, rigidly6 organized workplace may allow little room for casual conversation, while one that is informal and loosely organized leaves room for this kind of socializing. Sometimes talk is encouraged or discouraged by the nature of the work. An assembly line that involves heavy equipment or noise, for example, doesn't promote collegial7 chitchat, while an underworked sales staff may spend most of its work day talking.
In many workplaces, the chitchat--especially that of extracurricular8 nature--is frowned on by management, and with good reason, since workers do have jobs to perform. Then the problem for an employee who wants to appear friendly is how to disengage from9 the friendly chatter without alienating10 co-workers.
When you must cut short a conversation to get to work, it helps to announce your reason in a friendly manner. For example, you might say,“ I'd love to talk more, but I've got to finish the year-end budget report,” or, “ Can't talk right now. I have to finish these estimates.”
If you disengage graciously, there should be no problem except for those relatively few workers who don't get the message. In these cases a little less friendliness is called for. Don't smile broadly; don't stop to initiate a conversation. When a talker walks by, quickly say,“ Hi there,” but don't look up from your work expectantly11. With time, they should get the message.
办公室的日常礼仪
大多数雇主期望他们的员工能够和睦相处，更重要的是，与客户和顾客相处好。这就意味着不管你的工作技能有多么重要，如果你没有一些人际交往的技能，你的工作技能便会大打折扣。好在与人相处通常就落实在简单易行的日常礼仪上。
代表你的雇主
当你供职于一家公司时，你便是其对外界的代表。基于此，从秘书到总经理，每位员工都应该知道如何接待来访者并让他们感到舒适自在。
员工不管是男是女，当有来访者走进他们的办公室时都应起身相迎。同事之间也应打个热情的招呼，但你无需在有人进入你办公室时每次都起身致意。但是对于一个来访者，你应该伸出自己的手去欢迎客人，正如同在自家你身为主人那样。要请来访者坐下；如果有几把椅子，你应该挥手示意他落坐其中的一把。
许多管理人员和行政人员与同事或客户说话时坐在自己的办公桌后面，但如果将交谈地点移出，移至一张沙发上或两把椅子之间，会更为得体。应该问问来访者想不想喝点什么。如果回答是肯定的，经理应该自己去拿饮料或让秘书或助手去拿。
办公室寒暄
尽管企业文化在各行各业甚至各个地区有所不同，但每天互打招呼不管在哪里都是一种礼仪。同事间早晨见面通常说声“你好”，在其后的一天里见面时只微笑示意即可。再无需什么口头问候，如果一位同事不停下来和你聊几句，你也不应感到冒犯。但是当你看见你的同事，哪怕是一天当中的第十五次见面，你也应该打个招呼，否则便会被视为无礼。你可以只是点点头或微笑一下，但不可扭转头佯装没看见。
办公室闲谈
除了日常问候外，办公室内员工聊天多长时间往往取决于工作环境的气氛。正式的、紧张有序的办公地方可能没有什么随意闲聊的机会，而非正式的、节奏松散的办公地方，往往给职员提供了交往的机会。有时能否聊天又受到工作性质的影响。如在有大型设备、噪音较大的流水线上工作的人员，恐怕无法凑在一起闲聊，而工作量不大的销售人员可能一天大部分时间都在闲聊。
在许多工作场所，闲谈——特别是公事之外的那种——会遭致管理人员的不满，这是理所当然的，因为员工有其工作要做。问题是，一位想表示友好的雇员如何从友好的闲聊人那里抽身出来而不致疏远彼此的关系。
当你必须终止交谈回头工作时，以友好的口吻说明你的理由是能起作用的。比如，你可以说，“我倒是挺想再多聊会儿的，但我必须赶紧完成年终预算报告。”或者，“现在没法多聊，我得完成这些预算。”
如果你得体地终止交谈，应该是没有什么问题的，除非极个别人没有明白你的暗示。对于他们，你需稍表现出冷淡。不要再开心地笑；不要主动另找话题。当一位好神聊的同事走来时，匆匆说声“嗨”而不必抬起头来期待什么似的。渐渐地，他们会明白你的暗示的。
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