Is chivalry dead?
Well, it's been deceased for a while, in the sense that we as a society no longer require a code to dissuade knights from harassing peasants (for the most part).
But what about good, old-fashioned manners?
The thing is, etiquette isn't etched in stone. Social mores change over time. So some manners that would've been acceptable a few decades ago might make you look out-of-touch in a contemporary setting.
To find out which manners we can drop without appearing rude, Business Insider spoke with business communications expert, speaker, and "The Communication Clinic: 99 Proven Cures for the Most Common Business Mistakes" author Barbara Pachter.
She says that the majority of outdated customs stem from one thing: gender.
"Many of the ways that men and women interact in today's business world are different, as gender has been put aside in favor of professional standing or whether one is the host or visitor," Pachter says.
Pachter says that people sometimes behave differently in their personal life. That's up to you, but in a business environment, it's probably time to modernize your etiquette outlook.
Basically, be courteous to everyone, and consider letting go of some of these old-fashioned manners in your professional life:
SEE ALSO: 5 quirks of American business culture you probably won't see outside the US
1. Men need to do all the heavy lifting
"The new etiquette guideline is to offer to carry packages for anyone who needs help, regardless of gender," Pachter says.
2. Women require help putting on their coats
Pachter says that it's time to drop this habit. If someone does need help putting on their coat, feel free to help them (regardless of their gender).
3. Men must open the door for women
"It used to be that men open doors," Pachter says. "The new guideline is whoever gets to the door first, regardless of gender, should open it and hold it for the person behind him or her."
In certain cases, you should make a conscious effort to get the door.
"It is a very gracious host who subtly gets to the door first, and opens it and holds it for the guest," Pachter says. "And it is a very smart junior person who unobtrusively gets to the door first, and opens it and holds it for the more senior person."
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
from Strategy http://ift.tt/2nzDMGm
via IFTTT
No comments:
Post a Comment