"Etiquette is not about
being 'stuffy.' It's about putting yourself forward in the best possible way, using courtesy and respect for others as your guide, while still allowing your own personality to shine!
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Research shows that 85% of the reason you get a job, keep a job, and advance in a job is your soft skills.
Whether you are interacting with people face to face, on-line, or by telephone, the details of how you present yourself matter.
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Have you ever participated in a conversation or a meeting, and had to listen to that one person repeat an idea, thought or point that had been discussed not too long before (in the same conversation) -- because s/he wasn't paying attention?
It gets irritating, doesn't it?
The same thing happens with written commentary on blogs, on-line discussion groups, such as LinkedIn, group emails, etc. Someone -- usually at least six or so comments in -- will present an idea, a thought, or a concept, and then explain their reasoning in detail. The problem is the same idea -- and reasoning -- has already been covered earlier in the discussion.
Just as it is important to stop thinking about what you want to say and focus on what is being said during a verbal conversation, it is as important, if not more so, to do the same with the written word. When participating in a written discussion, be sure to read through the entire thing before responding; it's part of joining in on the conversation.
I saw this recently in an on-line discussion, when a previously stated comment was repeated by a late comer. (By the way, there were only five or six comments between the original post and the repetitive suggestion.) The person who had made the initial comment spoke up, asking "Isn't that what I just said?" To which the latecomer admitted that was what she got for just skimming the conversation; she had not read the comments.
The second woman was attempting to establish herself as an expert on the topic. Unfortunately, by neglecting to participate in the whole conversation -- actually read through the comments -- she lost credibility. People write -- and speak -- to voice their opinion, often times with little regard to the subject matter.
Your opinion is not always the first thing to think about.
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Remember...
Why might it be even more important to pay attention to what has been said in a written conversation than a verbal one? The written word is there to stay, and can be read and re-read by many people, each of whom will form their own impression based purely upon those words, and how they relate to the discussion.
If you don't pay enough attention to what is happening around you, sometimes your actions will bite you back.
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Jodi Blackwood
Business Etiquette & Customer Service Specialist
Speaker & Seminar Leader
"Etiquette is about polishing your approach,
not changing who you are."
mailto:jodi@jodiblackwood.com
360-798-4912 www.jodiblackwood.com
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