Freshers in workplace can expect to be catapulated in tricky situations involving place etiquette.
Every now and then important meetings give the 24-year-old Siddhesh Gawde from Mumbai, the jitters. 'I tend to freeze and don't know what to say, especially if I am meeting the CEO. I usually wait for others to speak first,' he confesses.
He suggests listening to what is being discussed and asking clarifying questions could help to break the ice.
But Balu Pandian, former corporate director and chairman of Brookfield High School, Bangalore, feels that being silent, waiting for things to pan out in a meeting is not ideal.
He suggests to introduce yourself right away and seek introductions from others.
'People with initiative are admired. Give a quick overview of your work responsibilities and enquire about others in the meeting. This gives everyone a chance to participate and open up,' he says.
He adds that by asking a few questions based on their answers you indicate your eagerness to learn more about their area of work, and can open channels of addressing senior colleagues.
Be confident while you speak to your senior colleagues and ask people how they would like to be addressed.
Bibin Verghese, 25, works in the pre-sales department at Mobikon Technologies, a web solutions provider to hospitality businesses in Pune spends more than half of his day interacting with potential customers.
The MBA student from Singhad Business School, Pune says, 'There was this one instance where I completely went blank while talking to the CEO of a hotel and had to simply hang up abruptly. I was so nervous and conscious of the fact that I was talking to a CEO.' Lucky for him, the company didn't lose the client.
Sunder Ramachandran, Managing Partner, WCH Training solutions, a New Delhi-based training company says a bit of planning before a first phone call can help.
' Open the call with a standard professional greeting like a 'Good Morning' depending on the time of the day and move on to introducing yourself. Ask if it is a good time to talk. Be as direct as possible and don't beat around the bush, small talk can be an irritant,' he says.
He also suggests to allow the other person plenty of time to respond and use prompt words such as 'I see' and 'really' in a sincere tone.
Keep the conversation brief and don't repeat the name of the person too many times, three times every eight to 10 minutes is good enough.
Lunch time is a good time to find out the interests of your colleagues, says Shipra. People usually tend to their guard in the cafeteria but there are some dos and don’ts here as well.
It is natural to form groups, especially in a cafeteria. But you never know when groups change, so by forming groups don't form barriers.
Since groups are inevitable, it's a good idea to have lunch with different groups rather than sticking to the same clique, everyday. You will get to know more people and will not be viewed as 'clannish'.
When in the presence of one group don't speak ill of a person in another group. In fact, try not to comment on a third person in his or her absence.
Courtesy: monsterindia.com
