Communicating at Company Social Events

We’re all in a rush.

Not enough time, even for ourselves, much less for others.

Still, your chances to socialize with team members should be seen as an opportunity for face-to-face communication.

You may not want to attend the event. It may rest outside your comfort zone. Politically, however, it’s usually smart to go anyway.

 

Make the most of it. Project yourself!

Consider these dos and don’ts.

1. Don’t use the opportunity to hit up your boss for anything. This is not the time or the place.
2. Don’t get drunk. Don’t be rude to anyone.
3. Do have fun, yet be professional. Your bosses will judge you. A major faux pas is usually remembered to your detriment.
4. A request for an RSVP means “accept” or “decline”. If you accept, turn up. No-shows or last-minute cancellations look bad on you.
5. Don’t attend if you’re going to sit there with a long face that says you don’t want to be there. You will lose more points than by not attending.

Grammar Tips: Learn to Use "Well" Correctly

Boomers tend to be impressed by good grammar. It's not that they know every rule. They don't. No one does.

But you will harm your "image" if you slip up with an obvious mistake.

For example, understanding when to use "well" isn't an obvious mistake per se. But those that know their grammar will see such misuse as a major faux pas (see below.)

You can also sink your career with bad grammar. Here’s a list of some problem areas.

Like

Avoid using like as a filler word (Like, we’re going out tonight, and… like, uh, we’ll meet people later.) It might be popular among some, but it’s considered a sign of bad grammar.

Good/Well

We often hear athletes say in their interview: We did “good.” Sorry, incorrect. Good is an adjective, so you cannot do good, or live good. You need the adverb well. So you can do well, and live well.

The exception: An adjective can follow sense-verbs and be-verbs. You can therefore feel good, look good and even be good.

Anyways, Irregardless

Both words are common errors, although acknowledged as non-standard English. Anyways is non-standard spelling for anyway. The extra negative “ir” in “Irregardless” cancels the “-less” to make the word mean regard.

Use the words Anyway, and Regardless to ensure grammatical correctness.

© CanStockPhoto/maximult

It’s OK to Make a Mistake

Your company will expect you to make mistakes. That’s life.

It’s also how you learn.

Repeating the same mistake will concern your manager more.

Not “fessing up” to the mistake will be taken as a bigger strike against you than the mistake itself.

I’ve seen staff cover up, lie, and blame others. This enhances a blaming corporate culture. (Not where you want to be!)

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Most companies want the issue fixed professionally, quickly (now if possible), and handled better the next time. Blaming someone else accomplishes none of these things.

Collect major points if you say: “Sorry. I screwed up. I made a mistake. It won’t happen again!”

Communicate!

Don’t Depend on Technology to Communicate

I remember talking to the head of communications for a large company who wanted to hire us for training.

At their offices I noted about 20 empty spaces for all the communications officers.

I asked Jim, “Where is everyone”?

He replied, “They’re all working from home. We actually don’t see each other that often. We send each other a lot of emails, we leave each other a lot of voice-mails but we don’t actually know what everyone looks like.”

I knew we weren’t going to get the job. We weren’t going to “connect.” No relationship would be built.

Getting together is often more important than why you’re getting together.

Technology is a great communication aid, but it won’t cover the whole spectrum of communicating.

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Companies that spend time and money getting together will be the companies that succeed.

Frankly, we believe companies who rely exclusively on communication technologies to communicate will get into problems they haven’t even dreamt about.

Nothing beats face-to-face communications.

Leaving Phone Messages

When I phone anyone these days, I have a short message ready to leave on voice-mail. I assume I won’t reach the caller.

Be equally prepared and keep your message short. I leave my name, the reason for calling, and my own phone number, which I usually repeat. I speak at a medium pace, without rushing.

I always know when a sales person has called me because they talk too fast, and they mention their phone number only once.

Top Tips When Leaving a Phone Message

1. Rehearse what you will say.

2. Avoid talking too quickly or too slowly.

3. Enunciate your words clearly.

4. Avoid leaving a vague, cryptic message; for example: “It’s Mary. Call me.”

5. Avoid leaving a long, chatty message as though you were chatting with the person; get to the point.

6. Ensure you include critical information: Who you are. Who you represent. Why you’re calling. Any action expected, and from whom.

7. Leave your phone number. Always. Even if they are your best friend. Don’t assume they have immediate access to your phone number. Or will remember it without a note.

8. Repeat your phone number. 

Voice-Mail Technique: Recording Your Own Message

Why devote a section to voice-mail technique? I’ll tell you why: it’s communication. And many people take voice-mail for granted.

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When you phone someone, what do you hear? Often, it’s a long-winded message about why someone can’t come to the phone. (e.g., I’m not here right now, or I’m on the line or away from my desk.)

I favour a simple approach: “This is the voice-mail of Roger Davies. Please leave your message now.”

If I’m away for a longer period, I will say: “This is the voice-mail of Roger Davies. I will be returning to the office on February 7^th. If you wish to leave a message, please do so. I will get back to you as soon as I can.”

Notice that I said, “I’ll be returning.” I didn’t go into detail about what I was doing while away.

Put some thought into your own message.

Being polite is nice. Smiling when you record your message is also nice. If you don’t smile, you can come across as negative or cranky. Smiling communicates.

No matter what, get to the point!

The Importance of Communication with Your Immediate Supervisor

Usually, your immediate manager provides the gateway to your success.

If you are given a choice, choose that person wisely because they can really help you.

If you’re not given a choice, how should you cultivate a good relationship?  Key question: Ask them how they like to receive their communications, and through what technology. This at least shows you’re interested in communicating, and you’ll receive some insight on how they process communications.

In business, the relationship with your manager is called your “primary relationship”.

During the interview for a job or promotion, ensure you can communicate well with this person. If you can’t “connect” on a personal, face-to-face level, maybe this is not the job for you.

You also need to respect them, trust them, and understand them. Learn to “scratch their back” and they, in turn, will scratch yours.

Your manager will expect you to be a quick study, and if you have any questions: Don’t be afraid to ask, especially in the early days of your new job. What can you reasonably ask of your manager? Simply put: Ask anything that will help you do your job more effectively.

If you feel that trust and respect are issues, make the most of the situation. You can always learn from anyone. Even if you learn how NOT to do something in a certain way. It’s all a learning experience.

Handling those “Personal” Appointments

Your company will likely have a policy on how to handle personal appointments (haircuts, dentist visits, etc.). Regardless of your company policy, it’s not a bad idea to try and handle those appointments on your own time, if you can.

Sometimes that is not possible with medical matters, and employers tend to be reasonable about it. Still, there’s a balance.

You don’t want to give the impression you’re entitled to “time off” for whatever reason. You’re not!

Communicate with your immediate boss. If you take time off, make up the time! And schedule “cosmetic” appointments outside business hours, please, always.

Do you believe employees are given enough time to handle personal appointments? 

Should some exceptions, other than medical or dental, be made?

Technology Etiquette Depends on Corporate Culture (and Good Manners)

If you join a “conservative” company, you are going to have to bend over backwards to be respectful in the use of technology. In other words, you can’t text non-stop in meetings and continually go into your Gmail or Twitter account on company time.

Some companies are digitally focused and accepting of a technological free-for-all; many are not.

If you’re seeking success in a business, just look around and see how everyone else handles themselves.

We delivered a workshop recently to a large bank. You will appreciate our instructor, Amy, was not expecting the participants to be using their BlackBerries during the session. At the break, Amy went to them and said, “Do me a favour. Maybe you could use your BlackBerry on the breaks or at lunch.”

One participant turned around and said, “When you earn as much money as I do, you can tell me what to do.”

We thought the response to be totally out of line.

I’m guessing that person is no longer employed – financial meltdown or no financial meltdown.

Courtesies, respect and politeness go a long way!

Respect your corporate culture.

Should all corporate cultures adapt to allow people to use technology for personal use?
What are some of the pros and cons of allowing more digital freedom in the workplace?

Were you right? Wrong? What Company Policies Really Communicate

Companies issue policy manuals to save everyone time.

They are critical communications.

They spell out the “nitty gritty” of the little questions (and some big questions) that come up. Read the policies carefully.

I’ve seen people ask questions when the answer was already in the company policy manual. Clearly they had not read the document.

Tip: Read up on your company’s policies once a year as a refresher. Policies tend to change to accommodate new issues. They are living communication tools critical to all organizations.

Avoid tying up your manager’s time with questions that will likely be answered in your company’s policy documents, and you will clear another obstacle to success.