Business Travel Etiquette

An important part of doing business is conducting yourself in an appropriate manner, and traveling is no exception, whether it is business or personal.

With the holiday season upon us and passengers packed into airports and planes, delays are inevitable and tempers start flaring. It can be a challenge to stay patient and maintain your manners, but during these busy times it is crucial to remember that everyone is going to get to the same place at the same time. The best way to alleviate this stress is to take a deep breath, be prepared and keep an attitude of cooperation.

It is always polite to assist someone with luggage if necessary, or to move so that travelers can sit with companions. Once seated, share your space and arm rests, and try not to get up to use the restroom when your seat mate is fast asleep or just settled down with a tray of food.

If you are next to a super chatty traveler and you do not want to talk, it is not rude to simply say, “Please don’t take offense but I’ve been waiting all day to read this article.” And if you are the chatty traveler, be open to the subtle signs that someone wants to be left alone. If a meal is served and you are both eating, however, it is polite to participate in some light conversation.
Like it or not, travel has changed dramatically over the years, and today it is geared towards the masses.

Things will (and do) go wrong, so traveling with a realistic attitude is key. Many factors can control whether a flight is on time or has available seating, so be patient, be prepared and be polite. Everyone wants the same thing…to get from point A to point B in the most pleasant way possible. Traveling with good etiquette will only ensure a successful venture...in business, through the holidays, or any other time.

Courtesy and Respect in the Workplace

I believe that civility, in general, is on the decline - everything from pulling over to the side of the road for a passing ambulance, to taking our hat off indoors or putting our hand over our heart for the national anthem as a necessary sign of respect. Saying “Hello,” “Good Morning,” “Have a nice day,” “Good luck on your appointment,”....and just using “Please and Thank you” with each other is something we should always do. Use a "nice" tone of voice - it's not what you say, it's how you say it. One of the best traits you can develop early in your career is learning how to be kind but firm and professional. Being nice does not mean getting walked on - it simply means that you are polite.

Rudeness and poor manners bring about negativity, not just in the workplace but in the world in general. Attitude is everything, and I don't know anyone who doesn't work better in a positive and happy work environment. We spend a huge portion of our lives around other people we see every day, yet sometimes we take them for granted and don't extend the same level of kindness, politeness and respect that we do a perfect stranger. When I was a bratty teenager, my mother used to say to me in a sarcastic tone, "You wouldn't want to waste your personality on your family - Save it for everyone else." I have never forgotten that.

I try to do all of the above, and as important as it is to me, I still have to remind myself. I get busy, frustrated and stressed, and I can feel my standards slipping. Still, I try to treat everyone as an equal and as someone of value to the world. No matter what kind of day I'm having, I make every attempt to keep it to myself. I try to not ask any more of anyone than I am willing to do myself.