Do business etiquette rules differ for men and women? When women really started moving into the workplace 30 years ago, the social rules came along with them and created all sorts of problems. Who picks up the cheque? Who pulls out the chair? Who opens the door, carries the packages? A woman who expects men to do all these things for her sends a message that she needs help. No wonder she’s not the first person who comes to mind when the boss is looking for an executive to take on a big assignment. For women in particular, it’s important not to allow interaction etiquette to be tied to gender. It should be governed by business relationship or rank. If you’re the host, you pay the bill, regardless of gender. Opening the door is tricky because men want to do it, no matter what. But the simple rule is, whoever gets to the door first opens it and holds it for the person behind. Rank is a complicating factor. It’s a very smart junior person who subtly and that’s important gets to the door first and opens it for the senior person. In the same way, the host should subtly maneuver to open it for the guest. Then there’s the handshake. This is a huge gender issue. A lot of women weren’t taught to shake hands. In my seminars, when I go around to introduce myself, about 75% of the men stand to shake my hand. Only about 30% of the women do. It’s one of the ways women remain invisible in the workplace. They don’t shake hands enough. Susie Wilson. ANTOINETTE CHAMPAGNE FINISHING SCHOOL
Posted on: Sun, 16 Mar 2014 03:44:38 +0000
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