[Solution] Developing Professionalism and Business Etiquette Skills On-site and Online
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Author: Sarah Bennett
Business professionals value workplace relationships and professional behavior; therefore, it is vital to understand the characteristics recruiters seek as you enter the workforce.
Which of the following are characteristics of professional behavior? Check all that apply.
- Social intelligence
- Polish
- Technical skills
- Compliance
- Soft skills
View Explanation
No matter how you define professionalism, it is an important aspect of the business world and a necessary component of career advancement. The skills related to professionalism influence your ability to communicate successfully (both verbally and nonverbally) with others. Several characteristics of professional behavior include civility, polish, business etiquette, protocol, social intelligence, and soft skills.
Read the following scenario, and answer the question.
You work for AdSmart, a marketing research firm. You and a new coworker are meeting a potential client for lunch. You have several morning meetings on the same day as the lunch meeting, so you arrange to meet your coworker and the potential client at 12:15 p.m. at the restaurant. You arrive five minutes early, and the prospective client arrives shortly thereafter. You both wait in the lobby until 12:35 p.m. when you decide to be seated. You check your smart phone and see no received communications from your colleague. Finally, at 12:45 p.m., your coworker arrives.
During the lunch, your coworker tells several white lies and reveals information regarding your boss that should have been kept confidential. The prospective client doesn't seem to notice these indiscretions; however, when your coworker begins to badmouth their former employer, a competitor of AdSmart, the client appears ill at ease.
Despite the rough start to the lunch meeting, all ends well. You believe that with the appropriate follow-up, the potential client will become one of the firm's more lucrative partnerships. Once you are back at the office, you debrief with your coworker and discuss the next steps. You decide to take on the task of putting together the proposal the client has requested, and your colleague agrees to send a follow-up note thanking the client and indicating that the proposal will arrive within the next week.
When you send off the proposal three days later, you inadvertently learn from the client that they never received any correspondence from your coworker.
What dimension of professional behavior did your coworker violate when discussing their previous employer with the prospective client?
- Honesty and ethics
- Reliability and responsibility
- Courtesy and respect
View Explanation
One dimension of professional behavior that your coworker violated is the dimension of honesty and ethics; they did so by revealing confidential information and making disparaging remarks about one of AdSmart's competitors.
Employers want team players. Proven team skills help deliver .
View Explanation
Proven team skills help deliver on-time, on-budget results. Learn how to work with others to increase the productivity of your company and advance your own career.
Read the scenario, and answer the question.
You agreed to complete the market analysis section for a team presentation tomorrow but have not budgeted your time well. It is already 5:30 p.m., and you aren't quite done. If you stay at the office until your report is finished, you will be late for dinner with a friend. If you don't finish it, you will put the team way behind schedule. You consider submitting it as is, hoping no one will notice.
What should you do?
- Reschedule your dinner engagement or take your work home and finish it after dinner
- Leave the office for dinner, and finish your report in the morning
- Make your report look professional and submit it as is
View Explanation
In this situation, the best course of action is to reschedule your dinner engagement or take your work home and finish it after dinner. While you may not want to reschedule or finish your work at home, you must remain reliable and responsible in professional settings. After you have agreed to a professional commitment, you should keep it.
Which of the following is an outcome of incivility at the workplace? Check all that apply.
- Increased helpfulness
- Better health
- Lack of effort on the job
- More focus on the work
- Loss of customers
View Explanation
Researchers found that even low-level rude exchanges spread like contagion; they taint a worker's entire day. Employers, of course, suffer from the resulting drop in productivity and exodus of talent. Employees, too, suffer. They are more likely to disengage or quit and experience stress responses such as digestive problems, sleeplessness, and headaches. Workplace rudeness also turns customers away.
Social intelligence indicates .
View Explanation
Social intelligence points to a deep understanding of culture and life that helps us negotiate interpersonal and social situations. Polish is the level of professionalism displayed in social situations. Your online presence should be positive and professional, but a social media presence that is poorly developed or inappropriate indicates a lack of social intelligence. Integrity refers to the quality of being honest. It does not necessarily give you an understanding of culture and life.
Which of the following are aspects of appearance appeal? Check all that apply.
- Dining etiquette
- Self-control
- Good grooming
- Good hygiene
- Sincerity
- Dependability
- Attractive business attire
View Explanation
Dining etiquette, good hygiene and grooming, and attractive business attire are all aspects of appearance appeal. Self-control is an aspect of tolerance and tact. Dependability is an aspect of reliability and diligence. Sincerity is an aspect of courtesy and respect.
