Business Etiquette for Tough Economic Times

In today’s uncertain financial climate, it is more important than ever to
 approach business and social situations with grace and thoughtfulness. We
 need to be mindful of others’ circumstances and add value to everything we
 do. Whether you have experienced a change in your financial security
 personally, or you are one of the fortunate individuals experiencing “life
 as usual,” a conservative attitude is the order of the day.



First and foremost, be a value to your place of business. Now is the time
 to give them their money’s worth. Start earlier, stay later and skip the hour-long lunch
 now and then. Kicking it up a notch will not go unnoticed by your 
management, and you will likely be rewarded for your loyalty and hard work
 down the road.



Be a positive force in your environment. Never complain, whine or speak
 poorly of the company. Be sensitive to management’s position. It is 
probably not a good time to ask for a raise, but you can always ask for a 
commitment to “revisit” the conversation when things improve.



It is always in good taste to spend your company’s money wisely. Approach
 any financial decision at the office with the same frugal attitude you would
 use at home. Look around your department and recognize opportunities to cut 
back. Anything from wasting paper to wasting time impacts your company’s
 bottom line. At firstPRO, we have cut back on many of our monthly internal 
events, opting for every other month instead. We used to have a service
 that delivered breakfast to our staff each morning and now one of us shops
 for cold cereal and fruit each week.



Do NOT bring your financial worries to the office. It is never polite to
 air your problems to your co-workers; it is always better to find your 
support system outside of the office. Although we operate very much like a 
family at our company, most things are handled behind closed doors and we
 work hard to keep distractions at a minimum and professionalism at a max.



Remember that your peers may be experiencing some real financial
 difficulties of their own, so be mindful when including someone in your 
plans. Assume that cost is an issue for everyone and cut back on lunches
 out and keep group gifts down to a minimum.



Personally, I believe we have hit bottom and that our economy is slowly
 moving forward. Many of our clients have increased their hiring plans as
 they see their own business increase. Overall, it could be a long road back
 to financial stability, so our ability to develop and maintain the social
 graces required for this diverse economy are more important than ever 
before.



In the end, I believe that there is an upside to any situation, and the
 upside to a down economy is that we are developing conservative habits that 
will stay with us for a lifetime.

By April Fawcett Nagel