888.827.9129
What Happened to Etiquette?
By Angel Farrington and Gayle Buske
We’ve had a long running debate amongst our core staff about general worker etiquette. The ongoing topic is that some of the lack of etiquette we see on a daily basis is due to the Information Age itself. We’re so plugged in and turned on but somehow simple business etiquette is lost. Other core staff members make the point that right is still right and wrong is still wrong – the generations and the Information Age just don’t matter.
Both points are right to some degree but maybe it’s time to go over what the rest of the world views as good etiquette and compare it to the emerging etiquette lapses of late. Things have changed, we totally agree. And for the most part, we like the changes. After all, were it not for the internet and all of the changes it brought, we would not happily work for the greatest virtual staffing agency in the world.
There have been several articles printed lately about “the new workplace etiquette”. We’d like to explore some of the things many people find disturbing and see if we can’t meet in the middle. How about it? Shall we compromise and work together as a team?
Time Off
One item says you shouldn’t ask for time off – you should just take it. As independent contractors, virtual assistants do have the right to take off whenever they want and shouldn’t have to answer to anyone. There’s asking as if you were a child asking permission of a parent to stay up late, “Mr. Client can I take a vacation day?”, which we agree, you shouldn’t have to do. But as business owners, we need to take the need of our clients into account and think about the inconveniences we might be causing them. Our job as successful virtual assistants is to take a personal stock in the success of our client’s company. If we don’t care about inconveniencing them, they are going to go to someone who will.
Why not try, “Mr. Client, I plan on taking next Friday off to spend with my best friend. Will that cause you any inconvenience? If so, is there anything I can do prior to or after my day off to help you get through?” This way you are being considerate of your clients needs by informing them ahead of time. You are problem solving so that they are inconvenienced as little as possible, and your client feels like you care and is still considered the best business etiquette. The client is not going to say “no, you can’t go”. They’re going to work with you because you worked with them. And it won’t leave a sour taste in their mouth over you. Try this approach next time and see if that client maintains a much better respect for you for it.
Meaningful Work
Okay, we can agree on this one. We don’t want to do anything that we don’t like either, and it can be challenging. As a virtual staffing agency, our company works hard to make good matches and find work that our independent contractors will enjoy, find meaningful, and want to stick with. We also fully describe each position to the best of our ability to give our virtual assistants the chance to turn the work down (before starting it) if it doesn’t appeal. BUT, if someone agrees to do something, good business etiquette dictates that you follow through and complete the task.
It’s still wrong to promise to do something, decide later that you don’t like it, and simply stop doing it. This is where opponents argue that wrong is still wrong. They’re totally right on this one. How would you like it if we said we would cook dinner for you, decide we didn’t want to do that anymore, and simply didn’t do it? You’d be expecting a nice meal, be ready to relax, and find out there is no food. You’d be upset. Think twice before doing the same to someone else – either business or personal.
Feel Good
We’ve all heard someone say “This work just doesn’t make me feel good”. That someone is probably right. Their not going to get warm fuzzy feelings from a hard days work all of the time. We’re not surprised. Especially working from home, sometimes we have unrealistic expectations of what our day is really going to be like. If you researched the internet before applying to work at home I’m sure that you found a lot of information describing working from home as relaxing and painting the picture of you, sitting in your favorite chair, chatting on the phone on occasion and watching TV.
Maybe you just found out that working from home is just as much work as working in corporate America and you’re a little disillusioned. Sorry. It’s a tough wake up call. Maybe you wanted to work in theory, but expected it to be easier than a “real” office?
Try taking a step back on this one. Although we can definitely agree that our work doesn’t always cause those warm feelings, and it may not be as easy as you anticipated, you are providing a service that makes it possible for your clients to be able to run their own businesses, get clients, keep clients, and make money. That should produce a great feeling. You are making it possible for people to live their dreams while you live out yours. If that isn’t enough, even though it isn’t easy, you are making it possible for your family to earn money, raise children, and still be home. You are also not in a suit and tie every day trying to climb the corporate ladder, shipping your children off to daycare, and seeing them at bedtime. A friend of Angel’s says that “If it feels like work, you are probably doing it right.”
Do you suppose your mom thought it fun to change the sheets on your bed? Wash your stinky gym socks? Run you around to every event you could find to participate in? Guaranteed she didn’t. But it’s all stuff that needed to be done.
Yes, work does need to be overall enjoyable; but there will always be aspects of any job that aren’t fun. Work is about making money, being responsible, and putting food on the table. Fun is what comes after work. Work makes fun possible not the other way around.
I was speaking recently with a woman we met while swimming at the pool. She is a housekeeper for a local hotel and mentioned that recently a group of motocross riders had been staying there. I commented that the extra dirt must have been awful. Her comment, “It’s been really busy and yes, a lot more dirt, but at least its work and I’m making money.” Amen sister! She’s earning a living without asking for handouts.
A Little Notice Please?
Bear with us here, we’re old school. In the old days (back when we milked the dinosaurs before we walked up hill both directions to and from school) business etiquette said giving two weeks notice when leaving a position was the absolute minimum. Somehow we’ve gone from two weeks to zero minutes in nothing flat. Come on, this really puts clients in a bind. As we try to work with you and your unique needs, we give you most of the concessions you ask for: flexibility, more pay, more likeable jobs, and so on.
Give us a chance to get our feet under us and find someone qualified to take over where you left off before you take off on to a new venture? Thanks! We really appreciate when you do that.
But I Can’t Do It
Yes, you can. Don’t give up so easy. Read the help file, search online, and find a resource that shows you how to do what you need to do. You have the resources and the ability. We know you do. If you try to find out how to do it and can’t, ask for help. Email a mentor. Call a core team member. Call the software’s help desk. We don’t bite, we promise.
LOL BRB I’m OTP
We know it is easier to abbreviate everything and forget grammar, punctuation, and everything else you learned in English class. When communicating with a client, assume they won’t understand what you are saying unless you spell it out. You’ll save yourself time, frustration, and having to redo your work if you spell it out the first time. You’ve been typing since before you could write.
Understanding
There are several things about our new Information World that we can empathize with, understand, and totally agree with.
- Face Time. We hear you: We don’t do face time either. We’re certainly not going to show up just so you can see our smiling faces unless there’s something in it for us. We realize you don’t have to be face-to-face to get work done and get things accomplished. At Team Double-Click® we’re working hard to get our clients to realize you’re not going to play that game. You’re going to get your work done and move on.
- The Speed of the Internet. We’re with you. We want our information and we want it now. We don’t want to wait for it. When we’ve made up our minds on something, it’s time to act on it – not wait for the ink to dry. Recently, someone actually told us that “they couldn’t move at the speed of the internet”. Our first thought was, “what? Are you kidding? Get moving!”
- Problem Solving. Generation Y has the technological ability to solve problems in ways we haven’t thought of before. We missed the computer programming class in high school and the typewriters were the kind that didn’t even use electricity. We were learning to walk up hill both ways to school and carrying water for baths. We know that you can fix problems in ways that we haven’t thought of and we appreciate it when you make suggestions.
- Thank you, you’ve been working hard and we appreciate it. It always feels great to be noticed, acknowledged and appreciated. We like it too. You aren’t alone on that one by a long shot.
- If my way takes an hour, why waste three days? Yes. Sometimes there are faster ways to do old stuff. It drives us nuts when someone asks us to type each email address individually when there is software on my computer that will get those same addresses in 5 minutes, and format them to look pretty. We love it! Be patient with your clients who have to be reminded how to send an email. You may have to explain how your way is faster if you want to do it that way, and it may take a couple tries.
- We want to be friends. It’s great when you can work with someone that you have a friendship. It can be nice to chat about your day and network. We like it too. Just remember, not all clients are going to be your friend. We don’t want you to get your feelings hurt by expecting it.
Thank you! We know that you work hard for clients and we appreciate it. We know you are one of the best out there, that’s why you are here. Not everyone is guilty of forgetting etiquette rules, and we know we are guilty of breaking etiquette rules on occasion too. In fact, we’ve been guilty ourselves on occasion, LOL. But, work with us, we will keep doing our very best to find the right clients, give you the hours you want, in the jobs you want. You take note if there is an area you can work on and try to do better. After all, that’s what good teams do.
Team Double-Click® provides virtual administrative assistance businesses. Visit Team Double Click’s Web site at www.teamdoubleclick.com or phone 888.827.9129. Click to receive your free report, 101 Ways To Work With A Virtual Assistant.
