Business Etiquette… and 2021
Here's a little question that's been kicking around in my head as I've been reading all of these articles on how the world has irrevocably changed after COVID and 2020. I thought it might be fun to talk, in particular, about the aspects of business etiquette that will change because of COVID. What will make you roll your eyes at someone in the office? What will strike you as “not being a team player”? What actions or inactions will strike you as selfish, or entitled, or any of those other nasty feelings that etiquette usually strives to avoid?
A few things that I wonder about:
- Coming into the office if you're sick (and/or not wearing a mask if you're sick), as well as using a public space like a conference room or lunchroom if you're sick
- Not coughing or sneezing into your elbow (aka “the vampire sneeze”)
- Shaking hands — elbow bumps for the win!
- Taking elevator rides with more than a few people (or, at least, whether you'll be given the stink eye if you're the last person to get on an already-occupied elevator)
- Calling unnecessary meetings in enclosed spaces like conference rooms — in fact, I hope office planners are working on having more outside meeting spaces… (According to this Fortune article, balconies and rooftops are already hot commodities for meeting spaces.)
- Holding unnecessary Zooms — it's one thing to want to see people when you're working virtually, but if you're back in the office or in regular contact, can we please go back to regular phone calls?
Readers, how about you — what do you think will change about business etiquette? Are you eager for any office customs to disappear? What do you think the past year or so has changed about business etiquette?
Stock photo (crowded elevator) via Deposit Photos/everett225.
Keep:
-WFH when sick, even when it’s “just a cold”
-Quick IM before cold-calling someone asking if they have a minute to chat and the topic
Ditch:
-Video meetings for anything except huge corporate town hall type things (not having to sit in a tiny uncomfortable chair for 6 hours of strategy briefings was great!)
-Shaking hands AND elbow bumps (soooo awkward). Just saying hello, a quick nod, is plenty
The elbow bump never made sense to me. If we’re coughing into our elbows why would we want to touch anyone else’s elbow. I get that it’s kind of the opposite side of the elbow, but still think it’s gross. It least people are (hopefully) washing their hands often.
Agreed – no elbow bumps please! Let’s just not touch in the office.
Well, it’s hard to absentmindedly rub your eyes with your elbow. Even so, I don’t think physical contact is necessary to greet someone in a business setting.
When do we think work travel will go back to “normal” and what will “normal” look like?
I know some people who have been traveling throughout 2021! I’d say resumption of normalish – minus big conferences – for most folks in the fall; most conferences/large meetings in 2022.
I’m in internal strategy, and used to travel monthly. I expect the future will be about 50% of that.
I have had one conference; have one next week (but it’s local for me); and have another one planned for June. I’m expecting my July/August and fall planned conferences to go with likely some modifications. My large financial services company is still on a travel ban but my travel exemptions have been approved as we’ve starting to open our office. My job is all about relationships so I was traveling at least once a month but usually twice or more a month. That first trip was exciting to be back but seemed strange after being WFH for so long.