Tag Archives: office etiquette

Good Medical Manners Equal High Patient Satisfaction

Posted on May 1, 2019 by Lydia Ramsey

Medical manners

Declining reimbursements, increased overhead, patient overload and the rush to litigation are but a few of the reasons to “sweat the small stuff” in the medical arena. If you don’t think you need to pay attention to the details when it comes to making your patients happy as well as healthy, think again. If ever there was a time to mind your medical manners, it’s now.

Good medical manners and proper office etiquette can make a significant difference in how physicians and their staff are viewed by their patients. If patients feel valued by their physicians and have positive interactions with staff, they are more likely to become longtime loyal customers. Yes, patients are customers. If your patients don’t return, it may not be because they have recovered. It may be they went somewhere else where they are treated with consideration.

It stands to reason that a happy patient is a healthier patient. If everyone in a physician’s practice takes the time to make patients feel appreciated, those people on whom you rely to build your practice will come back time and again and will refer others. Kindness, courtesy and respect are the right treatment for all patients. No one is allergic.

Let me suggest ten basic rules of etiquette that can have a positive effect on patient satisfaction and outcomes:

Stop, look and listen. This rule does not simply apply to railroad crossings. While doctors can rarely spare as much time with patients as they once did, the people they treat need not wonder if their doctor is wearing a stop watch or has set an alarm on his Apple watch.
Make eye contact with patients. It is sometimes hard to give the patient your direct attention while managing the requirements of the practice technology. Look at your patients, not the computer. Pay attention to their body language as well as their vital signs. If your computer is positioned so that you have to turn away from the patient, reconfigure its’ placement.
When you ask critical questions, pay attention to the answers. Practice good listening skills like nodding at the person, repeating what you heard and paraphrasing what was said. Don’t interrupt or try to finish someone’s sentence. You might miss valuable information
Practice professional meeting and greeting. From your initial encounter with patients, show warmth and friendliness. Honor people by shaking their hand.
Use the patient’s name immediately. Address people by their title and last name until you receive permission to call them by their first name. While some people prefer informality, others may be offended.
Introduce yourself. That may sound silly, but people shouldn’t have to guess if you are the doctor or another member of the staff.
Let patients know what to expect after you leave the room. What is going to happen next? Who will give follow up instructions?
Pay your attire is important. If you choose to ditch the white coat, your appearance should still be impeccable—neat, clean and pressed.
Know what goes on in your office at all levels. You may not think it is your job to know what your patients experience from the time they walk into your office, but it is. This is no time to make assumptions. Ask for feedback from patients and staff.
Invest time and money in training your employees in the importance of soft skills and customer service. While interpersonal skills may not seem as critical as clinical skills in a physician’s practice, without them there soon may be no patients to treat.

People have choices about where they go for their medical care; you want that to be your office.

Lydia Ramsey is a Savannah-based business etiquette expert, keynote speaker, trainer and author. Contact her at 912-604-0080 or visit her website: LydiaRamsey.com to find out how her presentations and workshops can help you and your employees add the polish that builds profits.

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On the Job Tips for the New Hire

Posted on February 18, 2019 by Lydia Ramsey

Make a good first impression on the job

Tips for the new hire. Why? Because starting a new job can be exciting and scary. The good news is that you have one. The goal is to keep it. Getting off on the right foot is often the challenge.

Whether you are going to work for the first time, taking a different position in the same organization or joining a new company, the role of the new hire isn’t easy. To begin with, you may encounter some unexpected attitudes from your coworkers. Some may be delighted with the choice to hire you while others may have wanted your new position for themselves. Following these simple rules of behavior when you start to work will help things go smoothly.

Listen more than you talk.

Don’t try to impress everyone with who you are and what you know. Ask smart questions, and then let others do the speaking. You will learn more this way about what you need to know to get along with others and to do your job well.

Treat everyone with the same courtesy and respect.

Don’t assume that you know who the most important people are. Everyone is of value to you because you are all part of a team. Keep an open mind about the people in the office. It takes a while on the job to figure out the critical alliances so go slowly in establishing relationships.

Steer clear of the office gossip.

This is a good rule to follow no matter how long you are on the job. Don’t even listen to the negative stories, let alone spread them. While you are gathering information about the organization and the personnel, be careful that the questions you ask are not perceived as personal. Showing an interest in your colleagues is different from prying into their private lives.

Be careful what you reveal about yourself.

Some of your new co-workers will be curious about you and want to get to know you better right off the bat. If people are asking questions that go beyond your qualifications for or interest in your job, be thoughtful with your responses. When you reveal personal information about yourself to your co-workers, you are treading on dangerous turf.

Ask for help when you need it.

No one expects you to know everything. If you try to act like you do, you are most likely to turn people off rather than impress them. People like to be needed so asking for assistance in the beginning is a positive way of building relationships. Even the office grump may feel flattered.

It takes time to assess a new workplace and to make appropriate decisions. If you proceed with caution, your judgments will be solid, your relationships positive and your career long.

Photo from Savanah magazine

Lydia Ramsey is a Savannah-based business etiquette expert, keynote speaker, trainer and author. Contact her at 912-604-0080 or visit her website: LydiaRamsey.com to find out how her presentations and workshops can help you or your employees add the polish that builds profits.

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Holiday Gift-Giving in the Office

Posted on December 7, 2018 by Lydia Ramsey

Holiday gift-giving in the workplace is a thoughtful way of letting colleagues and clients know that you value the business relationship you share. But gift-giving comes with its risks. When a present is too expensive or is too personal, even the best intentions can backfire. Knowing the answers to the following questions will take the stress out of gift-giving in the office and enhance the joy of the season. It is, after all, supposed to be a time of good cheer and not one of high anxiety.

Should you give a gift to everyone you work with?
Do you need to buy a present for your boss?
What are appropriate gifts?
How much should you be expected to spend?
When is the right time to present your gifts?
What if you can’t afford the gift exchange?

The first thing you need to do is find out if there is a company policy on holiday gift-giving. If the company doesn’t have one, this could be a good time to establish one or, at the very least, come up with guidelines within your own department. If you work for a small business, decide with your co-workers how you want to handle this conundrum. And make sure that everyone is on board with the collective decision.

For religious, cultural or financial reasons, some people prefer not to engage in holiday gift-giving at work . Honor those people and make sure you have a process that allows individual to opt-in rather than opt-out. One way to do this is by passing around a sign-up sheet for those who want in. No pressure or judgment should be placed on those who don’t sign up.

Follow a process like “Secret Santa”, and set a low dollar limit to make it easier for everyone to participate. After all, holiday time can be costly at best. Stay within the limits set. Just because you can afford more, going over the limit will not win you any friends.

Avoid giving inappropriate items such as clothing, fine jewelry or perfume to your co-workers. Save those for family and friends. Gag gifts are also on the banned list. Not everyone thinks the same things are funny so don’t give an item that could be offensive. You’ll have to work with the person you offended long after the holidays.

Appropriate gifts include foods like candy, cookies, jams and jellies, soaps, scented candles, books, and gift cards. One caution about gifts of food—don’t give candy or cookies to the person who is trying to diet.

Plan when you will engage in the holiday gift-giving in your office. You may choose to have an office party in-house or go off-site for a holiday luncheon or an after-hours party. If you want to give a special gift to a close colleague, do it outside the office, not in front of others. And certainly not at the office party.

When it comes to the boss, there is no obligation to give a gift. Sorry, boss. Gifting should flow downward, not upward. Consider this: the boss makes the most money and is the person who should be buying for employees. If everyone feels strongly about giving to the boss, set a dollar limit and collect a minimal amount from each employee. Don’t make an end run by giving the boss a present when everyone else in the office chose not to. That is one sure way to create conflict and ill will with your co-workers.

If a coworker or supervisor gives you an unexpected gift, don’t worry. Proper etiquette states that unexpected gifts do not need to be reciprocated. All that’s required is a friendly “Thank you!”

These rules for holiday gift-giving in the workplace are designed to make the process joyful and stress free. Don’t use them as an excuse to play Scrooge or the office Grinch.

Lydia Ramsey is a business etiquette expert, professional speaker, trainer and author. Contact her at 912-604-0080 or visit her website: LydiaRamsey.com to find out how she can help you and your employees add the polish that builds profits.

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Punctuality: A Must for the Polished Professional

Posted on February 26, 2018 by Lydia Ramsey

Punctuality came to mind last week as I was racing down the road to get to an appointment, I had a sudden revelation. This is not uncommon for me. It has become a regular occurrence. I am never late–well, almost never, but I often arrive at meetings or appointments with only moments to spare.

Living in beautiful Savannah, Georgia, I am aware of what we call “Savannah time.” Few people arrive anywhere early. Most show up exactly at the appointed hour. Others wander in at their leisure, with an apology or an excuse, but late all the same. I feel myself on the verge of becoming one of the band of late-comers.

I tend to think I can get one more thing done before I leave for the meeting or event. For example, if the phone should ring just as I am headed for the door, I can’t resist answering it. Good old-fashioned curiosity. By the time I get in my car and check the dashboard clock, I realize that if I am lucky and all the traffic lights work in my favor, I’ll be on time.

In a recent blog I wrote about developing good habits for 2018. The habit I need to work on is joining the punctual people. That doesn’t mean arriving just in the nick of time. It means following the advice of the late Vince Lombardi who said, “If you are fifteen minutes early, you are on time. If you are on time, you are late. If you are late, don’t bother to show up.” In Wisconsin they call that “Lombardi Time.”

From now on my goal is to arrive fifteen minutes early. Certainly no more than that because I don’t want to intrude on those setting up the meeting or managing the event.

Punctuality is critical to good business relationships. People who are late send a message that they don’t value other people’s time or that they have more important things to do.

Think how you are viewed when you don’t make the effort to be on time. Do you want to be seen as inconsiderate or self-important? That certainly won’t help you grow your business or represent your organization in a professional manner.

Here a few tips to help you with your punctuality and to keep you on “Lombardi time”.

Don’t stop to take the last phone call. If the call is important, the caller will leave you a message.
Have everything you need for the meeting or the event conveniently placed so you aren’t scrambling around trying to find things—like your keys—at the last minute.
Decide how long it will take you to get to the venue and add some extra time. Allow for traffic jams, road construction and other unexpected occurrences.
If you are not 100% sure where you are going, do a practice run whenever possible. No one will be impressed with your tale of how you got lost. You probably know by now that you can’t totally trust your GPS.
If the worst should happen and you arrive at the meeting late, quietly take a seat. This is no time to interrupt to make your apologies and launch into a lengthy explanation about why you were tardy.
Check the agenda to see what items have already been covered. The late-comer who interrupts to ask about an issue that was previously discussed is not appreciated.

Join me in vowing to be on “Lombardi Time” from now on. Old habits are hard to break, but what better time to start than early in a new year?

This article first appeared in the Savannah Morning News.

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The Office Romance: Danger or Opportunity

Posted on February 7, 2018 by Lydia Ramsey

Heart shaped box of chocolate truffles with red roses

Spring may not have sprung yet, but this is definitely the month when love and romance are in the headlines. Everything is coming up roses and chocolate–covered strawberries. Perhaps your thoughts are turning to an office romance. Maybe the co-worker in the next cubicle is beginning to look awfully attractive. Could be you’d like to strike up more than a casual friendship. If so, what should you do and how should you go about it?

There are definitely dangers and opportunities when you consider an office romance.

It is not unusual today for people to find their spouse or partner in the workplace. After all, most people spend more of their time at work than anywhere else. According to the American Management Association, almost one-half—49% to be exact—of office romances result in marriage or a significant long-term relationship. If you choose to make a romantic move, be smart and follow the rules.

Know the company policy. Some companies have strict policies against dating coworkers. Most organizations don’t want to intrude on their employees’ private lives, but the shadow of sexual harassment looms larger than ever given the “Me, Too” and “Time’s Up” movements. If ever there was any doubt, recent events have underscored the long-standing advice never to date someone who is your supervisor or someone who reports to you. If you are even thinking about it, you need to start looking for another job.

Set the ground rules early. Discuss how you plan to handle you relationship around the office, and what you will do if things don’t work out. That may sound harsh and unrealistic. It definitely requires a level of maturity and discipline that is often hard to come by. Don’t put your career on the line for the sake of an office fling that may not lead anywhere but the unemployment line.

Consider the effect on your job performance. Being in love can be distracting. If your focus at work is on the object of your affection and not on your job, you are putting your career at risk. On the other hand, job performance might just improve when you are trying to impress that other person.

Be discreet and professional. It is never a good idea to discuss your romantic relationships with coworkers so keep the details to yourself. People will talk. There is no subject more popular than office gossip. Rumors of your romance will spread faster than a forest fire.

Proceed slowly. Gradually develop your friendship. Keep your interaction casual in the beginning. If ever there was a time to be cautious, this is it. The stakes are high if an office romance is on the horizon.

Be especially careful if you are new on the job, whether you are the one who is pursuing or the one being pursued. As a new hire, you are under extra scrutiny. Your boss and co-workers will be watching you closely and observing how you conduct yourself on the job.

Be wary of email. Don’t use the office email to correspond with each other unless it is purely professional and business related. Remember that email is like the newspaper. Anyone can read it. Before you hit “send,” make doubly sure that what you are sending is all business, just in case it lands in the wrong inbox.

Steer clear of Facebook and other social media sites to post the details of your new-found love. That’s where people go first when they want to pry and spy. Posting selfies while you are out at the neighbor bar or announcing where the two of you are having dinner is a really bad idea. You won’t need to pay for a Facebook ad to boost your post.

Never ever ever get involved with someone who is married. When word gets out—and it will—that is the surest way to find yourself on the street without a job.

An office romance can be successful and lead to life-long happiness if handled correctly. The wise couple is careful that any interaction in the workplace is purely professional. It’s a matter of having your career and dating it, too.

Here’s to finding love in all the right places!

Lydia Ramsey is a Savannah-based business etiquette expert, professional speaker, trainer and author. Contact her at 912-604-0080 or visit her at LydiaRamsey.com to leave a comment, ask a question or learn more about her programs and products. More business etiquette information is available in her best-selling book Manners That Sell – Adding The Polish That Builds Profits.

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Holiday Gift-Giving in the Office – Do’s and Don’ts

Posted on December 5, 2017 by Lydia Ramsey

There is enough stress during the holiday season without worrying about how to handle gift-giving in the office. More than a few people struggle with this issue every year. Do any of the following questions ring a seasonal bell with you?

Should you give a gift to everyone you work with?
Do you need to buy a present for your boss?
What are appropriate gifts?
How much should you be expected to spend?
When is the right time to present your gifts?
What if you cannot afford to a gift exchange?

The list goes on. So what can you or your office do to eliminate the stress and confusion around this time-honored workplace tradition?

The first thing to do is to establish a company policy on gift-giving. If the company does not have one, then decide with your co-workers how you want to handle this challenge. Make sure that everyone is on board with the collective decision. Many people would prefer not to give gifts at work during the holidays. If you choose to exchange gifts in the office, here are some points to consider.

Honor those people who don’t want to participate in a holiday gift exchange. Reasons for not engaging could range from religious or cultural to financial. Choose a process which allows people to opt-in, rather than opt-out. One way to do this is by passing around a sign-up sheet for those who want in. No pressure or judgment should be placed on those who don’t sign up.
Set a low dollar limit which will make it easier for everyone to participate. After all, holiday time can be costly at best.
Stay within the limits set. Just because you can afford something better, going over will not win you any friends. Now if you found something you like on sale, that’s okay. However, avoid going into detail about the original price as opposed what you paid for it. That is completely unnecessary.
Avoid giving inappropriate items to your co-workers. Those include personal gifts such as clothing, jewelry or perfume. Save those items for family and friends. Gag gifts are also on the banned list. Not everyone thinks the same things are funny so don’t give a gift that could be offensive. You’ll have to work with the person you offended long after the holidays.
If you want to give a special gift to a close colleague, do it outside the office, not in front of others.
There is no obligation to give the boss a gift. Sorry, boss. Gifting should flow downward, not upward. Consider this: the boss makes the most money and is the person who should be buying for the employees. When everyone pitches in to buy something for the boss, guess who ends up with the most expensive gift in the office? If everyone feels strongly about giving to the boss, set a dollar limit there as well and collect a minimal amount from each employee.

These rules for gift-giving in the office are designed to make the process more joyful and less stressful. Don’t use them as an excuse to play Scrooge or the office Grinch.

About Lydia Ramsey

Lydia Ramsey is on a mission to stamp out rudeness and enhance professional conduct in the workplace. She is a Savannah-based business etiquette expert, sought-after speaker, trainer, author and newspaper columnist. She is the author of Manners That Sell – Adding the Polish That Builds Profits and Lydia Ramsey’s Little Book of Table Manners.

Contact her at 912-604-0080 or visit her at LydiaRamsey.com to leave a comment, ask a question or learn more about her programs and products for businesses, corporations, associations, colleges and universities.

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Etiquette Rules: Don’t be the Menace in the Office Kitchen

Posted on October 9, 2017 by Lydia Ramsey

An office kitchen can be one of the biggest workplace problems when people don’t observe basic etiquette guidelines. If you are among the lucky ones who happen to work for a company that offers an office kitchen for your convenience, you know what the challenges are.

You go to put your sandwich in the refrigerator and someone else has already taken up the last bit of space with their five-course lunch. Perhaps you were desperate for your morning coffee, but when you tried to pour a cup, the pot was empty. You may have a pretty good idea who the thoughtless person was so now that co-worker is on your eternal blacklist.

If you want to maintain good professional relationships with your coworkers, you need to be respectful of everyone who uses the office kitchen. Failure to show respect for all who share this space can easily create conflict among employees.

The best way to maintain harmony in the office kitchen is to establish rules and to make sure everyone is aware of what they are.

Clean up after yourself. That’s a fairly simple concept. If you spill something, wipe it up. Don’t leave your crumbs, soiled napkin or styrofoam cup on the table. Throw your trash away. And never leave your dirty dishes in the sink.
Brew more coffee. If you drank the last cup, make a new pot. If it’s five o’clock and everyone is headed out, rinse the pot and take the time to prepare the coffee maker so it is ready to go when the first person arrives in the morning.
Respect the refrigerator real estate. Don’t take up more space than necessary. Only refrigerate what needs to kept cool. The rest of your lunch can be kept at your desk.
Be conscious of strong odors. No one wants her lunch to taste like your last night’s fish. Steer clear of bringing food with smells that can leach and linger.
Label your food. Write your name on your container so there is no doubt about whose lunch it is. That way, no one can say that he mistook your gourmet sandwich for his peanut butter and jelly.
Package your food appropriately. Use airtight plastic containers. They stand the test of time better than plastic or paper.
Remove your leftovers before they spoil. Just because you changed your mind and went out to lunch, doesn’t mean that you can deny ownership of that smelly blue food three weeks later.
Leave appliances as you found them…or perhaps better. When you use the toaster or microwave, check it afterward and make sure you didn’t leave crumbs or splatters. Your coworkers won’t be happy if they have to clean up your mess before fixing their lunch.
Let someone know when the kitchen supplies run low. If you see that the napkin dispenser is almost empty, either fill it or contact the appropriate person to replenish it. The same goes for straws, paper plates, plastic flatware, sugar, coffee creamer, and anything else that is consumable.
If it’s not yours, don’t eat it. This shouldn’t have to be said, but there are folks who help themselves to other people’s food. If you didn’t bring it to the office, leave it.

The primary guideline for office kitchen etiquette is to be respectful of the space and your co-worker’s food and drink. Remember: your mother is not there to clean up after you, so do it yourself – and do everybody in the office a favor.

Photo from Savanah magazine

Lydia Ramsey is on a mission to stamp out rudeness and poor manners in the workplace or wherever they exist. She is a an expert on business etiquette and professional conduct. Her southern charm and sense of humor make her a sought after speaker and trainer.

Based in Savannah, Georgia, she travels across the US and as far away as India and Dubai to work with universities, corporations, small businesses, associations and non-profit organizations.

Her topics range from flip-flops to forks.

Visit her website www.lydiaramsey.com for more information about her services and resources. If you prefer to talk, call her at 912-604-0080.

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Ten Tips for Surviving the Holiday Office Party

Posted on December 12, 2016 by Lydia Ramsey

It’s inevitable—the annual holiday office party. You can pretty much count on it every year. This year approximately 75% of bosses are planning to treat their employees to what they deem to be a festive celebration.

For some, this is a much anticipated and eagerly awaited event. For others, not so much. They would rather face a root canal than have to mix and mingle with the gang from the office.

While the holiday office party is not guaranteed to be your opportunity to gain points with the boss and leverage your next promotion, it can decidedly be the event that tanks your career. Read on for tips that will help you stay out of the danger zone and on the safe side.

Show up. Attendance is not optional. It is a requirement of the job. If you can’t attend, you need to have a pretty darn good excuse.
RSVP. If the invitation says “RSVP”, a reply is necessary whether positive or negative. Your boss needs to know how many to plan for.
Say what you will do and do what you say. If you reply that you will attend, do so. If you say that you cannot attend, don’t show up unannounced.
Don’t arrive with unexpected guests. Only those who are named on the invitation should make an appearance. If your babysitter cancels at the last minute, don’t take the kids.
Arrive on time. This is your best chance to be noticed by the boss and to interact with others in attendance.
Engage your boss in conversation. This needs only be a light exchange. It is definitely not the time to talk business. A hint: to start the conversation, find something to compliment the boss on–perhaps an accessory such as his clever holiday tie or her attractive necklace or gorgeous scarf.
Don’t hog the buffet table. The food may be delicious, but you are not there for the food. If you have a bite to eat before you go, you are less likely to find yourself overdoing it at the buffet table.
Mix and mingle with your co–workers and colleagues. This is your opportunity to do some team building so go for it even if some of those people are not your close friends.
Go with some conversation starters in mind. If you are not comfortable talking to people whom you don’t know well, have some ideas of topics you can talk about. But remember that all you really have to do is ask people about themselves and they will take that ball and run with it.
As always, watch the alcohol. Have one or two drinks at the most. If you crave another, have it when you get home.

Drive safe; stay safe, have fun and watch your P’s and Q’s. You want to wake up the day after the holiday party with no regrets and know that you were your most professional polished self.

Happy Holidays!

Lydia

P.S. It is not too late to grab your copy of my e-book on holiday business tips for surviving the season.

P.S. Neither is it too late to order your copy of Manners That Sell – Adding the Polish That Builds Profits. It’s the perfect gift for yourself or anyone you know who wants to get ahead in the business world.

Lydia Ramsey is business etiquette and modern manners expert, keynote speaker, seminar leader and author of Manners That Sell-Adding the Polish That Builds Profits. Based in Savannah, Georgia, she travels across the US and as far away as India and Dubai to work with clients that include universities, corporations, small businesses, associations and non-profit organizations. Her topics range from flip-flops to forks. Visit her website www.lydiaramsey.com for more information about her services and resources.

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Five Workplace Sins

Posted on May 8, 2015 by Lydia Ramsey

There are any number of etiquette faux pas committed in the office setting. Check to see if you are guilty of these five workplace sins.

Being a “Sunday night e-mailer.” Many business people like to clear out their inbox from home on Sunday night. That eliminates spending an hour replying to email first thing Monday morning. However, when you clean out your inbox on Sunday night, you dump a load of email on your colleagues’ or clients’ desk. Now they have to deal with your replies or forwards when they arrive at the office Monday morning. Solution: If you are a “Sunday night e-mailer,” be considerate. Save those messages somewhere in your email program, and release them mid morning on Monday.
Hovering over your colleagues while they are on the phone. You want to have a word with a co-worker so you go to his office or cubicle only to see him on the phone. Don’t stand there waiting. This is distracting and inconsiderate. Solution: Just catch the person’s eye, signal that you’d like to talk with him or her, then go back to your desk and wait until your colleague either calls, emails you or comes to your office.
Failing to remove your leftovers from the office kitchen. You brought your lunch to the office, but then had an invitation to eat out. Your lunch sits in the refrigerator until it turns blue. Solution: Either decide that you will have that lunch the following day, take it home for dinner or toss it out. No one else should have to clean out your yucky leftovers.
Using speaker phone while in your cubicle or in your office with the door open. Other people in the office should not be subjected to your phone conversations. It is inconsiderate of those around you as well as the person on the other end of the line. Solution: If you have to use the speaker phone function for a call, go to a private location or shut your door.
Taking your cell/smart phone into a meeting and placing it on the table. Mobile phones should be turned off and out of sight during meetings. Once you place yours on the table, you send a message that you are only partially present. Everyone knows that your eye is on the phone should something be deemed as more important comes along. This is an insult to others present. It devalues everyone around you. Solution: If you are expecting a call that is so important that you can’t be unattached from your phone, rethink whether you should attend the meeting. Next choice, apologize and explain why your phone has to be in plain view. There are few phone calls that can’t wait until your meeting is over.

If you find that you are guilty of any of these workplace sins, follow the solutions I have offered.

Additional tips on office etiquette and workplace manners can be found in my book, Manners That Sell – Adding the Polish That Builds Profits (Pelican Publishing).

Photo from Savannah magazine

Hire Lydia to work with your staff to improve customer service and employee relations through the use of those priceless and often over-looked soft skills called manners. Lydia is the “unstuffy” business etiquette expert who helps individuals and organizations add the polish that builds profits. We’re talking about your bottom line here.

Since 1996, countless people have benefited from her wisdom through keynotes, seminars and conference breakout sessions. Her Southern charm and sense of humor have made her a sought-after speaker and consultant.

Based in Savannah, Georgia, Lydia is available for national, regional and local speaking and training engagements. She has suitcase; will travel.

Contact her via email at lydia@lydiaramsey.com or call 912-604-0080. Sign up for her free monthly newsletter and visit her website, lydiaramsey.com.

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Romance in the Office: Is It A Good Idea?

Posted on February 11, 2014 by Lydia Ramsey

February is the month of romance signified by the celebration of Valentine’s Day—every florist’s dream day for sales. And wouldn’t you know? Savannah, my home, has just been declared by USA today to be the second most romantic city in the USA. If your thoughts are turning to romance right about now, there’s good reason—in fact, maybe two good reasons, depending on where you live.

Is the girl or guy in the next cubicle beginning to look awfully attractive? If so, what should you do? Before you make your first move, give it some thought. If you decide to pursue your interest, you may be jeopardizing your love life and your career. On the other hand, if all goes well, your job performance may improve and your personal life stands to take a turn for the better.

It is not unusual for people in today’s workplace to find their spouse or partner in the office. According to the American Management Association, almost one-half—49% to be exact—of office romances result in marriage or a significant long-term relationship. After all, most people spend more of their time in the workplace than anywhere else. If you choose to make a romantic move, be smart and know the rules.

Know the company policy. Some companies have strict policies against dating coworkers; others just ignore it. Still others even encourage it. Although most organizations don’t want to intrude on their employees’ private lives, the shadow of sexual harassment looms large. And it is never wise to date someone who is your supervisor or who reports to you.

Set the ground rules. Discuss early on how you plan to handle the relationship around the office, and what you will do if things don’t work out. While that requires a level of maturity and discipline that is often hard to come by, do it if you both want to keep your job. Don’t put your career on the line for the sake of a romance that might not work out. Approach with caution.

Consider the effect on your job performance. Being in love can be distracting. If your focus at work is on the object of your affection and not on your job, you are putting your career at risk. Don’t spend more time in the copy room or at the water cooler than you normally would. On the other hand, job performance could improve when you are trying to impress that other person.

A few extra words of caution about romance in the office:

Observe the one year rule of dating in the workplace. Gradually become close friends with a co-worker. Start by keeping your interaction casual. This is definitely not the time to go head over heels right off the bat.

Be especially cautious if you are new on the job, whether you are pursuing or being pursued. Because you are a new hire, you will be under extra scrutiny. Your boss and co-workers will be watching your closely and observing your professional behavior.

Be wary of email. Remember that email is like the newspaper. Anyone can read it, and someone may. Before you hit “send” make sure that what you are sending is as professional as you want to appear.

Steer clear of Facebook and other social media sites to post the details of your new-found love. That’s where people go first when they want to pry and spy.

Office romances can be fun, and successful. Take the proper steps, however, to ensure that the relationship will last without interfering in the workplace. The wise couple is careful that any interaction in the office is purely professional. It’s a matter of having your career and dating it, too.

Here’s to finding love in all the right places!

Photo from Savannah magazine

Based in Savannah, Georgia, Lydia is available for national, regional and local speaking and training engagements. She has suitcase; will travel.

Contact her via email at lydia@lydiaramsey.com or call 912-604-0080. Sign up for her free monthly newsletter and visit her website, lydiaramsey.com.

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