Business ethics

As any country has its own language, so different spheres of activity have their own language of behavior. This language is called ethics. Arriving in another country, but not having learned the language of this country, a foreigner runs the risk of fooling. At best, they will misunderstand him; at worst, he can make a number of unforgivable mistakes for which, according to local laws, he can be hanged. The same applies to the ethics of business communication - however, they will not seriously punish anyone for violating it, but they can fire them from work.

In the center of ethics is morality - it defines the boundaries of relationships, actions and interaction of people in society. The ethics of business relationships are the theoretical foundations of relationships between people in a particular professional sphere. The essence of these principles is determined by professional ethical norms and standards (this is not just the psychology of each individual person). It is believed that any professional communication should proceed on the basis of business ethics.

The principle of any ethics, like language, is to be “on the same wavelength” with the environment. If this feeling does not arise, it means that the person gets into resonance with the society, and this society will force him out of his team. However, if this person is a strong personality, he will be able to change the ethics of the whole society for himself and the team will have to accept new conditions. But this rarely happens.

Sometimes in the ethics of business relations there are difficult cases. For example, in the general principles of ethics in front of the open door it is necessary to skip women ahead. But according to the ethics of business communication, if a man, rising in an elevator, is closer to the door, and a woman is standing behind him, a man does not need to let a woman go ahead. Need to go out first. When several norms contradict each other revolve in one's head, confusion arises and a person falls into a stupor. Therefore, we need a clear gradation of all ethical rules.

Ethical norms are divided into two groups. The first is the principles and elements of etiquette, respect, and tolerance that the person has owned since childhood. The second group is those functions of the development of service relationships, whose structure is the norm of the organization in which the person carries out his activities.

There are generally accepted standards that are the basis of all ethics, including business relations.

The rules are very simple:

• be the same as the whole team around you;
• not stand out both externally (clothing, hairstyle), and emotionally;
• obey the general rules and regulations;
• be kind, courteous, responsible, non-conflicting, and better humble;
• have clear and beautiful speech;
• be hardworking;
• be stress resistant.

There are ten more basics of business etiquette that will be appropriate in any company:

• Arrive on time. In the business world, it’s best to follow the rule: “Arrive five minutes before.” You need to give yourself enough time to arrive at the meeting place quickly, take off your coat and calm down a bit. Arriving at an appointment at exactly the appointed time can make you feel nervous, and everyone will see it. Time is a commodity; being punctual, you show that you respect others.
• Dress - right. While appropriate clothing, of course, varies from company principles, some things remain the same. Clean, ironed clothing without any loose threads or tags, as well as relatively polished shoes with closed toes is a mandatory norm.If in doubt, consult personnel personnel to ensure that you’ve picked up the right clothes.
• Speak kindly. Make sure you greet your colleagues and remember to say “please” and “thank you”. These words make a huge difference in how you are perceived. Your good manners show that you recognize those around you and are attentive to their presence.

• Avoid gossip. Gossip is a childish behavior that has no place at work. If you hear a rumor about someone in the workplace, do not transmit it. People do not always know or remember who begins the rumor, but they always remember who distributes it.
• Show interest in. Do not play on your phone or computer if a colleague is standing next to you and telling you something. Maintain friendly eye contact.
• Remember about body language. In the Western world, a handshake is still a typical greeting. Say hello to someone with a firm but quick handshake. Hugs or other attachments that you share with friends and family are inappropriate in the workplace.
• Introduce yourself and others. Sometimes it may seem that people do not remember your name or position. If you are with an employee who has just appeared in the company, take the time to introduce it to others. This will help you and him to feel comfortable in the office.

• Do not interrupt. When you have a great idea or suddenly remember something important, you may be tempted to express a thought immediately. Do not do this. Demonstrating that you are an attentive listener is the basis of diplomacy.
• Do not swear. Using vulgar language is a sure way to become unpopular in the workplace. Business etiquette requires the constant awareness that you are in a diverse environment with people you do not know on a personal level. Therefore, swear words are not always relevant in a working environment.
• Get rid of unpleasant smell and be quieter. If you visit the bar after work, do not drink too much alcohol. While at work, take care not to bring particularly unpleasant food, the smell of which not everyone in the office will perceive. Do not make noise during or after meals. Believe me, no one wants to hear that.

If we talk specifically about the ethics of business relations, it consists of several directions.

• Ethics of addressing a person. Each company has its own. On this depends the formation of the image of each employee, his relationship with other employees, his appointment and role in the team. In companies, executives are welcomed in different ways depending on the corporate culture. For example, in modern start-ups it is customary to communicate with the manager on “you”, to represent not by name and patronymic, but only by name or nickname.
• Business card ethics. This is one of the components of business ethics. The subject of such ethics is the usual business card. In Russia, not so long ago, it became customary to exchange cards when they met. Each corporate culture has adopted its own options for creating and designating business cards - somewhere you cannot indicate your position, and somewhere, on the contrary, many are even allowed to mark their achievements on the business card.

• Ethics of clothing and communication patterns. This is also part of business ethics. In the work collective, men and women have different norms and rules for corporate wardrobe and makeup. In most companies, they are spelled out in a special code. For example, many women are prohibited from wearing work pants, and men have the obligation to wear a tie. About the norms of communication will be discussed below.
• The ethics of written business communication. Each company has its own business letter templates.Even intra-collective correspondence in many companies is subject to special rules and regulations.

In essence, the ethics of business relations is a system of behavior invented and calculated by analysts for successful business. Such a system limits a person in terms of friendships and love affairs, but opens up great opportunities in terms of developing useful contacts. But for any person there is a need for friendship or informal communication, and sometimes it is difficult for the authorities to restrain such “impulses” if they slip into business communication.

In world practice there are generally accepted rules that must be followed when communicating in any business community:

• the interlocutor must ask questions in such a form and with such a content that they do not disturb him;
• the interlocutor must be given the opportunity to speak calmly;
• in any possible way, you should try to facilitate the interlocutor's perception of your theses and sentences;
• if the interlocutor has lost the thread of conversation or there is a hitch in the conversation, you need to help him with leading questions;
• It is necessary to answer the questions concisely and clearly, it is important to divide your statement into certain semantic stages - it will be easier for the interlocutor to perceive your speech, but their number does not matter;
• you should not hurry with the answer - first you need to make sure that you understand the question correctly;
• if negative, incorrect words, expressions or concepts are used in the question, this does not mean that they need to be repeated - it is important to remember that your speech reflects you as an employee;
• it is better not to respond to provocative questions and formulated problems at all or to transfer the conversation to the questioner.

On the culture of communication and ethics of business relationships, see the following video.