new etiquette

The New Rules Of Business Etiquette











Knock before entering a cubicle.



Try to approach from within your colleague's sight line. Pause before entering her cubicle. Ask if now is a good time to talk.

























Call or e-mail before you arrive.



Instead of making a beeline for your colleague's cubicle, get in touch in advance, and ask what would be a convenient time for you to drop by.

























Don't leave voicemail messages when you know the person is out.



Midnight is not a good time to leave a voicemail or send a note. If you get a brainstorm in the middle of the night, write an e-mail and put it in your draft folder. Hit "Send" at 9 the next morning.





















If you're the boss, don't send demanding e-mails on the weekend.



Unless your team is on a shotgun deadline, compose your instructions over the weekend, but don't send them until Monday morning.























If you get a weekend e-mail from the boss, you may take a day to reply.



You can't ignore a boss's weekend request completely, but you can wait 24 hours before responding. It's fine to set a boundary around your personal time.