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[edit] Guidelines for business etiquette
Executive Planet™ provides valuable tips on business etiquette, customs and protocol for doing business worldwide.
[edit] Essential business culture guides for the international traveller
[edit] Cultural Quick Tip
Cultural Quick Tip is provided courtesy of [3] Culture Coach.
Verify Before Assuming
Brainteaser puzzles are often designed to make solving them seem physically impossible. Typically brainteasers prey upon the assumptions we have about the way things work - or the way they look. A key development as a child is to learn what assumptions are accurate and which ones are not. We learn for example, that it is safe to assume that the sun will come up every day and that Mom or Dad will make breakfast. As an adult, we also make assumptions and the majority of our assumptions are accurate and valid. However when that is not true, we end up making poor decisions, often without realizing it.
While some of our assumptions are universal in that most people in the world have them, others are culturally specific. It is these culturally specific assumptions that can often cause miscommunication. When an interaction is not working, these questions can help explore the underlying assumptions:
• What is the basis for this assumption - is it personal experience or someone else's opinion?
• Does this assumption check out against what can be objectively observed?
• If the assumption(s) were set aside, how would it help the interaction?
As we interact with others, we need to pay attention to our assumptions about them. If we have known someone for a long time, it is also helpful to make sure we have also updated our assumptions to make sure that they reflect who that person currently is.
The Executive Planet™ guides to doing business worldwide each contain the following articles:
Let's Make a Deal - negotiating tactics, the value of connections, recommended business card style and content, business card protocol, sitting and presenting yourself in meetings, language for brochures and promotional material, pace of business, preferred presentation styles, final agreements, thinking styles, adherance to company policy, and more business culture info . . .
Prosperous Entertaining - typical mealtimes throughout the day, best venues for business entertaining, punctuality for social events, dinner table seating etiquette, mealtime etiquette, importance of alcohol, toasting, guidelines for hosting a banquet/social event, what foods should be served/avoided, accepting and declining invitations, and more business etiquette info. . .
Appointment Alert! - typical vacation times, recommended apppointment times, length of the lunch hour, signals that indicate beginning or end of an appointment, best arrival time (early, late, right on time), and more on business culture info. . . Gift Giving - recommended gifts, gifts to avoid, good and bad colours for wrapping paper, how to present a gift to individuals and groups, guidelines for receiving gifts, and more on business etiquette info. . .
First Name or Title? - using titles such as 'Doctor', naming conventions to avoid, when to use first names, and more business etiquette info. . . Public Behaviour - how to greet strangers and introduce yourself, the rules for men shaking hands with women, acceptable demeanor, rules for eye contact, gestures/sayings to avoid, and more on business culture info. . .
Business Dress - is dress modest, conservative, etc., specific dress requirements for men and women, what visitors should wear to social functions, and more on business etiquette info. . .
Conversation - welcome and unwelcome topics of conversation, the role of compliments, the tone of voice to be used, whether your hosts are physical or more reserved, and more on business culture info. . .
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