Chapter 11 Lecture Notes ● 1
Chapter 11 LECTURE NOTES
Developing Professionalism and Business Etiquette Skills at the
Office and Online
CHAPTER SYNOPSIS
The purpose of this chapter is to help students understand how professionalism and business
etiquette skills help them succeed in the digital-age workplace. The central theme in Chapter
11 is professionalism, a term that includes various definitions of desirable workplace behavior
such as business etiquette, social intelligence, and soft skills. The professional interpersonal
skills highlighted in this chapter include positive face-to-face workplace communication and
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Understand professionalism, start developing business etiquette skills, and build an ethical
mind-set—important qualities digital-age employers seek.
2. Use your voice as a communication tool, master face-to-face workplace interaction, foster
positive relations on the job, and accept as well as provide constructive criticism
gracefully.
WHAT’S NEW IN THIS CHAPTER
The authors made the following changes and improvements:
• Highlighted the key soft skills employers want and students will need in the digital-age
workplace.
Chapter 11 Lecture Notes ● 2
• Substantially revised and updated the discussion of professional teams, including virtual
teams, to demonstrate to students the importance of effective collaboration in workplace
groups.
• Presented several chapter concepts, e.g. conflict resolution and team building, in new
graphics to help students learn through visual means.
LECTURE OUTLINE
I. Developing Professionalism and Business Etiquette Skills at the Office
and Online (p. 352)
A. Understanding Professionalism and the Cost of Incivility
Traits and skills that define professional behavior to foster positive workplace
relations:
• Civility – respectful toward others
B. Relating Professional Behavior to Ethics
• Professionalism also encompasses another crucial quality in a businessperson: ethics,
or integrity.
Figure 11.1 The Six Dimensions of Professional Behavior
C. Gaining an Etiquette Edge in a Networked World
• An awareness of courtesy and etiquette
II. Communicating Face-to-Face on the Job (p. 355)
Even with the widespread use of communication technologies in the workplace, face-
to-face communication is still essential. Face-to-face conversation allows you to be
Chapter 11 Lecture Notes ● 3
Figure 11.2 Media Richness and Communication Effectiveness
A. Using Your Voice as a Communication Tool
• Improve your pronunciation. Here are some commonly mispronounced words
to practice in class:
“affidavit” – not “affidavid”
“ask” – not “aks”
“business” – not “bidness”
B. Making Workplace Conversation Matter
• Use correct names and titles.
• Choose appropriate topics.
• Avoid negative remarks.
C. Receiving Workplace Criticism Gracefully
• Listen without interrupting.
• Determine the speaker’s intent.
• Acknowledge what you are hearing.
D. Providing Constructive Criticism on the Job
Chapter 11 Lecture Notes ● 4
• Mentally outline your conversation.
• Generally use face-to-face communication.
• Focus on improvement.
• Offer to help.
III. Following Professional Telephone and Voice Mail Etiquette (p. 361)
Even with the popularity of e-mail, the telephone is still a popular communication tool
in the workplace. Students will be more productive, efficient, and professional by
following these simple suggestions for improving their telephone and voice mail
etiquette.
A. Making Telephone Calls Professionally
• Plan a mini-agenda.
• Use a three-point introduction: your name, your affiliation, and your reason for
calling.
• Be brisk if you are rushed.
• Be cheerful and accurate.
B. Receiving Telephone Calls Professionally
• Answer promptly and courteously.
• Identify yourself immediately.
• Be responsive and helpful.
C. Observing Smartphone Etiquette
• Be courteous to those around you.
• Observe wireless-free quiet areas.
• Speak in low, conversational tones.
• Choose a professional ringtone.
Chapter 11 Lecture Notes ● 5
Figure 11.3 Professional Cell Phone Use
D. Making the Best Use of Voice Mail—On the Receiver’s End
• Don’t overuse voice mail.
• Set the number of rings appropriately.
• Prepare a professional, concise, friendly greeting.
E. Making the Best Use of Voice Mail—On the Caller’s End
• Be prepared to leave a message.
• Leave a concise, thorough message.
IV. Adding Value to Professional Teams (p. 364)
A. Understanding Teams the Four Phases of Team Development
The advantages of using teams in the workplace include the following:
• Better decisions
• Faster responses
Figure 11.4 Four Phases of Team Development in Decision Making
B. Collaborating in Virtual Teams
• Virtual teams are groups of people who, aided by information technology,
accomplish shared tasks largely without face-to-face contact across geographic
boundaries.
C. Identifying Positive and Negative Team Behavior
Positive team members:
Chapter 11 Lecture Notes ● 6
Negative team members:
• Put down the ideas and suggestions of others
• Insult, criticize, and aggress against others
• Waste group’s time with irrelevant topics, jokes, and disruptive antics
Figure 11.5 Positive and Negative Group Behavior
D. Defining Successful Teams
• Small size, diverse makeup
• Agreement on purpose
• Agreement on procedures
Figure 11.6 Six Steps for Dealing With Conflict
V. Planning and Participating in Face-to-Face and Virtual Meetings
(p. 368)
Meetings are a fact of business life. Students in your class have probably already
participated in one or more business meetings, and they will continue to attend
meetings throughout their careers. If meetings are to be productive, those planning the
meetings and those attending them should know and follow the basic guidelines
outlined in this chapter.
A. Preparing for the Meeting
• Determine your purpose.
• Decide how and where to meet.
Figure 11.7 Meeting Purpose and Number of Participants
Chapter 11 Lecture Notes ● 7
Figure 11.8 Using Calendar Programs
Figure 11.9 Typical Meeting Agenda
B. Managing the Meeting
• Start the meeting on time. Summarize the meeting goal, provide background,
offer possible solutions, review the tentative agenda, and announce ground
rules.
C. Concluding the Meeting and Following Up
• Conclude the meeting at the agreed time.
• Summarize decisions.
• Review deadlines and responsibilities for action items.
Figure 11.10 E-Mail Meeting Minutes
Figure 11.11 Understanding Web Conferencing
D. Preparing for Virtual Meetings
• Virtual meetings are gatherings of participants who are connected
technologically.
• Decide which technology will be used.
E. Interacting Professionally in Virtual Meetings
Ground Rules for Virtual Meetings:
• Explain how questions may be asked and answered.
Techniques for Collaborating Successfully in Virtual Meetings
• Be precise, give examples, and use simple language.
Chapter 11 Lecture Notes ● 8
• As a presenter, project an upbeat and strong voice.
• Encourage dialogue by asking questions and inviting responses.
• Allow time before or after the meeting for small talk.
Critical Thinking Discussion Guide
1. Why is it particularly important to develop and maintain a professional, businesslike
reputation in the knowledge-based economy of the digital era? (Obj. 1)
The Internet amplifies behavior online and offline. Every potential misstep is magnified
and potentially stays on the record for years, potentially forever. A poor record taints a
2. Think of typical workplace situations and how you might communicate in each.
When would you seek an in-person conversation, pick up the phone, call a virtual
meeting, or send an e-mail, IM, or text? (Objs. 1–5)
Workplace conversations may involve giving and taking instructions, providing feedback,
exchanging ideas, brainstorming, participating in performance appraisals, or engaging in
3. Try to recall situations in which you were criticized or dished out criticism yourself.
Was the criticism constructive? Why or why not? How did you feel either as a giver
or receiver of criticism? (Obj. 2)
Answers will vary. It is to be expected that students will voice some discomfort both in
dispensing and receiving criticism. Students may echo some of the principles outlined in
4. Describe the advantages of face-to-face communication as opposed to interactions
facilitated by technology such as telephones, e-mail, instant messaging, texting, the
Chapter 11 Lecture Notes ● 9
Web, social networking sites, and so on. When is face-to-face communication more
effective? (Objs. 2, 3)
Face-to-face communication is far from being outdated or made obsolete by the
availability of technological options. None of the alternative communication channels can
5. After much discussion and even conflict, your workplace team has finally agreed on
Plan B, but you are firmly convinced that Plan A is a much better option. Your team
is presenting Plan B to the whole department, and company executives are present. A
vice president asks you for your opinion. Should you (a) keep your mouth shut, (b)
try to persuade the team to adopt Plan A, (c) explain why you believe Plan A is a
better plan, (d) tell the VP and all present that Plan B is not your idea, or (e) discuss
one or two points you can agree on in Plan B? (Objs. 1, 4, and 5)
Here is the answer provided in the Ferguson book Professional Ethics and Etiquette, 2nd
edition [2004. New York: Ferguson Publishing, pp. 50-51]: Option (e) is the answer most
shift. The team’s success becomes more important than your personal success” (p. 50).
Communication Workshop Discussion Guide
Business Etiquette: Breaking the Smartphone Habit in Meetings
• Etiquette consultants advise employees to turn off mobile devices during business-related
meetings, seminars, conferences, and any other situation where a ringing phone may
disrupt workplace activity.
• Organizations are beginning to establish policies on smartphone use during meetings.
Career Application:
Students are asked to develop a policy regarding the use of mobile electronic devices in
meetings. They should consider both a short policy and a more rigorous one. Here are some
ideas to consider:
(a) Short policy statement:
Chapter 11 Lecture Notes ● 10
In using a smartphone or other wireless device, be professional. Respect others.
(b) More complete policy:
• Turn your smartphone off or on vibrate. Keep it off the meeting table.
• Don’t look at it during a meeting or conversation.
• Don’t respond to a call, e-mail, or text during a meeting or conversation.
• If you are expecting an important call, let the person or meeting facilitator
know in advance.
Another source suggests three general strategies to minimize disruptions from mobile
devices in meetings:
1. Start at the top. When the most important people in the meeting room put their
phones away, others are inclined to do the same.
Workplace in Focus
Page 354
Business etiquette helps people to get along and cooperate on the job. In general,
professionalism stipulates that employees should show respect to the needs and feelings of
others. Individuals who follow the rules of etiquette achieve a positive image on the job and
Chapter 11 Lecture Notes ● 11
Page 367
Experts offer the following useful tips to help make meetings more productive and
professional. Before the meeting, leaders should determine the purpose and location, choose