What's "Profitable Etiquette"?

You've heard of Emily Post, Ms. Manners, and other etiquette gurus? Well...they tell you the rules of "civilized society". Now, civilized society is well and good, and we may practice these etiquette conventions for social and professional acceptability. Yet, I want more than just acceptability; I want to make more money and advance in my career and business. There are more - sometimes unspoken - rules for what to do and say to sit at the decision-making tables and make top dollar, whether within an organization, in your own business, or as an independent consultant or salesperson. This is the realm of profitable etiquette!

Hey Sylvia! I Can't Find the Book to Order. What's the Deal?

Hey...what's with this immediate gratification thing going on? Proposals. Cover design. Writing. Editing. Formatting. Reviewing. Publishers. Printing. Distributing. Dang! My hurry is clearly not other people's hurry. E-mail me to pre-order your book. I will send a "purchase now" announcement when it's ready and you'll be the first recipients of autographed copies. Meanwhile, that's what this blog is for...immediate gratification. These tips and resources should hold you over until you get the book. Sylvia Henderson Author, "Profetiquette" (Profitable Etiquette)

2007/06/11

I Wish Someone Had Told Me

When I started working for a Fortune 50 company I read a lot about workplace etiquette. I went to seminars and workshops the company provided. I came into the company with a strong work ethic instilled by my parents. Yet, it seemed I could not break through a certain level of the organization or make the same amount of money as my colleagues. We were not supposed to know each other's salary and levels of compensation but of course we talked outside of the work environment. I knew my direct colleague was making considerably more than I was. I wasn't annoyed at him; I was annoyed at the company.

So I went to a female executive and asked how to bring myself up in salary and stature. She became a mentor to me and we had several conversations over time. She relayed the games Mama never taught me; the office politics and the professional behaviors and attitudes I didn't read in any book. As I adapted her advice to my own personality I began to see progress. I started gaining recognition, raises, and promotions. My attitude changed and I became more of a leader in the workplace.

What goes around comes around. As I became more of a leader, I was recognized as more of one which caused me to be more of one ... and on and on. The message for you is: once you practice these skills you become more of the person you seek to be. This positions you to reap the benefits of more responsibility and more money. You then do more, thus being recognized, then being compensated, etc., etc.

Does this happen overnight? Of course not. This takes years. The first step, though, is learning what you need to do. Take the first steps to profetiquette (profitable etiquette).
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