Professional Office Ethics

(You and Your Job)

by

Ronald Broadnax

Current Date: December 22, 2006

Contents

About the author

Ron Broadnax is an Engineering Educational Consultant with the Shodor Center for Computational Science Education, part of the Shodor Education Foundation, Inc., located in Durham, NC. He is a retired Electrical Engineer of the IBM Corporation with concentrations in process development and product test. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, NC, and did Master's level coursework in Electrical Engineering at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC. He is a 2006 graduate of the NC Rehabilitation Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Raleigh, with emphasis on Accessibility Technology. He served as a Usability Consultant for the NC Board of Elections.

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Business Ethics

Introduction

Working as a professional in today's business environment requires a measure of tact, integrity, and communications skills, both written and oral. What you say and how you say it will ultimately become the standard by which you are known. Just as there is more than one way to "skin a cat", also as varied are the styles of communication that professionals use to get their point across. Ultimately, though, the main goal is to deliver a crisp, clear message to the hearer. "Beating around the bush" only tends to lower others opinions of you. Likewise, harshness and sharpness of voice is not a show of authority. Respect authority and it will in return respect you. It is more effective to follow the golden rule, "treat others as you would want to be treated". This keeps the playing field level.

Activity Overview

This activity is intended to provide insight to Apprentices and Interns on communicating in a business office environment. Attributes of written and oral communications will be visited. Students will be informed of proper salutations to superiors and peers. Office area and work area housekeeping will be addressed. The importance of personal integrity and respect will be targeted.

Preliminary Information

All apprentices and/or Interns should have a valid Shodor ID and password. If an additional ID is needed, consult the Shodor network administrator, Simon Karpen. Students will need access to a PC to complete some of their written presentations.

Activity Time Requirement

This course will require two hours to complete. It can be sub-divided into multiple sessions totaling two hours.

Teacher Preparation

Required Tools and Equipment

Following is a list of items needed to support the class activities.

Procedure

The instructor is free to present the class information in any manner consistent with good teaching techniques. Originality in the instructor's presentation is acceptable. The instructor may want to teach the class in a participatory manner.

The following steps can be modified as needed to customize the class for convenience.

Class and Staff Introduction

  1. Have the staff and students introduce themselves.
  2. Introduce the class objectives, student behavioral expectations, scheduled breaks, and other up-front pertinent information.

Personal Ethics Management

This section will highlight the personal attributes needed in a business environment. The following ideas should help foster a healthy work relationship.

  1. Individuals must dress appropriately. Apprentices and Interns must dress in a way that is morally correct and meets the requirements of their business office. Some professional establishments require suits; others have a more relaxed casual approach to dress. A good rule of thumb is to wear the type clothing that your superiors wear. In some cases, logoed T-shirts are not allowed.
  2. Individuals should make sure that clothing articles are clean and neatly pressed. Shirts are typically tucked in. Over-sized clothing is discouraged. Sagging is not permitted. Shoes should be polished and free of debris. Individuals should be neatly groomed and pleasantly fragranced.
  3. Check your relationships. Undoubtedly, Apprentices and/or Interns will develop social relationships while at Shodor. These relationships should remain as work relationships. Sometimes, personal interests arise between individuals which can have a profound impact on their work. Apprentices and Interns should refrain from "courting" or taking an otherwise active personal interest in others while on Shodor business and remember that they are at Shodor to work. Complicated emotional situations can arise if this practice is not kept to a minimum. Friendship bonding is acceptable.

The Professional Office

This section will address the personal business ethics that are expected of individuals working in an office environment.

  1. Use professional language. Individuals should always be aware of who is in their immediate vicinity. Language should never be offensive or corrupt. Profanity or ethnic slurs are never part of the Shodor creed, and such language should never be used at Shodor or while representing Shodor. The use of profanity shows lack of respect for your peers or superiors.
  2. Avoid horse playing. A professional office is no place for horse play. Individuals are expected to conduct themselves professionally at all times. Horse play has no place in the workplace. Avoid running in the office except for emergencies or when an activity dictates it.
  3. Do Not Harass. Harassment, especially of the sexual variety, has no place in the Shodor office. Sexual harassment is often judgmental, and where the line is drawn varies widely among the harassed. Apprentices and Interns must use wisdom in their spoken and physical expressions. Being careless in this area will ultimately end up in embarrassment and possibly criminal activity. No form of inappropriate touching should be on Shodor premises or while on Shodor business. Tendencies that could be interpreted as sexually explicit should be avoided.
  4. Practice good posture. Positioning oneself with good posture is an attribute of good work ethics. Proper sitting height and angle at a desk can minimize eyestrain and body aches, and can make the workday more exciting and less strenuous.
  5. Never lean the chair such that the rollers or feet lose contact with the floor. Don't spin continuously in a pedestal chair. Make sure that chairs are adjusted such that the work area is reasonably comfortable.
  6. Avoid sitting with your feet on the desk, especially while sitting in a chair which has rollers. It is a good idea to sit with your back resting against the chair's backrest, and not with the backrest in front of you (straddling the chair). Sitting in this position provides no back support and promotes accidents. Some people sit with their feet couched in the chair, possibly creating an unbalanced situation, contributing to a fall or spill.
  7. Don't Sit on the Desk! While desks and tables may be able to withstand the weight offered by a staff, Intern, or Apprentice, it is inappropriate to use a desk or table as a place to sit. It is unprofessional, offers no back support, may cause pre-mature replacement of that furniture item, and the boss does not like his employees sitting on furniture.
  8. Keep the area clean. The work area should be free of debris and accident causing objects. Never open or consume liquids near computers, keyboards, peripherals, or other electrical equipment. One spill can be costly. Keep the work area neatly arranged. Keep aisles clear. Remember to place recyclable materials in the appropriate container.

Let's Communicate

Effective communication is a vital part of any establishment or institution, and is essential for its growth and exchange of ideas.

  1. Use Good Voice Control. Shouting while inside should be kept to a minimum and should be done only when necessary, such as in an emergency or when the environment is noisy and you needs someone's attention. Never use inappropriate gestures. Always speak gently with peers.
  2. Anger should be kept to a minimum. Even when misunderstandings or disagreements arise, individuals are expected to express themselves with temperance. Arguing or debate is only permitted to establish a viable point, and this must be done civilly without animosity.
  3. Entering an Occupied Office. It is polite to make your presence known when entering an occupied office. Don't sneak in unawares. If the person visited is conversing with someone, wait for an appropriate time to make your presence known. If necessary, leave and come back later. Usually, a simple "Hello, Bob" is sufficient to start a conversation if the occupant is not busy. If the office is occupied and the door is closed, gently knock on the door and wait for a response. Generally, in either case, if the occupant is busy, he will afterwards seek out the visitor.
  4. Share the Meeting It is proper etiquette to yield to the person in charge, or moderator, of the meeting. It is equally disrespectful to have a second, or sidebar, meeting while the primary meeting is in session. Wait your turn, and don't "hog" the meeting when it is your time to speak. It is useless to "toot your own horn". Your work will speak for you.
  5. Use the Speakerphone Efficiently. When a speakerphone is used to connect others remotely, speak crisply and with appropriate volume so that others can hear you clearly. This will reduce repeats and minimize errors due to poor voice reproduction. You may need to state your name in a group setting for the benefit of those who are participating remotely. Remember, they can't always see you.
  6. Don't answer that phone When a person visits your office or workspace and begins conversing, it is generally impolite to answer the phone. Consider that the visitor is more important than the caller. If an important call is expected or anticipated during the visit, inform the visitor initially so that no personal offense will be committed. Afterwards, contact the visitor to finish the conversation.
  7. Respect Your Superiors When talking to mentors or the boss, Apprentices and Interns should respect their position of authority. Mentors and superiors are not "just one of the boys", but are the ones to help Apprentices and Interns develop into professional contributors of society. Shodor's staff members are individuals, and will respond in the manner in which they are addressed. Wholesome, professional communication is the expectation of every Shodor employee. Individuals should be addressed appropriately by name. Sensitivity to Shodor's diverse population should be maintained.
  8. Give frequent updates on your assignments. It is a good idea to give frequent updates and status on your particular project or assignment. Inform your staff or leader about the specifics of the assignment, and any additional requirements needed to complete your task. Sometimes, unforeseen technicalities arise that can impede progress, causing missed targets. Communicate these situations to the team leader to determine if adjustments may be in order.
  9. Talk It Out. If you have an idea (or complaint), feel free to discuss it with a staff member. Present your case in a pleasantly voiced manner so that the contents will be brought forth without prejudice. Unprofessional or harsh presentations are usually less persuasive and meet more scrutiny.
  10. Don't slam the boss, even if you disagree with him. Arrogance has no place at Shodor.
  11. Writing E-mails and Documents Sending and receiving e-mails is one of the avenues of communication at Shodor. Each individual should be aware of and responsible for the information contained therein. Remember, an e-mail can become a permanent record, and its' contents and authorship can be retrieved years later. Therefore, it is important that electronic mail be concise and informative, and possesses integrity. E-mails that intentionally degrade or contain personal character attacks are not supported by Shodor.
  12. E-mail communications must be done with the Shodor business in mind. How professionally the e-mail is written may well be viewed as a reflection of the author in some way. E-mails sent to non-Shodor recipients may be seen as a reflection of Shodor.
  13. Derogatory e-mails are permanent records and they will have a tendency to confront, or "bite", the author.

Asset Protection

Protect Shodor's valuable assets.

As a member of the Shodor family, each person has to do his part in protecting, conserving, and properly utilizing Shodor's assets and intellectual property.

Your Job

  1. Employee or team member? Are you a team player or just an employee? Employees have to be managed. Team members are led or coached. Shodor's director and staff are geared to be leaders. Are you a part of the Shodor team?
  2. Work with Integrity It is Shodor's expectation that each individual do his best and do it with integrity. It is expected that where ideas are borrowed from another source that the proper credit be given to that source. Plajarism can be a costly act. Conversely, employees are encouraged to bounce ideas off one another in order to develop the best website, or application, or lesson plan, or widget possible. The Shodor family has a wide dispersion of knowledge and experiences available for supporting the various projects and assignments and are here for one another's use. Stealing is one thing. Developing an idea independently of someone else's similar idea is another thing and is acceptable. All standard cars have four wheels and an engine, but they also have their subtle differences designed by their makers. Similarly, ideas at Shodor may legitimately resemble those of other organizations. Teamwork is encouraged as long as each team member is a contributor.
  3. Document Your Work When an Intern or Apprentice produces some amount of work such as creating a program, or a part of an overall project, it is essential that good documentation be associated with the work. Even though a lot of assignments at Shodor are technical in nature, it is a good idea to document the assignment in layman's terms. The documentation should be easily understood by an individual that has some training in the specific area, but it should not require an expert to unravel or decipher the documentation. Computer programs should be appropriately commented to provide continuity and ease of readability for follow-on Interns and Apprentices who will build on your foundation.
  4. Workshops and Classroom Exercises Some classroom instruction and assignments require individual effort as a measure of the individual's progress. While it may be tempting to cheat, such as on a math test or O/S challenge, it is expected, in this case, that each individual complete his own work independently. Integrity is priceless!
  5. Journal Entries Journal entries should be done with clarity and good grammar. Remember, these are your comments and they are accessible by others. Give good, careful thought on what you enter into your journals. High quality, descriptive narratives are expected of Shodor's professionally developing community. Using complete sentences where appropriate usually enhances the flow of the journal entry. Ultimately, the entry is a reflection of the author.

Assessment

Document History

Current Date

December 22, 2006

Original Published

October 12, 2006

Update History

End of Document