Corporate Ps And Qs

By Andrea Sachs

Is it ever o.k. to fax a thank-you note? Is it kosher to read someone else's fax as it comes off the machine? Is it rude to use a speakerphone? With all the new gadgetry and the nearly universal advent of dress-down Fridays, office life at the end of the century was supposed to get simpler, wasn't it? But in the era of digital wizardry and globalization, rules of business behavior have become more important to us than ever. A spate of new books tackle the problem of gentility in the workplace from a number of angles. A sampling:

FROM OFFICE PILLAR TO POST

"Etiquette can make the difference between getting ahead in the workplace or being left behind." So say experts Peggy and Peter Post, the third generation of writers in the Emily Post family to tackle the topic of civilized behavior. Their forebear's fierce belief in the importance of good manners is passed on faithfully in the duo's helpful new book The Etiquette Advantage in Business: Personal Skills for Professional Success (HarperCollins).

The authors discuss every aspect of working life, from what to wear on job interviews (piercings are a faux pas, as are open-toe shoes) to how to deal with berserk telephone calls ("Let the angry caller rant for a minute or two") to how to fire an employee ("Get straight to the point when the person sits down in your office"). The Posts even offer guidelines for office gossip, which the authors believe is inevitable ("You could wind up covered in mud if you dish dirt about the wrong person"). The Posts also deal with private problems, like what you should do if a co-worker has bad breath or smelly feet. Their bottom line: etiquette is a fancy name for good behavior in the workplace.

MEETING AND GREETING

In office parlance, schmoozing is not just idle chitchat but a way of advancing your career. It deserves to be studied hard, note the authors of Vault Reports Guide to Schmoozing (Houghton Mifflin). Vault Reports is a New York City-based electronic recruiting company, and the five authors of this book feel that job seekers need to offer prospective employers a confident, pleasing touch. How does their version of schmoozing differ from networking? "Conventional networking is the clammy science of collecting business cards ad infinitum," say the authors. "No one particularly likes to network, and no one likes to receive a call from a desperate, edgy networker either."

The Vault Reports' book explains the subtleties of being a good office politician, and how to charm your boss, your co-workers and your clients. It's not only the upper tiers of the corporate hierarchy that you should pay attention to, says the guide. "Never assume that someone is not worth schmoozing or is too busy to talk to you." What companies are the best practitioners of schmooze? According to the guide, No. 1 is General Mills, which, the authors say, is "a marriage factory." For those who find the concept of schmoozing too calculated, the authors argue that such interactions grease the workplace wheels for the betterment of careers and commerce. "Most people at the top of their fields are terrific schmoozers," say the authors. "They understand the importance of maintaining a strong, supportive and diverse circle of contacts to call upon."

COMME IL FAUT

So you're sitting at a dinner table in Helsinki, staring at your client. What should you talk about? With guidance from International Business Etiquette: Europe by Ann Marie Sabath (Career Press), you would know that Finns are very private people. Don't ask questions about their private lives unless they bring up the topic first. What's a safe topic of conversation? Sports. Sabath, the president of At Ease, a firm based in Cincinnati, Ohio, specializing in business etiquette, has written easy-to-use guides for the corporate traveler in Europe, Asia and the Pacific Rim, and Latin America (the latter due in January).

Readers get tips on attire, business-card customs, entertaining and dining, conversation, gestures and public manners, gift giving, greetings and introductions, punctuality, tipping and so on for each area and all the specific countries therein. This way you'll know not to blow your nose in public in Belgium, where it's considered an offensive gesture. Or not to eat everything on your plate in Taiwan. Knowing the local language is an advantage in getting acquainted with others and being accepted. But if you're not fluent, says Sabath, "one way to successfully conduct business is to become knowledgeable about the country's customs and manners."