Ethics and basic rules of business communication

Business communication is a way of communication between people in the process of their entrepreneurial activity or the performance of work duties. That is, this is a type of communication that is associated with the production process of a product or the provision of a service and is not related to personal or social relationships between people.

Civilized business communications are based on the observance by its participants of certain unwritten rules and regulations that contribute to the achievement of the goals set by the parties and the maintenance of good business relations between them necessary for further mutually beneficial interaction.

The main difference of business relations from any other is their regulation. This implies the existence of certain boundaries in relations determined by cultural traditions, universal moral principles and the requirements of professional ethics.

Ethics of business communication is one of the components of general ethics, possessing all the characteristics of the latter. In a general sense, this concept can be viewed as a kind of portfolio of ideas about morality, its norms and rules that guide people in their relations with each other in the process of production activities.

The basic principles of business ethics are:

• obtaining benefits by the maximum number of participants in a business relationship;
• ensuring equal access for all participants in a relationship to the subject of a business relationship.

In business communication, the contradiction between ethical norms and the very essence of entrepreneurial activity, which business people decide in different ways, is always very acute. In any case, this solution boils down to one of the main positions:

• The essence of the pragmatic position or the principle of utilitarianism is that ethics and business are incompatible concepts. The main thing - to achieve maximum profitability by any means. Talking about morality, social responsibility and ethical standards, entrepreneurs who adhere to this point of view, try to avoid.
• The civilized position or principle of the moral imperative is based on the fact that it is ethics that can help maximize profits, expand or strengthen business contacts, introduce and strengthen ethical rules of behavior in society as a whole, which cannot but contribute to further prosperity of business.

Business ethics today uses knowledge from various fields (ethics, psychology, scientific organization of labor).

There are several basic tasks of etiquette:

• The presence of certain established standards of behavior and the need to comply with them simplify the communication procedure both with other organizations and within the workforce, since working in accordance with generally accepted models is much faster and simpler. When observing business etiquette, participants of communications accurately imagine what to expect from each other.
• Etiquette contributes to maintaining normal relationships with representatives of the external environment of the organization, as well as creating a working environment in the team.
• It also supports the moral comfort of each communication participant. In a person's life, mental stability is often more important than physical comfort. The presence of the rules of professional relations contributes to a person's job satisfaction.

The basic principles of business etiquette are based on the fact that when making a decision, one should do so that the limits of actions are combined with the moral values ​​of other communication participants and can be coordinated with their interests. At the same time, coordination should have a morally justified goal, for the achievement of which only ethically relevant tools should be used.

There are several basic principles:

• Interpersonal. Any communication, including business, takes place between people with their personal characteristics. And despite the fact that communication between them has a professional focus, interpersonal relations will still influence the interaction process.
• Continuity. The essence of this principle lies in the initiation of constant contact by the participants of communication, if they are in the field of vision of each other. Proceeding from the fact that people communicate both verbal and non-verbal means, they constantly share with each other certain information, to which each communication participant gives his own meaning and draws his own conclusions.
• Focus. Any interaction has a specific goal or several goals. However, they can be explicit and implicit. Speaking to the audience, the speaker has a clear goal to convey to the audience certain material, and implicit - for example, to demonstrate to the audience his remarkable intelligence and eloquence.
• Multidimensionality. This principle implies that in business relations not only information is exchanged, but also the regulation of relations between the parties. That is, in professional interaction, its participants transmit to each other their emotional attitude, which acts as a regulator of their business relations.

Based on the above objectives and principles of business ethics, professional ethical rules can be formulated, which are equally necessary for the observance of both ordinary employees in the team, as well as the manager or owner of the enterprise.

They are one of the key tools for success in a profession or business:

• Accuracy and punctuality. As a member of a professional or commercial relationship, you should never try to be late for work, a meeting, or a business meeting. After all, the degree of respect and trust in a person who keeps himself waiting all the time and at the same time wasting the time of other people quickly decreases. This quality on the part of others speaks of the inability to adapt to the modern rhythm of life, unreliability. It is also important to appreciate the time of others and not to take it to unnecessary conversations without their permission.
• Efficient organization of working space. The workplace can eloquently tell about its owner. It is clear that if it is kept in order, the same can be said about the thoughts of a person.In addition, it significantly saves working time. Indeed, it may take a lot of time to find the right document on the desktop cluttered with papers.
• Polite communication and respect for others. In business relations, it is important to respect and strive to understand the interlocutor, to be able to put yourself in his place and look at the situation through his eyes. Insults and humiliation in the professional field are unacceptable, as well as screaming, “strong” expressions and rudeness. You need to be able to act not only in their own interests. In this case, it is not necessary to show excessive altruism. This type of behavior can talk about excessive softness.

• Appearance corresponding to the situation. You should always remember that appearance is an important component of business communication. The main thing in the image is not the presence of expensive attributes, but neatness and accuracy. If the office adopted a certain style of clothing, then it is better to adhere to it, so as not to cause a negative attitude towards yourself, both from the management and from colleagues.
• Working attitude. If an employee is focused on results, then this has a positive effect on his career and on the efficiency of the company. The attitude "carelessly" never causes trust. With such employees, the company can hardly hope to achieve its goals.
• Restrained gesticulation. Do not forget about personal space. Business etiquette does not accept tactile contacts between participants of communications. Kisses and touches are not allowed. The only thing that can take place is a handshake. It is also worth minimizing various gestures and facial expressions, because using them one can easily identify understatement or uncertainty. The back should be kept straight, the look should be firm, and movements should be clear.

• Rules for all. Business etiquette is one for all, both for male and female. A business woman can also shake the hand of the interlocutor. However, she can not flirt, cast an unequivocal look or mumble. Characteristics of the nature of the party to a business relationship should not be made public. Severity and restraint - these are the basic rules that should be followed in a working environment.
• Hierarchy compliance. In business communication, the principle of hierarchy does not come to the forefront of gender. That is, the status of an employee is determined by his place on the office ladder. Subordination is one of the most important rules in business relations.
• Relationships within the team. Achieving the company's goals is impossible without an effective team. And a good team is built on the right interaction between its members (smooth relations, the absence of “favorites” and “victims”, the inadmissibility of personal relationships).

• Confidentiality. Employees must be able to keep confidential information, official secrets, do not cover the situation in the company, monitor the protection of personal data.
• Business tone in letters. In correspondence sent on behalf of the company, or being a response to any document, you must follow the rules of business correspondence.

In a traditional society in relation to the values ​​and norms of business etiquette in an organization There are several types of human behavior:

• "Disciplined" - a dedicated employee of the organization who fully accepts the norms of behavior adopted in her and behaves in such a way as not to create a conflict of interests (his own and the company).
• "Adapting" - An employee who behaves in accordance with generally accepted standards in the company, but does not accept its values. Despite the fact that such an employee complies with the rules, he cannot be called loyal and loyal to the company. In extreme conditions for him, he may well commit an act that goes against the values ​​of the company.
• "Original" - the type of employee who shares the values ​​of the company, but the norms of behavior established in it are unacceptable for him. In this regard, such a person may have conflicts with management and colleagues. Successful adaptation of such an employee is possible only if the company, by way of exception, permits him not to follow general standards.
• "Rebel" - an employee for whom the values ​​and the rules established in the organization are alien. Despite warnings, it breaks down barriers and constantly conflicts with others at all levels of the hierarchy. The need to adhere to certain patterns is perceived by them negatively. The reason for this may be the unwillingness to understand the significance of proprietary norms and values, and the lack of necessary skills for this.

Features of communication, due to professional duties or business need, depend on what level or between what levels of management hierarchy it occurs. Consider each type of interaction separately.

The main content of ethical rules in communication between the subordinate and the head is reduced to Some highlights:

• Subordinate to his behavior should help to maintain a comfortable psychological atmosphere in the team and help his boss in this.
• An attempt by a subordinate to lead a superior will be considered a manifestation of non-observance of the hierarchical principle and disrespect. The subordinate has the right to express his opinion to the head, but in the correct form and taking into account his position.
• A categorical tone when communicating with management is not allowed.
• Appeal to the head of the head is considered unacceptable.

The characteristics of the category of relationships vertically from top to bottom are determined by the rule: with subordinates, you need to build relationships as you would like the relationship with the manager to look.

The manager must:

• strive to create a cohesive team seeking to achieve common goals;
• find out the reasons for difficulties arising in the process of professional activity;
• to draw the attention of subordinates to unfulfilled orders of the management;
• to appreciate the merits of their subordinates;
• trust your subordinates;
• admit your mistakes;
• treat all employees equally.

The head can not:

• criticize the employee’s identity;
• make comments with other subordinates;
• show employees that the manager is not in control of the situation.

The essence of the rules of etiquette relating to the direction of relations horizontally, is to respect the principle of empathy, that is, to imagine yourself as your colleague.

Here are some examples of employee-employee etiquette rules:

• call colleagues by name, because the path to building friendships lies through the name of a person;
• smile and be friendly with colleagues;
• try to listen to colleagues, not just yourself;
• consider each employee as an individual;
• treat your colleagues as impartially as possible;
• try to share responsibilities when performing common tasks;
• do not make impossible promises.

You will learn more about the most important business communication skills in the following video.