Ethics and basic rules of business communication

Business communication is a way of communication between people in the process of carrying out entrepreneurial activities or performing work duties. That is, this is a type of communication that is associated with the production process of a product or the provision of any service and is not associated with personal or social relations between people.

Civilized business communications are based on the observance by its participants of certain unwritten rules and norms 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 between business relations and any other is their regulation. This implies the presence of certain boundaries in relations determined by the traditions of culture, universal moral principles and the requirements of professional ethics.

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

The main principles of business ethics are:

• benefit from the maximum number of participants in a business relationship;
• providing equal access to the subject of business relations for all participants in the relationship.

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

• The essence of the pragmatic position or principle of utilitarianism is that ethics and business are not compatible concepts. The main thing is to achieve maximum profit by any means. Talking about morality, social responsibilities 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 the further prosperity of business.

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

There are several main tasks of etiquette:

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

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

There are several basic principles:

• Interpersonality. Any communication, including business, takes place between people with their personal characteristics. And despite the fact that communication between them has a professional orientation, an interpersonal relationship will still have an impact on the interaction process.
• Continuity. The essence of this principle is to initiate constant contact by communication participants if they find themselves in the field of view of each other. Based on the fact that people communicate both verbal and non-verbal means, they constantly share with each other certain information to which each participant in the communication gives its own meaning and draws its own conclusions.
• Purposefulness. Any interaction has a specific goal or several goals. However, they can be explicit and implicit. Speaking to the audience, the speaker has the explicit goal of conveying certain material to the audience, and implicit - for example, to demonstrate to the audience his remarkable intelligence and eloquence.
• Multidimensionality. This principle assumes that in business relations there is not only an exchange of information, but also regulation of relations between the parties. That is, in professional interaction, its participants broadcast to each other their emotional attitude, which acts as a regulator of their business ties.

Based on the above tasks and the principles of ethics of business relations, it is possible to formulate professional ethical rules that are equally necessary for compliance as ordinary employees in the team, or the head 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 be late for work, a meeting, or a business meeting. Indeed, the degree of respect and trust in a person who keeps himself waiting all the time and at the same time spends the time of other people is rapidly decreasing. This quality on the part of others indicates the inability to adapt to the modern rhythm of life, insecurity. It is also important to value the time of others and not take it away to unnecessary conversations without their permission.
• Effective workspace organization. A 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 man. In addition, this significantly saves working time. Indeed, it may take a lot of time to find the necessary 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 humiliations in the professional sphere are unacceptable, as well as screaming, “strong” expressions and rudeness. One must be able to act not only in one’s own interests. At the same time, one should not show excessive altruism. This type of behavior may indicate excessive softness.

• Appearance appropriate to the situation. You must 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 a certain clothing style is adopted at the office, then it is better to adhere to it so as not to provoke a negative attitude towards you both from the management and colleagues.
• Working mood. If an employee is focused on the result, then this positively affects both his career and the company's performance. The “through the sleeves” attitude is never credible. With such employees, a company can hardly hope to achieve its goals.
• Restrained gesticulation. Do not forget about personal space. Business etiquette does not accept tactile contacts between communication participants. Kisses and touches are unacceptable. The only thing that can take place is a handshake. It is also worth minimizing various gestures and facial expressions, because by them you can easily determine understatement or insecurity. The back should be kept straight, the gaze should be firm, and the movements clear.

• Rules for everyone. Business etiquette is the same for everyone, both for the male and female. A business woman can also shake hands with her interlocutor. At the same time, she can not flirt, cast unambiguous glances or cheat.Features of the character of a participant in a business relationship should not be made publicly available. Strictness and restraint are the main rules that should be followed in the work environment.
• Hierarchy Compliance. In business communication, it is not the gender attribute that comes to the fore, but the principle of hierarchy. That is, the status of an employee is determined by his place on the career ladder. Compliance with subordination is one of the most important rules in business relations.
• Team relationships. Achieving the goals set by the company is impossible without an effective team. A good team is built on the right interaction between its members (equal relationships, the absence of “pets” and “victims”, inadmissibility of personal relationships).

• Confidentiality. Employees should be able to keep confidential information, official secrets, not to spread about the situation in the company, to 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, it is necessary to adhere to the rules of business correspondence.

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

• "Disciplined" - a loyal organization employee who fully accepts the norms of behavior adopted in it and behaves in such a way as not to create a conflict of interests (of oneself 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 follows the rules, he cannot be called loyal and loyal to the company. In extreme conditions for him, he may well do an act that goes against the values ​​of the company.
• "Original" - the type of employee who shares the values ​​of the company, but the standards of conduct established in it are unacceptable to him. In this regard, such a person may have conflicts with management and colleagues. The successful adaptation of such an employee is possible only if the company, as an exception, allows him not to follow the general rules.
• "Rebel" - an employee for whom values ​​and principles established by the organization are alien. Despite warnings, he breaks 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 a reluctance to understand the importance of corporate standards and values, and the lack of necessary skills for this.

Features of communication, due to professional responsibilities or business need, depend on at what level or between which levels of the managerial hierarchy it occurs. Consider each type of interaction separately.

The main content of ethical rules in communication between a subordinate and a manager is reduced to some key points:

• A subordinate by his behavior should contribute to maintaining a comfortable psychological atmosphere in the team and help his boss in this.
• An attempt by a subordinate to lead the boss will be considered a manifestation of non-compliance with 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 relations vertically from top to bottom are determined by the rule: with subordinates, you need to build relationships in the way you would like relations with the leader to look like.

The manager must:

• strive to create a cohesive team striving to achieve common goals;
• find out the causes of difficulties encountered in the process of professional activity;
• to draw the attention of subordinates to management orders that they have not fulfilled;
• to value the merits of his subordinates;
• trust your subordinates;
• acknowledge your mistakes;
• treat all employees equally.

The head cannot:

• criticize the identity of the employee;
• make comments with other subordinates;
• show employees that the manager does not own the situation.

The essence of the rules of etiquette regarding the horizontal direction of relations is to comply with the principle of empathy, that is, representing oneself in the role of one's colleague.

Here are some examples of etiquette rules at the employee-employee level:

• call colleagues by name, because the path to establishing friendship lies through the name of the person;
• smile and show a friendly attitude to colleagues;
• try to listen to colleagues, not just yourself;
• consider each employee as a person;
• treat colleagues as openly 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 from the next video.