Vital Social Intelligence Skills for the Ever-Evolving Workplace by Renowned Beverly Hills Manners Expert Lisa Gaché
Vital Social Intelligence Skills for the Ever-Evolving Workplace
by Renowned Beverly Hills Manners Expert Lisa Gaché
I’ll never forget the time I was promoted from assistant, working in a cubicle outside my boss’ office, to a brand-spanking new office and a titled position. It was my own “Working Girl” moment. I didn’t have a window with a view, and I wasn’t in Mergers & Acquisitions, but I loved my job as Manager of Business and Legal Affairs at the music label and I was grateful to be employed full-time at the tender age of twenty-four. I took pleasure in getting dressed up for work and driving to the high-profile office building in Hollywood. Never mind that bullet-proof glass greeted you in the reception area, we were a badass hip-hop company and clients clamored to be a part of the family. It was a fast and loose environment. Loud music pumped through the halls, we feasted on free bagels and muffins on Fridays and each day at work felt like a party with the cool kids.
Now in our post-pandemic era, the future of work in an office is at stake. After almost a year of conducting business virtually from our kitchen tables in our comfy sweats, we’ve forgotten how to perform in person, to sit side-by-side with our work colleagues and engage in water cooler banter in the break room. The mere idea of fighting traffic or putting on a suit and heels, let alone risking catching COVID from a fellow employee is enough to put us in a tailspin. Companies and co-workers will both be hesitant to jump right back into the office pool once the pandemic passes. As a result, we’ll most likely witness some type of hybrid solution combining WFH and coming together a few times a week to collaborate, connect and meet with clients. Knowing this, we’ll need to sharpen our social intelligence skills (e.g. our manners) for the ever-evolving workplace.
Professional Appearance Will Matter More. After endless months of working just a stone’s throw from our bedrooms, we’ll have to toss our bathrobes to the floor and re-embrace getting dressed for success. This will require resuming regular grooming schedules (no more long beards and grey roots showing) and putting on tailored presentable clothing (does anyone still fit into their pants after packing on the pandemic fifteen?). We may have to invest in new wardrobe staples or fork out extra dollars at the dry cleaners to ensure clothing is cleaned and pressed. A trip to the shoe cobbler for a quick shine and polish will show you pay attention to the smallest details. Remember to avoid strong fragrances for those who are sensitive or allergic and don’t forget to accessorize your look with a smart purse or portfolio. Appearance was always important, not only for that first meeting, but for ongoing business dealings. Now it will matter more with fewer opportunities to engage with work colleagues in person.
Home & Work Life Dividing Lines Will Need to be Redrawn. Placing a physical dividing line back between where we conduct our work lives and where we conduct our home lives will return that feeling of home as a refuge from work, not the other way around. This will also restore that mental partition we often relied upon, and re-establish the passion we once felt for tackling exciting ideas with work colleagues and returning home to share them with family around the dinner table. Before the pandemic, we were advised to leave our personal lives at home and not air dirty laundry at work. Now with less physical time spent at the office, this is a wakeup call to come prepared and ready to engage and a good reminder to refrain from wasting valuable time with idol office politics, gossip, or anything else that detracts from presenting our best selves.
People Will Have to do the Heavy Lifting, Not Offices. Pre-pandemic, companies poured countless sums of money into improving office locations in-order-to have more appeal with top tier employees as well as to attract A-list clients and customers. Now that fewer interactions will occur at the office, fancy art and lavish furnishings will take a backseat in favor of more modest and practical digs. And people, rather than property, will be called upon to do the heavy-lifting. As such, we’ll have to bring our A-game to the office – a place where first impressions are lasting and we are constantly being observed. A dedicated awareness of everything from our posture and the entrance we make, to our eye contact and the way we meet and greet clients and co-workers, will have a direct impact on our job success and longevity.
In-Person Interactions Will Reign Supreme. We are human beings and these past eleven months have shown us how much we miss human interaction, even in business. When our world opens back up and workers return to the office even on a small scale, tapping into social intelligence will ensure we’re performing at the highest level of engagement. Whether it be wearing a pleasant smile and exhibiting an open attitude, being a team player and volunteering to help a colleague take on new tasks, or conducting a civil conversation around the conference table, these exchanges will be the positive distinguishing factors to outclass the competition and create harmony and joy when going to work.
Founder and CEO of Beverly Hills Manners, Lisa Gaché is a nationally recognized etiquette coach and lifestyle expert. She provides practical modern day solutions and helps clients use the power of social intelligence to enhance their lives, both personally and professionally.
Featured on national television (The Today Show, Access Hollywood, Dr. Phil) and in print media (USA Today, New York Times, The Hollywood Reporter, The Telegraph), Ms. Gaché received her certification as a Corporate Etiquette and International Protocol Consultant from The Protocol School of Washington along with a mark of distinction from The English Manner in London.
Lisa’s book, Beverly Hills Manners: Golden Rules from the World’s Most Glamorous Zip Code, published November 2014, is the go-to-guide for parents and Saudi princesses, NFL coaches and Oscar nominees. She is currently working on big vision to bring these crucial life tools and social change to the world. For further information, please contact www.beverlyhillsmanners.com.