THE VELVET HAMMER

by joan berkman

Q: Most of my staff worked remotely during the pandemic. Since returning to the office, they’ve seemed to have forgotten the basic rules of professional e-communications and work etiquette. Any thoughts?

Reclaim Your Shine

Stefanie Limpert, Ed.D. , will take over as principal of the elementary school on July 1. With more than 27 years of experience, she has been with the Kirkwood School District since 2012. She has served as assistant principal of Westchester Elementary since 2014, and in 2020, she was the administrator for the Kirkwood K-5 at Home Learning program. Limpert has a doctorate in education leadership and administration from Lindenwood University and two master’s degrees in elementary education and education administration from Missouri Baptist University.

MARRIOTT ST. LOUIS GRAND

Lamont Paige has taken the helm as the hotel’s new executive chef. He has more than 15 years of culinary experience across the country. He began his career in Cincinnati, Ohio, as sous chef at Montgomery Inn’s The Boathouse before moving on to positions at Perdido Beach Resort in Orange Beach, Alabama, and Central in Montgomery, Alabama. Paige most recently served as executive chef of The Mill Conference Center in Starkville, Mississippi.

5 On Your Side

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A: Since your staffers have become a bit rusty due to their extended stint as remote workers; it’s time to gather the troops in-person to review your expectations on how they need to communicate and conduct themselves now that they’re back in the office. Then, follow up in writing to ensure everyone got the message.

Although the rules are essentially the same, there’ve been a few shifts since the pandemic haze seems to have finally lifted. What’s clear is that the social distancing experienced during the last few years did not quash anyone’s ability to connect and texting reigned supreme and continues to outweigh the array of communication options. However, many abuse the privilege. That said, e-communication is just one of the many transgressions of those returning to the office.

Here are some suggested tips to refresh your employees’ memory that will hopefully ensure a more professional and respectful environment for their colleagues and managers moving forward:

Don’t ‘reply all’ email or text by accident. Think before pushing send as most responses should go to the original sender or perhaps a few others but not the whole company.

Silence notifications. It can get irritating very quickly if your phone is constantly pinging with text messages, emails, etc. Avoid distracting your colleagues by silencing notifications during workdays.

Avoid loud distractions. If you’re listening to music or a podcast— especially in an open-plan office—use headphones. If you need to have a conversation with a colleague that could be distracting to others, take it to the break room or a conference room.

Don’t show up late. Those who make showing up late a habit, shouldn’t make the mistake of thinking people (or your boss) won’t notice. Being on time is being early. If something does come up and being late is unavoidable, shoot the boss or team a message so they know when to expect you.

Knock before entering. Or, announce yourself before entering a colleague’s space. This goes for offices, conference rooms, cubicles as well as open office layouts.

Respect social distancing. People are still masking up. Be courteous and respect their decision.

Stay home when you’re sick. Protect your colleagues by staying home until you feel better.

The station welcomed Paul Cook as traffic anchor for Today in St. Louis . He has more than 25 years of experience as a radio broadcaster, including 20 years on-air at Audacy’s Y98 FM. From 2005 to 2010, he was traffic anchor for local CBS affiliate KMOV. Cook earned a bachelor’s degree in radio and television from Eastern Illinois University.

Dress professionally. Dress codes vary between industries. Even if casual is the norm in the office, it’s still important to look professional. This means clean, well-groomed and, most likely, not wearing yoga pants and flip-flops.

Bottom line. Office etiquette requires being respectful, kind and courteous of others. You would think this would be just plain common sense. However, as the great English poet Alexander Pope said: “Common sense is not so common.” &