Its easy to forget manners when youre all alone.
Isolation is the culprit, but you dont have to fall prey.
Asweve said before: Being physically removed from your coworkers can make communicating that much stranger.
To be honest, stranger is probably too polite a word.
After all, you dont have to be in marketing or managingbrand-level social mediato make a career-crashing mistake.
Since 2005, remote working has grown by 103% in the US alone.
But the digital workplace is still a fairly new environment.
Figuring out the rules, not to mention reminding yourself to follow them, can be tricky.
Here are 10 professional rules for the digital workplace everyone should remember.
Keep in mind though, the point of this list is to apply itto yourself.
Nobody likes an etiquette cop, online or off.
Be on Time
Early is on time, and on time is late.
That truism has guided professional etiquette for centuries, and online, punctuality is still the golden rule.
Sadly, digital meetings come with their own unique set of time-delay challenges.
In addition to preparing,one more tip stands out: kill notifications.
Creating that buffer will ensure you dont violate anyone elses timeline with your own technical difficulties.
Get Personal
Memos and company-wide emails suck.
Getting personal is especially crucial when it comes to emotionally charged conversations and giving negative feedback.
Black-and-white mediums like email and chat apps are notorious for miscommunication and misunderstanding.
Do what you say youre going to do, when you say youll do it.
Being someone your team can count on is invaluable, especially in remote working situations.
This is where theBystander Effectcomes into play.
When no one is singled out, no one takes responsibility.
No due date means never due.
Just how important are clear expectations for healthy relationships?
Interpersonally,the key to intimate, long-distance relationships lies in managing expectations.
Happiness is not necessarily [about] how far apart you are or how little you see your partners.
Its more about the discrepancy between your expectations for relationships and the reality of the current situation.
Respond Regularly
Thetotal number of global emailsis currently 205.6 billion per day.
Business emails account for 112.5 billion.
At work alone, that translates into roughly 122 emails you have to deal with on a daily basis.
Thats a lot likethe old trusted trio methodof inbox organization.
Its especially helpful for email requests you know youre going to say No to.
The key, however, to responding regularly issimply communicating your overload.
If you cant handle a request immediately, take a few seconds to reply and let your colleagues know.
Digitally, the experience is just as excruciating.
This isnt just about etiquette, its also about productivity, and its important youand your teamuse similar tools.
For simple online workflow management check outTrelloand for more complex jobs,Asana.
Whatever tools you end up selecting, remember: less is more.
Explain Why, or Why Not
Digital or in person, never underestimate the power of because.
In fact, next to you and addressing the question, Whats in it for me?
because is the secondmost persuasive wordin the English language.
And thats saying something, given that the global use of emojis has tripled between 2014 and 2015 alone.
But are emoji a violation of professional, business etiquette?
As childish as emojis may seem, its high time to get on board with the program.
In other words, the safest way to go is to stick to the basics.
When it doubt, leave it out.
Be Specific
While weve touched on this point, its worthbeing specific about being specific.
When it comes to digital communication, never leave anything up to chance or personal interpretation.
Keep everything simple and to the point.
More words mean more confusion.
Also, use the VNO formula: Verb + Noun + Object.
I would love to connect you with …
I can be reached at … For colleagues, do the same.
Instead of, Can you call Tom?
Lastly, specificity equals singularity.
AsI pointed out over on Fast Company: ensure that your message makes one requestand one request alone.
With verbal communication, you could frame your speech with tone.
Whats more, make your thank yous timely, personal and specific.
Art by Sam Woolley.
Aaron Orendorff is a regular contributor to Entrepreneur, Business Insider, Success, Fast Company and more.
By day, he teaches communication and philosophy at the local college.
By night, hes busy saving the world from bad content aticoniContent.
Connect with him onTwitteror grab hisUltimate Content Creating Checklist here.
