* Quiz identifies your courtesy quotient
How well do you practice courteous behavior in the workplace? Adapted from “The Etiquette Edge: The Unspoken Rules for Business Success” (AMACOM ISBN 0-8144-7242-7, $14.95) by Beverly Langford, the following quiz identifies your courtesy quotient (CQ), or understanding of the key issues of interpersonal behavior styles that can help you succeed in the workplace. The book offers suggestions for making courtesy, etiquette and respect for others a competitive advantage in the workplace.
1. You are in the office on the phone, and another call comes in. You should:
a) Ask the person if you can put him on her on hold while you take the call.
b) Let voicemail take it.
2. You call a colleague and put your phone on speakerphone. Another coworker is in the room. You should:
a) Mention neither the speakerphone or the other person in the room.
b) Tell the person on the phone that you wish to use the speakerphone. Mention the other person in the room, and ask the person on the phone if this is OK.
c) Tell the person on the phone that you’re using speakerphone, but don’t mention the other person in the room.
3. You’ve exchanged a couple of angry e-mails with a coworker who, in your opinion, is being unreasonable. It’s getting out of hand. You should:
a) Stop the communication and let things cool off.
b) Send one more blistering e-mail, summarizing the situation and how upset you are with that person’s behavior, and cc the recipient’s boss.
c) Change the medium. Call the person on the telephone or go sit down face-to-face.
4. You’re presenting to a potential client. Suddenly his/her body language turns very negative. You should:
a) Try to engage the person in some interaction.
b) Stop in the middle of the presentation and ask that person what is wrong.
c) Ask questions to determine what you said that was upsetting and attempt to rectify the situation.
d) Ignore the reaction and finish your presentation as planned.
5. You’re delivering an important presentation that you don’t want interrupted with questions. You should:
a) Refuse to answer the first question that someone asks. The rest of the audience will get the message.
b) Tell the audience beforehand that you prefer to answer all questions at the end of the presentation.
c) Answer questions as they are asked, even though you prefer not to.
6. When communicating across language barriers, putting things in writing:
a) Should be avoided; it can insult the international visitor’s intelligence.
b) Can be helpful; it is usually easier to read English than to hear it.
c) Can be confusing; it is usually easier to hear English than to read it.
7. Learning to speak a few words of the language of clients, customers or coworkers whose first language is different from yours is:
a) Generally a good idea, as the effort communicates respect for the other culture.
b) Generally not a good idea, because they may feel patronized.
c) Generally not a good idea, because they might be offended if you make a mistake in vocabulary or pronunciation.
8. If you meet someone whose body language is much more outgoing and expressive than yours, you should:
a) Attempt to match it.
b) Not attempt to match it.
9. If you meet someone whose body language is much more restrained than ours, you should:
a) Attempt to match it.
b) Not attempt to match it.
10. True or false: A smile is an almost universal way of communicating goodwill and cheerfulness.
11. When answering a business phone, always answer:
a) With a simple hello.
b) With your name.
c) With your name, department, title and a greeting.
12. When others are close by, for example in an elevator or on the subway, it’s OK to use your cell phone:
a) For extremely private conversations, because, after all, it’s your business.
b) For lengthy conversations, so you don’t get tied up at the office.
c) For short conversations of a nonsensitive or nonconfidential nature.
13. When you reach a doorway at the same time as another person of the opposite sex, the following rules apply:
a) Whoever arrives first should open it and hold it for those who are following.
b) Men should still open doors for women.
c) Women should open doors for men to prove they are no longer oppressed.
d) Always open and hold the door for someone of either sex if that person has his or her hands full.
14. When exiting an elevator and a more senior person is toward the back, always:
a) Step aside to let that person exit first.
b) Exit first if you are closest to the door.
15. When writing a business letter, the inside address should:
a) Always contain a courtesy title (Mr. Ms., Dr.)
b) Never use a courtesy title. That’s passe.
16. When having a business lunch, who pays?
a) A business lunch is always “Dutch treat.”
b) You always pay for a client’s lunch.
c) You never pay for a client’s lunch. It’s insulting.
d) Whoever invited the other person to lunch pays.
17. On a dress-down day, which item(s) of clothing is (are) generally considered inappropriate:
a) Khaki slacks.
b) Solid T-shirts.
c) Sweatpants.
d) Baseball caps.
e) Polo-type shirts.
f) Loafers without socks.
g) Thong sandals.
h) Jeans.
18. You are in a meeting with a client and several of your colleagues, and you realize your boss’s fly is unzipped. You should:
a) Make a joke about it, and put everyone at ease.
b) Tell him immediately, even if you don’t know him well.
c) Ask someone who knows him better to mention it.
19. You have just heard a coworker in the cubicle next to yours speak rudely to a client on the phone.You should:
a) Wait until the call is finished, then tell the person that the behavior is unacceptable.
b) Tell your boss.
c) Respect your co-worker’s privacy and refrain from commenting.
20. If you’re managing a meeting when an adversarial relationship is present, try to make sure that:
a) People sit with those with whom they agree.
b) The seating is mixed to encourage open dialogue and discourage and adversarial environment.
Use this answer key:
1. b
2. b
3. c
4. a, c
5. b
6. b
7. a
8. b
9. a
10. true
11. b
12. c
13. a, d
14. b
15. a
16. d
17. c, d, g, h
18. c
19. c (except in extreme situations, in which case “a” would apply)
20. b
Add up your score. If you have been 18 to 20 correct, you could write the book on etiquette. If you have 15- 17, you usually know how to handle yourself. If you have between 12 -14, it wouldn’t hurt to brush up. And if you have less than 12, it wouldn’t hurt to do some damage control.
