Is Your Workplace Rude?

Arriving at a 10:00 a.m. meeting five minutes late . . .  Making more eye contact with your BlackBerry than the person talking to you . . . Creating noise pollution with cell phones beeping and burping . . . Confusing business casual dress with bar casual... 
 
These are some of the common, run of the mill activities that happen every day in businesses around the country. That's why "Rudeness Reduction" expert Ann Marie Sabath says the demand for business courtesy boot camps has increased by more than 30% during the past 12 months. Sabath, author of One Minute Manners, identified these eight most common rudeness reduction requests:

1 - If they are on time, they are late.
2 - Permanent press means clothes should still be ironed.
3 - Dress for the position they want rather than the one they have.
4 - Eat before going to a business meal rather than acting as though it is your last supper.
5 - A verbal thank you to a client does not replace a written one.
6 - Check e-mail messages periodically rather than treating them as instant messages.
7 - Avoid treating a buffet like a trough.  It is not your last supper.
8 - Avoid forming department huddles during business receptions. Instead, get out there and mingle.

Sound familiar? Take action now before it's too late.