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So you have a LinkedIn profile—now what? Creating a name for yourself on LinkedIn is only the first and smallest step toward taking advantage of all of the networking opportunities this social platform has to offer. In order to really make a positive impression and build good relationships on LinkedIn, be sure to take these etiquette tips into consideration any time you post activity.

Personalize connection requests. If you find someone with whom you want to connect with, don’t settle for the generic ‘add me to your connections’ default message. Your connections will take a much more vested interest in supporting you on LinkedIn if you take the time to write them a short, personalized message. Always remember, it’s not about you, it’s about them. Be courteous and make them feel that you are providing value to them, and they’ll usually be more willing to connect.

 

Always keep it professional. Possibly the most important thing to remember about LinkedIn is that it is not Facebook or Twitter, and it should be treated very differently from these more casual platforms. LinkedIn is for sharing professional articles and updates, not what you had for lunch today. In addition to not posting Facebook-like material, don’t beg connections to like or follow your Facebook and Twitter pages on LinkedIn. This will only come off as bothersome.

 

Turn off notifications while updating your profile. You may not even think to do this, especially if you’re new to LinkedIn, but be courteous and turn off notifications when updating your profile. If you don’t, your connections will have to scroll through a barrage of notifications that they would probably rather not see.

 

Respond to messages in a timely manner. If someone sends you a message, be sure to respond to it as quickly as possible. Even if it’s someone offering you something you aren’t interested in, kindly decline, and do so right away. This will ensure that all of your connections and potential connections see you in high regards.

 

Don’t over share. In a similar fashion, sharing too many articles and other posts at a time will only clutter your connections’ feeds. Try to only post to LinkedIn once per day, and certainly no more than twice per day.

 

Don’t ask people you don’t know for recommendations and endorsements. If you’re seeking endorsements for your skills, ask people who can actually vouch for you. Asking people you don’t really know to do this will decrease your credibility, and it can be downright irritating.

 

Don’t make negative comments. Always keep comments on your posts and the posts of others as positive as possible, as negative comments will only reflect poorly on your character. Remember, if you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say anything at all.

 

Keeping your LinkedIn etiquette in check will ensure that you remain a valuable connection to have, increasing your chances of maintaining old connections and gaining new ones.

More From NBF

Email Etiquette: Best Practices for the Workplace

Email Etiquette: Best Practices for the Workplace

As email use rises in the workplace, so does the opportunity for these emails to result in clashes between workers with different communication styles. This can cause unnecessary tension between colleagues and between managers and employees. So how do we fix the tension and other issues that email miscommunication can create? Here are some email best practices that can help to keep everyone on the same page.

Be Direct 

Being straightforward can help save time and keep others from misinterpreting your intentions. Avoiding sarcasm, as the chances your tone will be conveyed how you intended are slim. Say what you mean to lessen the chance of confusion.

Avoid Being Short 

While being direct is certainly a good practice, overly short emails can convey displeasure or irritation to the reader—even if the sender didn’t mean for such a translation. The best course of action is always to include a greeting and write complete sentences. While replying “Great.” is shorter and less time-consuming than “Hello, Marie, I think that sounds great,” the second option clarifies the tone and meaning of the email.

Avoid Informal Abbreviations

Using ‘u’ instead of ‘you,’ ‘r’ instead of ‘are,’ or ‘lol’ to show your amusement has become common in part due to the desire to type or text a message as quickly as possible. Despite time-saving intentions, an email correspondence full of such abbreviations may strike readers as unprofessional or even rude. It’s best to leave casual abbreviations and acronyms out of workplace communication.

Avoid Colored and Wacky Fonts

While it may be tempting to personalize your email settings, bright colors or swirly fonts can be very distracting for readers and may make your message difficult to read. It can be a frustrating experience for the receiver if they must read the message repeatedly or squint at the screen. Instead, use easy-to-read fonts and dark colors such as a traditional 12pt. Arial or Times New Roman font in black.

Have Long Discussions Face-to-Face When Possible 

It still holds that email is a great way to communicate for short, quick messages. Talking in person is a better option for longer discussions or topics more up for debate. While it may be easier for emotions to escalate while behind a computer screen, being face-to-face during these discussions makes it easier to express or understand an opposing point of view and reach a compromise.

 

7 Tips for Meeting Room Etiquette

Conference rooms are shared spaces meant to be used as collaboration hubs between coworkers and private spaces for employees and employers. As with any shared space, employees need to abide by certain unwritten rules if the space is to be properly maintained and used by all.

1. Don’t Use a Conference Room Without Booking It First

You may think it’s OK to pop into an unoccupied meeting room for a few minutes without booking it. After all, ideas happen on the fly, and you shouldn’t need to wait to share your thoughts with team members. But what will you do when someone else takes the time to book that room only to be rudely turned away by you when you haven’t reserved the space? 

Keep coworkers in the loop by taking a moment to reserve the room before taking over the space. We also recommend adding an open collaborative space near your workstations that does not need to be booked. Provide basic office furniture or a standing height storage island that can be used based on the understanding that it does not need to be reserved and is specifically put there for those on-the-fly interactions.

2. Don’t Double-Book Conference Rooms

Double-booking is usually an accident, but double-check to make sure it isn’t a mistake you’re making. Sometimes when we book conference rooms, we select every conference room in the office to see which is available at the required time. Then we forget to unselect the ones we aren’t actually using—whoops. Suddenly nobody is able to book a conference room because you accidentally reserved rooms you aren’t using. Be considerate and do a quick double-take after you reserve a space.

3. Book and Cancel Your Conference Room Early

As soon as you know you’ll need a meeting room, book it! The longer you wait, the more difficult it will be for you to get the room you want, and you don’t want to be put in a situation where you need to ask coworkers to move their meetings just because you weren’t proactive in planning yours. In addition, if a meeting gets canceled, make sure you cancel your room reservation immediately. This will ensure that others will have time to reserve it for themselves.

4. Leave the Conference Room as Clean as or Cleaner Than You Found It

It’s simple—don’t make a mess. If you came in with a coffee cup, take it with you. If you shredded your notebook paper as a habit, throw it in the garbage. If your large meeting was catered, clean up the mess. You can even go the extra mile by wiping down fingerprints from the conference table or dusting the computer monitor before you leave the room.

5. Leave Promptly When Your Meeting Time Ends

When booking your conference room, take care that you’re allotting enough time for the meeting. Whether you successfully hit all the talking points needed or not, keep an eye on the clock and evacuate the space when your time slot has ended. You take up your coworkers’ time by running your meeting into theirs, and we guarantee they won’t appreciate it. 

6. Accommodate the Needs of Others

You don’t need a conference room built to seat 10 if you only have 2 people in the meeting. If you book a large conference room for a small number of people and a coworker asks you to switch rooms, be accommodating. Issues often arise, and your coworkers may ask to use your conference room in an emergency. Be understanding and help out your peers when you can. 

7. Keep the Door Closed

The people working around you don’t need to hear your entire conversation. Do them all a favor and close the door when your meetings are in session. Similarly, those interrupting a meeting for any reason should knock before entering. A closed door means “give us some privacy” and should be taken as a sign that you need to ask permission before entering.

Whether you’re having a private meeting with your manager or a 20-person training session, following these guidelines will keep your coworkers happy and ensure everyone is able to use your office’s meeting rooms equally. 

Office Gift Giving Etiquette during the Holidays

First thing’s first: determine whether or not it’s appropriate to give gifts in your office at all. The answer to this question will vary from business to business, so if you’re new ask around and determine whether or not gift giving is the norm. Fellow co-workers will usually be able to fill you in on what types of gifts they usually give and to whom. If you’re having difficulty nailing down that information, a good rule of thumb is to give your boss and any employees working under you a simple holiday card. If your office is the gift-giving kind, follow these rules for proper etiquette.

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Nicole Groshek

Nicole Groshek is the social media and content coordinator for National Business Furniture. She helps employees discover the true joy in loving what they do, from working in an inspiring office to having a little fun on the job.