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Yes Please, Thank You!
Ensuring Polished Business Etiquette

By Laura B. Moore

Isn’t it often the case that as you are thinking of something, an example of that something appears? Today I rushed back from another meeting to make sure I was on time for the next meeting, and there I sat … on hold… for about 10 minutes waiting for the call to start. I checked with other call participants to make sure I had the time right, and I did, as they were also waiting. I checked my email to see if a message had been sent regarding a delay or reschedule, but there was no message. Then, as I was about to give up, the call host started the call with a very weak apology, and then after about 30 minutes of the 120 minute call, said that he had something else he had to do but we should continue to figure out the resolution without him and let him know the answer. It seemed fitting that this would occur on the day I was planning to complete an article about business etiquette.

As a project manager, your job is much more than just making sure deadlines are met. If it were as simple as that, you would not need as much training and finesse that is essential in the PM portfolio of tricks and tools. Being a PM means knowing how to budget, how to mitigate risks, how to plan tasks to ensure timely delivery… and mixed in with all of this is the ability to work with people to make sure it all gets done.

Relationships are at the heart of any project and the stronger the relationships and respect, the more likely things will go more smoothly. One key to building relationships, especially at work since that is the arena in which most of you are using your PM talents, is proper work etiquette.

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About the Author Laura Bollinger-Moore Author Laura Bollinger-Moore, PMP, M.A. Social Psychology, MOM, has an eclectic background that includes not only her work in the Telecom industry in such fields as Project Management, Regulatory, Human Resources, Customer Service and Operations, but also outside of Telecom as a Clinical Psychology Researcher and a Social Worker. Currently, Laura is an analyst in Consumer Competitive Intelligence at AT&T, managing multiple simultaneous research projects and providing foresight into, and analysis on, trends and fads, as well as cutting edge upcoming technology. Laura lives in California with her husband Lorin, and their two amazing daughters Lily Faye and Layla Blue. Laura can be contacted at Laura.b.moore@att.com