Questions tagged [professionalism]
For questions regarding work-appropriate behavior and etiquette.
45
questions
3
votes
1
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How to Re-establish Professional Boundaries with a Coworker?
Several months ago, I decided to invite a coworker to a personal social event where they met my friends, something I had never done before.
Subsequently, I began seeing them frequently outside of work....
- 33
1
vote
1
answer
500
views
How do I regain respect and professionalism in the face of petty criticism, while learning from said criticism?
Background
I am a high energy person and do tend to snap easily when I have a perfect storm of tiredness, constant work pressure, lack of human interaction due to COVID, and simultaneously spending a ...
- 564
10
votes
1
answer
828
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How can I deal with good friends who suffer from a lack of self-esteem -- and rightly so?
I have a few friends, very good ones amonst them, that suffer from low self-esteem that leads them to lack drive and evergy in both everyday and professional lives. Over the years, I tried to help and ...
- 119
24
votes
3
answers
4k
views
How can I assert my domain knowledge, while signalling openness to useful information, over email?
My current project at work is part of a product that many people use internally, with an active email list for user feedback. I recently pushed out a rather visible change and unsurprisingly someone ...
- 13.6k
39
votes
3
answers
13k
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I'm in marketing in a team whose name sounds too much like mine. What to do when introducing myself?
Let's say I'm in a small team called Adhyan, and my name is Adhyan.
(I've changed the names for privacy.)
There's no correlation, and I happened to join this team because I wanted to learn a topic ...
- 3,198
-2
votes
2
answers
384
views
How to not look like showing off when presenting the best of me? [closed]
I'm writing an application to a summer school. The school will teach a range of topics and I admit that I may be over qualified for some. That means:
I may have more knowledge with other applicants
...
- 195
2
votes
1
answer
475
views
How to avoid blaming a single person for issues submitting a group assignment?
I have a group assignment that is due soon. We are only allowed one submission per group (and further submissions, even before the deadline, will be penalized). This group assignment is worth a ...
- 31
0
votes
1
answer
879
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How to say 'NO', When someone offer you better opportunity with better salary?
I am a professional Magento Developer, and I have completed my one year and continue my next one year bond.
When someone offers you a better opportunity with a better salary but you have to continue ...
7
votes
1
answer
723
views
Asking for fees for an assumed free service
During my university years, I had designed and developed my department website. It's been many years since I graduated, however, the office IT staff still contacts me if something goes wrong. This ...
- 423
0
votes
1
answer
486
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How do I respond to my doctor's message in which she mentions she's doing voluntary work? [closed]
I WhatsApp'd my British doctor to ask for an appointment, and she responded along the lines of
Thank you for your message. I'm really happy to see you but I'm doing voluntary work in [country]. I'...
- 171
2
votes
1
answer
531
views
How to decline giving details about my previous doctor's opinion when transitioning between two doctors?
I take a potentially toxic drug that is interacting with another drug (i.e. this is a high stakes situation). I am not happy with my current doctor's proposed method of addressing this interaction ...
- 133
6
votes
2
answers
789
views
Professor gets cursory requests for advice from total strangers -- how to make them be more considerate?
I am a professor in a popular STEM field with a reasonably prominent list of publications, enough that if you Google AREA or method XXX you may encounter my name. About once a week I receive emails ...
- 424
7
votes
5
answers
9k
views
How to introduce someone to a recruiter that I've worked with before?
When I was looking for a new job around 8 months ago I worked with an agency recruiter - the type that shops your resume around, not an in-house recruiter - to get some interviews. Working with them ...
- 13.6k
2
votes
1
answer
226
views
How can I pursue a friendship by sending a reply to a mass email without having my intentions misinterpreted? [closed]
I recently got a very general “Happy Holidays” mass email from an acquaintance’s work email -- imagine a mail merge with “Dear MERGIE, Happy Holidays from everyone here at Acme Widget Co.” I am ...
- 175
10
votes
1
answer
985
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How exactly to tell someone to not touch me
I know this theme has already been discussed, but I would like to ask for exact advice for my exact situation.
Outline
I am an Eastern-European lady living in Germany and working as a software ...
- 745
9
votes
5
answers
3k
views
How to tell a coworker that you would like to date them?
I think I'm in an intricate and precarious May-June/May-July situation.
A woman colleague, let's call her Mary, seems to have a crush on me.
She has:
clung to my arm while walking,
tried to coyly ...
- 199
25
votes
1
answer
6k
views
What is the etiquette for smalltalk in a workplace when the context and person is always the same?
Every single day at 3:45 PM Bob rings the doorbell at work. Every single day I answer the door and hand Bob a small amount of paperwork. Every single day there is about 10 seconds as Bob flips through ...
- 7,123
2
votes
2
answers
212
views
How to politely ask for a response?
I needed to discuss some matter with one person. The outcome of that is important for me.
At the beginning of the week, I got an email where that person proposed several dates when we could have a ...
- 123
92
votes
14
answers
129k
views
How to respond when a Doctor's Receptionist asks the reason for the appointment, after confirming appointment is made?
I have recently come across a situation that made me feel very uncomfortable, especially if it had been more of a personal issue.
I contacted my doctor yesterday with pains in my hand/wrist as I didn'...
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-10
votes
7
answers
1k
views
How to tell employees that I don't mean my insults seriously?
I am the manager of a small team of programmers. I usually have a hands-on approach. I tell, they do. Often there are problems and I have to fix things they can't handle or I have to tell the higher-...
user19203
13
votes
4
answers
2k
views
How to handle accidential baldness in a professional environment?
Last night, I wanted to cut my own hair and I used a hair-cutting-machine for that. I wanted to cut it short, about 1-2cm. In the middle of the process, the machine stopped working, I opened it for ...
9
votes
3
answers
1k
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How to avoid endless corporate evening pubs but still have nice relationship with the colleagues?
Imagine yourself working in a company which has a team building tradition of going together to the pub on average two evenings a week and this is almost compulsory. But you do not get any pleasure ...
- 179
3
votes
1
answer
439
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Procedure/Etiquette for No-Call No-Show Coworker [closed]
My coworker, superior, and friend did not show up to work this morning. What is the standard or accepted procedure for checking in on them? No-call no-shows are not taken lightly in this organization, ...
- 39
3
votes
4
answers
349
views
Is it impolite to exchange a dialogue via text in a professional environment?
I have been had several experiences in a professional environment where contact is initiated by e-mail or via some form of social media (LinkedIn, WhatsApp, ...), where the person on the other side ...
- 271
16
votes
5
answers
6k
views
How to ask a friend to do professional work?
A good friend of mine, James, is an unemployed graphic designer with a significant amount of time on his hands.
I really like his work and would like to commission him at his desired rate. However, I'...
- 2,632
31
votes
3
answers
10k
views
How to tell my usual plumber their service isn’t needed any more?
So my regular plumber who has serviced my boiler for several years has become quite unreliable lately (hard to get hold of and book) and I’ve booked someone else to do the annual service this year.
...
user2356
4
votes
3
answers
14k
views
How can I apologize to a professional for being rude in an email?
I recently had an opportunity to contact a highly esteemed professional in my field for helping me with a technical post. We met at a conference that we both spoke at. They provided some feedback, to ...
2
votes
1
answer
464
views
How should I handle the situation when I caught my student cheating in examination? [closed]
Backstory: I caught my school (private secondary) grade 9 student cheating in examination (third terminal). So, I took his copy and told him to go out but he didn't and kept standing in his seat ...
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2
votes
2
answers
1k
views
How to turn down an invitation?
My partner and I were recently invited as guests to a fairly prestigious event ($150/ticket) by someone we know. We aren't particularly close to this person, but would like to keep a relationship. ...
- 21
0
votes
1
answer
168
views
Why do you want this job? [closed]
Most of the time I face an interview. A common question is there Why do you want this job.
Should I be telling them that I don't have a choice as there are no other job options or something else.
- 9
5
votes
3
answers
4k
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How to reply to someone when they compliment you (your computer skills) saying I wish I could do that with computers [closed]
People in their mid 40's often tell me "Wow I wish I could do that". (Happens to me mostly at office)
Even during interviews they say stuff like "You guys are so lucky that you get to learn so and so ...
- 161
13
votes
8
answers
2k
views
How to tell other people that my job is only a job to me?
I don't know if this question may be confusing to some of you; so I will try to explain myself as well as I can.
I have been interested in informatics and technology all my life. When I was young I ...
Xeng Garcia
3
votes
5
answers
4k
views
How to politely repel a flattering comment
Working in an average university, it's pretty common to get flattering comments from students (who more often than not pass it just to please the teacher), but recently I am facing a new problem of ...
- 1,746
2
votes
5
answers
1k
views
How to refuse a job offer that I already accepted?
I was offered to collaborate as freelancer in the company I used to work (I quitted and I'm working in a different place right now). I was talking with the company owner, who told me that in case I ...
6
votes
3
answers
2k
views
How can I let my boss know her methods for management aren't useful?
I work. A Lot.
Most of my job consists of running quantitative analysis on a variety of financials for a few different companies (I work for a holding company), and as I recently joined the company (...
- 3,358
53
votes
7
answers
11k
views
Why is a 'good' handshake important?
When preparing for job interviews in the past, my recruiters have told me to ensure that I greet the interviewer with a "good firm" handshake.
Even so, outside of the work environment when I've ...
- 9,779
8
votes
2
answers
3k
views
How to deal with a colleague who tries to undermine me? [closed]
It's been 4 months since I joined my new company. There is a colleague (let's call him Bob) who joined with me.
Bob and I were colleagues in my previous company and we both accepted interviews from ...
- 513
5
votes
4
answers
2k
views
When is it okay to ask "stupid" questions in the workplace?
Throughout both my academic and professional career I've encountered situations where in such roles (as most of us would have), where as a happy go lucky graduate who doesn't know it all (but thought ...
- 9,779
5
votes
2
answers
523
views
What is the best way to make a good employee feel more invested in her or his job?
A private nurse or caregiver, or personal assistant of any kind, often gets close to the person for whom they work, by necessity. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but it does sometimes lead to ...
- 816
7
votes
2
answers
9k
views
How to politely decline a friend request from a colleague who wants to add me on Facebook?
I have a colleague at work who has sent me a friend request on Facebook, but I don't feel we're close enough for them to be seeing my personal posts, I'm not sure how they feel though, they could ...
- 9,779
13
votes
3
answers
10k
views
Can we use abbreviations in professional communication?
Is it good to use abbreviations in professional communication?
I generally uses Mail or Skype to communicate with others. In that case, many times I used words such as ASAP, CTN, FYI etc.
So when ...
- 401
71
votes
9
answers
29k
views
How can I politely tell someone I won't do my job for free?
I am a relatively open individual who is shy (for lack of a better word) around new people.
One of my coworkers has a business and is asking for my help as a financial analyst outside of work, and ...
- 3,358
12
votes
6
answers
2k
views
How should one deal with overly familiar serving staff?
This question is very culturally specific to the United Kingdom. Social and age deference is waning in the UK, this may be a matter of personal opinion as to whether that is a desirable trend.
Many ...
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37
votes
5
answers
3k
views
Talking to the parents of an adult autistic student
I have an adult, autistic student who I have tutored weekly in programming since about November. His parents would like this tutoring to result in him being able to work as an entry-level programmer, ...
- 2,756
13
votes
4
answers
8k
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What is the politest way to follow up on an ignored email?
I send a lot of emails - some important and some not. I often get replies for the important ones promptly, but the less important ones can often be forgotten.
I understand this - I'm sure I do the ...
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