Wednesday, December 18, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Joyce Hoff joyce@pachter.com



A young woman was recently fired. She hadn't shown any initiative in her fast paced, creative work environment.

In today's highly competitive business world, workers want to be seen as valuable and vital employees. With unemployment still a concern, employers have a large pool of candidates to pick from to replace non-contributing employees.

According to business etiquette expert Barbara Pachter, author of the new book The Essentials of Busines Etiquette: How to Greet, Eat and Tweet Your Way to Success (McGraw-Hill, 2013) "Employees who want to add value to their organizations should avoid the Seven Deadly Sins—the work traits that get them ignored, not promoted or even fired."

Here are Pachter's Seven Deadly Sins and ways to overcome them:

1. Not showing initiative. Are you trying new or better ways to accomplish your work? Be proactive. Is your employer gaining anything extra from you? Most employers want you to go above and beyond.

2. Paying little attention to details. Are there mistakes in your work? Notice the little things, proof your writings and double check any numbers. There can be consequences if you don't. One engineer wrote the wrong house number on a work order and his employees ripped up the wrong driveway.

3. Not offering to help. You come across as a team player when you do. One young woman would ask her boss before she left for the day, "Is there anything else I can do for you before I leave." She quickly rose up the corporate ladder.

4. Not staying current with changes in your profession. You don't want to be left behind. Continue learning. Stay abreast of any trends in your field. Take advantage of any training your company offers. Stay up-to-date with technology, including social media.

5. Not being friendly. People don't like to work with others that ignore them. Smile. Make an effort to say "hello" "good morning," etc. to people that you know and don't know.

6. Not conveying enthusiasm for your job. Show interest in your work. Be eager to get the job done. Arrive on time or early. Stay late when necessary. Give sincere compliments. Speak well of others, avoid downbeat topics and stop complaining. Don't criticize your employer, boss or co-workers on your social media sites.

7. Not having a professional demeanor. You want to convey a confident and credible image. Be aware of your verbal and nonverbal communication. Are you speaking too softly or loudly? Are you dressing appropriately for your position? Do you use filler words ("ok," "alright," "like") that take away from your comments?



Barbara Pachter, president of Pachter & Associates, has spent much of her career inspiring others to achieve professionally, whether through her ten published books – including the highly-acclaimed The Power of Positive Confrontation – or through her thousands of seminars for such clients as Microsoft, Chrysler, Con Edison, Wawa, Pfizer and Campbell Soup.

As an adjunct faculty member at Rutgers University, she was recognized with a Teaching Excellence Award. Pachter has appeared on national television, including Today, The Early Show and the news magazine 20/20, and has been featured in major publications such as TIME Magazine, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, providing suggestions on professional development and business etiquette.

For a review copy of Pachter's latest book The Essentials of Business Etiquette: How to Greet, Eat, and Tweet Your Way to Success, contact: Laura Yieh at McGraw Hill email: laura.yieh@mheducation.com.

For a free copy of Pachter's communication e-newsletter, "Competitive Edge," your readers can go to www.pachter.com.

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