THE CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES FACING PROFESSIONALS AND

ETIQUETTE AS A HISTORICAL, SOCIAL AND PROFESSIONAL DISCIPLINE

When it comes to successful leadership, attributes like vision, communication,

integrity, and curiosity never go out of style. Today, executives also must be able to
build strong teams in the face of recruiting and retention challenges, keep up with the
latest technology, and demonstrate strong business acumen.

“Emerging trends, from the accelerated pace of change and disruptive

innovations to dispersed workforces and regulatory compliance demands, have
intensified the pressures facing company leaders,” said Paul McDonald, senior
executive director for Robert Half. “Today’s leaders must be proficient in their chosen
field, but also current on big-picture issues facing their industries and organizations.”

TOP CHALLENGES FACING BUSINESS EXECUTIVES TODAY

1. THE NEED FOR WIDER-RANGING KNOWLEDGE

They were the experts in their division, but they didn’t often get involved in
the work of other departments. Today, however, leaders must take a broader
organizational view. For example, many CFOs have seen their
responsibilities extend beyond finance into human resources, information
technology, and operations.

Fostering strong relationships with coworkers outside your department can

be invaluable when it comes to learning about other areas of the firm; successful
leaders make sure they participate in interdepartmental committees and projects.
Holding high-level management positions in professional organizations can also
help executives get a broader perspective of typical organizational structures and
procedures.

2. THE DEMAND FOR SKILLED TALENT

Because in-demand professionals have more opportunities today, it’s

harder to recruit and retain top performers. In addition, managers frequently must
oversee staff in several locations, which makes it even more challenging to
motivate employees.

This is where successful leaders tap into their strong communication skills,
clearly explaining to each employee his or her career path and role in the
company’s mission, then supporting employees as they build their leadership
skills and prepare for greater responsibilities. Savvy leaders also seek feedback
 on their communication style from mentors, fellow managers, and even staff, and
follow through on the best suggestions.

3. INFORMATION OVERLOAD

Managers now have access to extensive databases filled with information

that can greatly enhance their decision-making, but the amount of data they’re
presented with on a daily basis can be overwhelming. The strongest leaders
know how to extract the most valuable information and transform it into strategic
guidance — and how to bring in highly skilled business analysts who can help
them do so.

4. CHANGE AND MORE CHANGE

Today, however, firms are introducing new business models all the time.
What’s more, technology seems to be changing every minute. That’s why it’s
crucial for managers to stay on top of industry trends and remain open and
adaptable to change. Successful leaders regularly read the top industry blogs,
subscribe to newsletters, follow industry leaders on Twitter, and join relevant
groups on LinkedIn. Keeping up to date with technology trends can require
training; it’s a good idea for executives to take external courses and participate in
in-house professional development programs.

Simply put, it’s clear that today’s business environment is constantly

evolving, and executives face new pressures every day. To help their firms
remain competitive, managers need to invest time and effort into improving and
refining their leadership skills.

5. KEEPING UP WITH MARKET TRENDS

Before a potential business owner decides to open a restaurant, he or she

must become familiar with the market. In addition, conducting periodic research
into current and projected future trends is critical to staying a step ahead of
competitors. A comprehensive analysis of existing trends and the viability of
similar restaurant ventures in the community is a good way to forecast potential
revenue in each quarter.
6. STAYING ON TOP OF TECHNOLOGY TRENDS

Technology is constantly evolving in the restaurant industry and smart

restaurant owners will jump on the bandwagon. Current trends show customers
want frequent-diner and loyalty reward programs. Software programs compatible
with your existing POS systems are available that will track customer trends and
demographics to make offering such programs easy. The data tracked with these
programs can give valuable insight to the business owners as to what customers
like and don't like.

New technology can help create a better client service experience as well
as enhance operational efficiencies. Current trends include online reservation
systems, ordering and paying tableside with hand-held wireless devices and
texting customers when their tables are ready. Smartphone apps for restaurants
are gaining increasing appeal. High-tech savvy customers would like to see more
of these options available.

THE FIVE QUALITIES OF A SUCCESSFUL PROFESSIONAL

A persistent idea within the field of psychology is that there are five basic
personality traits, often known as the “Big Five” or by the acronyms OCEAN or
CANOE. Each trait contains within it a sliding scale that describes how we
behave in certain situations. The five are as follows:

 Openness to experience: curious and innovative vs. cautious and

consistent
 Conscientiousness: goal-driven and detail-oriented vs. casual and
careless
 Extraversion: outgoing and enthusiastic vs. solitary and guarded
 Agreeableness: cooperative and flexible vs. defiant and stubborn
 Neuroticism: anxious and volatile vs. confident and stable
 PROFESSIONALISM, ETIQUETTE, AND ETHICAL BEHAVIOR

BUSINESS ETIQUETTE

Etiquette is a code of behaviour that extends to many aspects of how we present

ourselves in social situations. We’ve examined this throughout this guide in specific
written applications (e.g., using a well-mannered, courteous style of writing, such as
saying please when asking someone to do something). Though we’ll examine specific
applications of etiquette associated with various channels (e.g., telephone) throughout
this chapter, we will here focus on dining etiquette and dress.

DINING ETIQUETTE

If you are invited out for a lunch by a manager, it’s probably not just a lunch.
They will assess how refined you are in your manners so that they know whether they
can put you in front of clients doing the same and not embarrass the company. Though
it may not be obvious, they’ll observe whether you use your utensils correctly, chew with
your mouth closed, wait till your mouth is empty before speaking or cover your mouth
with your hand if you must speak while chewing, and how you position your cutlery
when you’re done. Why does any of this matter?

Though all of this seems like it has nothing to do with the quality of work, it shows
the extent to which you developed fastidious habits and self-awareness. Someone who
chews with their mouth open, for instance, either lacks the self-awareness to know that
people tend to be disgusted by the sight of food being chewed, or doesn’t care what
people think. Either way, that lack of self-awareness can lead to behaviours that will ruin
their reputation, as well as that of the company they represent. 

DRESSING APPROPRIATELY FOR THE WORKPLACE

When we hear the word uniform, we often think of a very specific style such as
what a police officer or nurse wears. In a general sense, however, we all wear uniforms
of various styles in whatever professional or institutional environment we participate in.
Dressing appropriately in those situations and in the workplace specifically has
everything to do with meeting expectations. In an office environment, clients, coworkers,
and managers expect to see employees in either suits or a business-casual style of
dress depending on the workplace. In such situations, conformity is the order of the day,
and breaking the dress code can be a serious infraction.

 Tattoos: Though a significant proportion of the population has tattoos and

therefore they are more acceptable across the board, overly conspicuous
tattoos are still considered taboo. Tattoos on the face, neck, or hands, for
 instance, are considered risky because of their association with prison and
gang branding. Tattoos that can be covered by a long-sleeved shirt with a
collar and slacks are a safe bet. However, if you have tattoos on your
forearms depicting scenes of explicit sex or violence, consider either
getting them removed or never rolling up your sleeves if you want to get
hired and keep your job.
 Piercings: Of course, earrings are de rigueur for women and acceptable
on men as well. However, earlobe stretching and piercings on the nasal
septum or lips are still generally frowned upon in professional settings.
Any serious body modification along these lines is acceptable in certain
subcultures, but not in most workplaces.
 Dyed hair: As with tattoos and piercings, hair dye is becoming more
acceptable generally, but extreme expression is inadvisable in any
traditional workplace. Where customer expectations are rigid (e.g., in a
medical office), seeing someone with bright pink hair will give the
impression of an amateur operation rather than a legitimate health care
facility.

SPEAKING ETHICALLY AND AVOIDING FALLACIES

When we consider ethical behavior in the workplace, it’s worth revisiting the topic
of persuasion so that we can address how not to persuade. In other words, how can we
avoid manipulating someone in professional situations so that they don’t later feel like
they were taken advantage of.

Coercion is the use of power to make someone do something they would not
choose to do freely. It usually involves threats of punishment, which get results at least
while the “stick” is present, but results in hatred towards the coercing person or group
and hence a toxic work environment.

 Bribery, which is offering something in return for an expected favour, is similarly

unethical because it sidesteps normal, fair protocol for personal gain at the audience’s
expense. When the rest of the team finds out that they lost out on opportunities because
someone received favours for favours, an atmosphere of mistrust and animosity—
hallmarks of a toxic work environment—hangs over the workplace.
 11 UNETHICAL PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES

In Ethics in Human Communication, Richard Johannesen (1996) offers eleven points to

consider when speaking persuasively. DO NOT:

 Use false, fabricated, misrepresented, distorted or irrelevant evidence to support

arguments or claims
 Intentionally use unsupported, misleading, or illogical reasoning
 Represent yourself as an “expert” (or even informed) on a subject when you’re
not, as in the case of “mansplaining” (McClintock, 2016)
 Use irrelevant appeals to divert attention from the issue at hand
 Ask your audience to link your idea or proposal to emotion-driven values,
motives, or goals to which it is unrelated
 Deceive your audience by concealing your real purpose, your self-interest, the
group you represent, or your position as an advocate of a viewpoint
 Distort, hide, or misrepresent the number, scope, intensity, or undesirable
features of consequences or effects
 Use “emotional appeals” that lack a supporting basis of evidence or reasoning
 Oversimplify complex, multi-layered, nuanced situations into simplistic, two-
valued, either/or, polar views or choices
 Pretend certainty where tentativeness and degrees of probability would be more
accurate
 Advocate for something that you yourself do not believe in
REFERENCES:

 Manciagli,D.(2016). Four Biggest Challenges facing Business Leaders today.

Retrieved October 28,2020 from https://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/how-
to/growth-strategies/2016/04/4-biggest-challenges-facing-business-leaders-today

 Litwin,K.(2014). Top 10 Challenges Facing Restaurant. Retrieved October

28,2020 from https://kahnlitwin.com/blogs/the-restaurateur/top-10-challenges-
facing-restaurants-cont

 Pressbooks.(2020). Professionalism,Etiquette,and Ethical Behaviour. Retrieved

October 28,2020 from
https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/communicationatwork/chapter/10-2-
professionalism-etiquette-and-ethical-behaviour/