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Doors
How you behave in front of your senior executives and potential clients can make or break your next promotion! So, who goes through the doorway first?
Today, business is gender blind. This absolutely holds true in business when discussing who goes through a door first. You will always hold the door open for your guest. Period. You will always hold the door open for a senior executive. Other than that, in business, whoever gets to the door first is the one who opens it for his or her colleagues.
Having said that, let’s get real. There is a difference between social and business etiquette. Yes, traditional men, who live by a gentleman’s code, will always hold the door open for a woman or an elder. These men would be unable to do otherwise. If you are a woman in business and a man opens a door for you, be appreciative. Go through the door and say, “Thank you.”
Allow people who are leaving a building or a room to exit through the door first before you attempt to enter the building or room. Please look behind you as you enter or exit a building to make sure that you are not shutting the door on someone entering or exiting right behind you.
I know that each of you, male or female, young or ageless, will always assist a colleague who is carrying a large stack of anything, regardless of title and position held.
Revolving Doors
Yes, whoever gets there first goes through first, if you are with your colleagues. Again, let your senior executives go through first. Now it gets a little tricky. If the door is already in motion, do let your guest or the senior executive go through first. If it is not, then you must do the heavy lifting. Go though first and wait on the other side to direct your guest or executive to his or her destination. You may first want to say, “Allow me to start the revolving door for you. I’ll be on the other side to show you to the conference room.”
Follow these simple guidelines and you will always appear well-schooled and competent in business manners and follow-through.
Excerpts of blog taken from the book: Hospitality Management – People Skills & Manners on and off the Job. Copyright © 2015 Lyn Pont, PhD
— Isadore Sharp, chairman and founder, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
“Pont’s book is a must-read for anyone considering a career in hospitality.”
