On Tuesday 16th of April 2019, Menape Academy collaborated with LAU University – Beirut Campus in a 3 hour Conference titled “Basic Professionalism & Business Etiquette” and funded by the USAID. This instructive conference highlighted several subjects, including but not limited to:

 

• Making good First and Lasting Impressions with others by adopting specific set of actions, such as giving a firm handshake, saying “Please, Thank you and Excuse me”, never interrupting or finishing people’s sentences, promptly returning phone calls and being punctual at all times.

 

• Learning the different types of Dress Codes for men and women, and differentiating between casual, business casual, smart casual, informal, business formal, business casual, black tie and white tie attires.

 

• Abiding by Business Principles, such as befriending co-workers, taking breaks to de-stress, solving problems and addressing them in a professional manner, as well as setting personal and professional goals.

 

• Building lasting relationships with others by being honest, keeping your word, taking responsibility for your mistakes, carefully choosing your words and addressing conflicts with grace.

 

• Maintaining a Positive Attitude in the workplace, meaning that a person’s attitude may affect the performance of his colleagues and disrupt their team spirit. That is why it is very crucial to maintain a good and positive attitude when addressing others to avoid distrust.

 

• Mastering mingling and networking skills, which encompasses remembering the names of the people you meet, always bringing your business card, focusing on what people have to say not on yourself.

 

• Learning the importance of Telephone and Mobile Etiquette, which emphasizes on avoiding taking calls when engaging in a face-to-face conversation with a person, lowering your tone of voice when talking on the phone, putting your mobile phone on silent mode when attending a meeting or a conference, refraining from talking on the phone while eating, and avoiding chewing while answering a phone call.

 

• Sending a professional email by paying attention to certain actions, such as being mindful of your own and other people’s email addresses, including a subject line, writing in a clear and concise manner and proofreading your message before sending it.

 

• Understanding Camera and Phone Etiquette, which states that a person doesn’t have the right to invade other people’s privacy and should ask their permission before taking any picture.