New on Remotely Curious
Listen to Episode 4: Etiquette
For years, many of us knew the drill when it came to office etiquette: the dos and don'ts of being a good coworker or desk neighbor (don’t microwave fish in the break room), the norms around attire and working hours, and even how to behave in a meeting. Since we’ve gone remote, the rules have changed. In this episode, we’ll have a fun conversation with humorists, etiquette experts, and podcast hosts Teresa and Travis McElroy about what etiquette even is, which rules to break or keep, and how to be a better “dancer” with your remote coworkers.
Etiquette is like dancing. Some people can get out there and freestyle and do just fine. Other people need to learn the choreography to follow the steps and do the dance correctly.
We’ll talk about:
- Getting it right with etiquette when you’re a new employee
- The unspoken set of rules for video meetings (and what not to do)
- Setting expectations around when and how we work
- Getting personal with teammates while staying professional
- How to think of etiquette differently—not as stuffy and formal, but as a way to keep things calm
- Which rules are OK to break in remote work
About Teresa:
About Travis:
More resources:
- Dropbox Virtual First Toolkit | Write for understanding
- Dropbox Work In Progress blog
- Dropbox news
- How users experience Dropbox
Takeaways:
- Be explicit. Set the bar for what others can expect from you—and for what you can expect from them.
- Context is everything. What might be inappropriate for one person may not be for another. So try to read the room.
- Don’t manufacture problems in your head. If you’re not getting negative feedback, try not to obsess. And if you’re worried, just ask.
- “Meeting rudeness with rudeness only doubles the amount of rudeness in the world.” – Miss Manners
Learn more at remotely-curious.com.
Special guests
Travis McElroy
Etiquette expert, podcast host, and actor
Travis McElroy is a podcaster, actor, producer, humorist, and four-time New York Times–best-selling maker known for The Adventure Zone; My Brother, My Brother and Me; and Shmanners.
Teresa McElroy
Etiquette expert and podcast host
Teresa McElroy co-hosts Shmanners with her husband, Travis McElroy. She supports the Emily Post school of etiquette, where you lead by example. She's lovely and should be sainted for dealing with all the weird things Travis and his brothers do.
