Corporate Etiquette & Soft Skills

Some of my biggest queries when I entered the corporate environment were about what to wear, how to address people and how to go about writing work related e-mails.

Corporate etiquette and soft skills can be classified under the following categories:

1. Business Etiquette.
2. Corporate Dressing.
3. International Protocol.
4. Business Communication.
5. Boardroom Etiquette.
6. Dining Finesse.
   
7. Presentation Skills.
8. Networking & Mingling.

Without making this into a classroom sermon, for me the simple solution was precedence ("When in Rome...") and the internet. I dressed the way my colleagues around me did (media has casual dressing as a norm, bankers dress more formally and conservatively, etc.) and addressed people the way I felt it was required dealing on a case to case. "Sir" for ex-colleagues from the armed forces who are senior, "Mister" when dealing with someone for the first time especially on the phone when I don't know the persons age but in most cases by first name. The internet provided solutions for ways to write business e-mails.

In a nutshell: Precedence and the internet can provide most solutions you are looking for. And of course, the standard - I am always available for queries.