Remember how everyone turned kind, compassionate, and respectful during the pandemic years? For many of us, the loss of some kin, friends, and associates to Covid-19 brought out our humanity. We became more patient, more gentle, more benevolent towards each other, and even gave way to people who were not necessarily older or disabled. And we simply practiced good manners.
Fast forward to 2025 when the dark memories of the pandemic seem to have receded too fast. Today, we’re back to the normal cycle of work, attending events, concerts, and social engagements. We’re interacting again for both official and personal reasons. Unfortunately, we have noted that people don’t seem to be as kind and respectful anymore. Every day, headlines and news stories scream about massive corruption in the government and the angry masses are calling for justice and accountability. With civil unrest a potential threat to our stability, we are indeed facing a grim and negative present and future.
What’s going on? Why are people lashing out with hatred and aggression? Can we not turn to more constructive means of coping with these turbulent times?
This seems to have influenced even workplace practices, with some employees backsliding to old bad habits. Can we, as communicators or practitioners of public relations, do something about this before problems become unmanageable?
Let me cite a few day-to-day situations where we could, at the very least, try to practice basic good business manners during meetings-both in the office and from home.
Don’t be too ‘share-happy’ with seemingly ‘hot’ posts or information that you have not fact-checked.
I frequently get the same posts from several people who enthusiastically send these to their chat groups, without checking for accuracy. They know full well that their posts would just circulate among different sets of friends or cliques. This not only takes up so much space and time; it can also be extremely annoying especially when one finds out that it’s an old rehashed post or worse, downright fake! Sobriety and self-control are virtues to be called on here. Don’t add to the misinformation and disinformation that are neither helpful nor productive.
Decide early: Should it be an online or face-to-face meeting?
When calling for meetings, please consider the following factors in deciding on the place, the date and time, and the venue or method of meeting. Can your subject be discussed online or by phone? Be considerate of the parties’ time and availability by using online options like Zoom or other apps. Do not compel them to come to your office from halfway across Metro Manila, such as from Makati to Quezon City, or from BGC to Alabang, only to tell them something that you could have relayed over the phone. Metro Manila traffic, especially on major thoroughfares like Edsa, can be severely stressful. It is probably best to just meet online-it’s faster and more efficient.
Face-to-face meetings are, of course, reserved for long important discussions where the personal exchange of ideas is vital to decision making, especially when signing documents or turning over of data is involved.
Be on time for both online and face-to-face meetings; it’s rude to make everyone wait.
When an online meeting has been set, participants should fix their connectivity, Wi-Fi issues, and workstation earlier-and be ready to log in at least 5 or 10 minutes before the designated time. The online method is meant to be convenient for everyone so it’s counter-productive to be late.
The same rule applies to face-to-face meetings. Given the challenges of inclement weather and unexpected delays, we should aim to reach our destination at least 30 minutes before the appointment. That should give one sufficient time to find the venue, settle down, and set up one’s notes or laptop.
Be prepared with an agenda that should be known to all.
There is nothing more disconcerting than failure to prepare for a status report. The host of the meeting must thus be ready to tackle an agenda that was shared earlier so that whoever is assigned to present or discuss their topics can be prepared.
Before you call anyone on their mobile phone, please text or send a message to ask if you can call.
The professional way of communicating is to seek permission to call before punching someone’s numbers. You may be in a rush but texting first shows respect for their time and availability. A short line to say ‘May I call you for a few minutes?’ will be most appreciated. Please make sure you stick to your purpose for calling because the person you are talking to may have other items on his time schedule.
Be sensitive to others’ opinions.
If you must do ‘small talk’ before meetings, avoid discussing controversial topics or expressing strong opinions about certain issues that your clients or other meeting participants might have opposing views to.
During both formal and informal meetings, avoid breaking the ice by starting a conversation about the latest online chatter or the latest scandal in government. This may not sit well with everyone present. If the meeting has no formal agenda, and the participants are your close friends, some ‘maritess’ banter may be fine and even adds to the fun. But with fake news proliferating online these days, avoid sharing information that you are not sure about. Some carelessly uttered statements could lead to unpleasant disagreements. It’s best to keep exchanges light, especially if a business agenda is set for discussion in the meeting.