international-courtesy-competence-icc-special-no1-remote-work-and-online-etiquette-042020

REMOTE WORK AND ONLINE ETIQUETTE

The Compact Guide to Professional Online Interaction

April 2020

Barbara Zehnder & Daniel Senn

www.courtesycompetence.com

Translation Aurora Clement

... IN THE TIME OF CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

Currently required "social distancing", also known as "physical distancing", implements new routines like remote work set-ups. Due to

the unusual circumstances direct exchanges with colleagues, customers and business partners often need to be substituted by video

conferences, e-mails, short message services or telephone calls. Home office is on the rise - a working arrangement, which can prove to

be particularly challenging for people with dependents, such as children or elderly relatives. On top of that, tight living conditions may

add an extra strain to the already tense situation. Is this an opportune time to brush up on online etiquette? Most certainly!

The fundamental nature of etiquette is attentiveness and respect. Our major concern are by no means rigid rules demanding absolute

submission, far from it. On the following pages we instead wish to offer you supporting guidelines, intended to facilitate online

collaboration, whether in your home office or more generally when working on the move (remote work). Unfortunately online communication

can be particularly prone to misconceptions, as - in contrast to a direct personal exchange - vocal and facial expressions as well as

body language play a minor role in the interaction. Online, these helpful components are either entirely omitted or merely used to a limited

extent, which can easily lead to messages being misconceived. In extraordinary situations, like the current pandemic, everyone of us tends to

become more highly strung and sensitive than usual, reacting more intensely and more vividly to actual or perceived inconsistencies.

The following guidance on online etiquette contains suggestions and recommendations, meant as pieces of advice, useful in regard to your

appearance on professional discussion platforms and in audio and video conferences as well as writing e-mails and short messages.

We wish you all the utmost best, especially in these challenging times.

Stockholm und Tunis, April 2020

Remote work 4

Audio and video conferencing 6

E-mails 9

Professional discussion platforms 11

Instant messaging 13

Legal information 14

About the authors 15

E-mails

Professional discussion platforms

Remote work

Audio and video conferencing

Instant messaging

Legal information

Remote work

Remote work has never been more important. We are convinced that the way we work determines the efficiency, the

satisfaction of everyone involved and ultimately the success of remote work. How do I organize myself to execute my

projects successfully - from home or on the road? The following tips are designed to support you and help you to

convey a professional image.

Take human nature into consideration

Consider cultural differences

Isolation can be counted as one of the negative connotations

of remote work. Please, keep in mind that your coworkers

are real people and frequently emphasise that

you value their personalities as much as the fruits of their

labour. Make it your habit to address your counterpart by

her/his name. Allow time for small talk at the beginning of

online meetings. What is currently happening at the respective

locations? How are the participants doing? And use video

calls instead of audio calls, whenever your Internet

connection allows it.

Even though it is easy to lapse into a casual style of

conversation and make jokes when communicating with

colleagues, it is important to take different cultural

backgrounds into account. What is regarded to be funny

in one region of the world can be taken as an offense in

another.

Also, be aware of religious holidays or cultural events in

other regions that may affect accessibility and productivity.

Write concisely and comprehensibly

Maintaining Employee Morale In A Remote

Work Environment

Marti Fischer

www.forbes.com

Clarify availability and response times

Remote work should be executed as if you were at the

office, i.e. during fixed hours, avoiding lengthy intervals.

Customers and colleagues must be able to rely on remote

work arrangements, phone calls and e-mails must be

handled with as much reliability as they would be at an

office.

Agree with colleagues on common rules, e.g. when should

meetings take place, which communication channels are

to be used and how soon does one need to react? Also

determine at what times one no longer needs to respond

to e-mails and telephone calls. Clear rules simplify the

cooperation.

Communication in written form only can result in various

interpretations, misunderstandings quickly arise. Phrase

e-mails and instant messages as concisely and understandably

as possible, cut to the chase. For example, avoid irony

and sarcasm, as they are not perceived equally everywhere.

Better be safe than sorry, always read messages a second

time, just to make sure.

150 BUSINESS JARGON FIXES

Jeff Bullas

www.straightnorth.com

Sometimes projects have to be completed after

working hours. Do not assume that others are

prepared or able to do the same. Many people

check e-mails reflexively even outside normal

working hours, switching to work mode, thus

interrupting a well-deserved break. Saving your

e-mails and messages during the weekend,

planning to send them on Monday is a lovely way

to show some consideration.

Remote work

Is there a remote work dress code?

Your supervisor contacts you and wants to set up a video conference within thirty minutes. Do you need to shower and get dressed, or

can you use the next half hour to prepare for the call?

Working from home due to extraordinary circumstances such as the current coronavirus crisis grants a certain amount of freedom. No

one will expect you to appear in suit and tie, even if this is your office wear under normal circumstances. No need to get dressed to the

nines. A tracksuit-outfit or baggy look, however, should be avoided, as such a casual appearance would send the wrong signals by giving

the impression of "leisure” time rather than reflecting the actual work situation. If it is part of your job to be available at short notice for

video calls and meetings with colleagues and customers during office hours, a shirt

or neat T-shirt and jeans will just do nicely. Since you probably receive and make

short video calls frequently, we recommend that you consider the following points:

Avoid striped and checked patterns as well as flashy colours and strong

contrasts on shirts, blouses, ties etc. - they make the picture flicker. Better

choose a plain, light-coloured top.

Over-sized or conspicuous pieces of jewellery such as long dangling earrings

distract the eye, as does anything that shines or reflects strongly.

Even if you like it airy, wear trousers or a skirt. Should you have to get up

unexpectedly during a video meeting you will otherwise suddenly be visible

in your underwear. Such an incident may be regarded as amusing or embarrassing

– by no means would it be called professional.

When you work from home …

Kelly Murray, CNN

https://edition.cnn.com/business

Forums: Technical and practical

tips for Remote Work Tools

www.cnet.com/forums

The 14 Best Remote Work

Podcasts

https://nomadtalk.net/

Practical tools and software solutions for remote work

Work at the home office should function like at the office. There are a number of tools and software solutions that are practical and

useful for productive remote work.

Free Whitepaper with 150 Online Tools

Ewa Ming, Celebrationpoint AG / Innovation World

www.innovationworld.ch

Online training on various topics related to

remote work

www.udemy.com

www.linkedin.com/learning/

www.edx.org

Audio and video conferencing

The organisation and conduct of online meetings is basically the same as for meetings where participants are physically

present. Compliance with etiquette rules also facilitates efficient work here.

Examples of audio-conferencing apps are MSM Messenger, Skype, WhatsApp etc., while video conferencing apps include

Whereby, Skype, Zoom, WebEx, GoToMeeting, Uberconference etc.

You are invited to a video or audio conference

Before the call

Make sure you have access to the conference software and download the latest version.

Make sure that the conference software allows access to your camera and microphone. Do a test.

Set up in a quiet place without background noise.

Prevent interruptions, for example with a note on your door, stating that you are busy.

Dial into the telephone line a few minutes before the start of the call or go online in good time.

Have all the necessary documents ready online or offline.

If you are not using your mobile phone for the conference, put it on airplane mode/flight mode or turn it off entirely.

During the conversation

State your name if you are joining an online conference with multiple participants.

Mute the microphone, when you are not speaking. This way, your conversation partners cannot hear unavoidable movements,

breathing, coughing, etc. Room noise or background noise will be suppressed simultaneously. Most tools provide the function

"Mute when you are not speaking".

Do not eat during the call, eating noises are audible. In case of a lunch meeting, the mute function plays a role once more.

Keyboard noises are amplified and are audible by all participants. Therefore, make handwritten notes.

Should you not hear anything, keep in mind that this does not necessarily imply that you are not heard by others.

Participate in the discussion with undivided attention (no private conversations and no reading of news) and strictly stick t o

topic-related contributions.

In video conferences, even more than in offline meetings, it is important to let the dialogue partner finish speaking. If two people

talk simultaneously, neither one nor the other can be understood.

During video conferences also pay attention to

your posture and movements: Keep upright and move as little as possible;

your appearance and clothing - see “Is there a remote work dress code?”;

sufficient lighting (avoid a strong light source or a window in your back, as these would merely allow your

silhouette to be seen rather than your face);

a tidy desk;

the background as it is visible for everyone;

eye contact – look straight into your camera, which will give the impression of you making eye contact, so

the conference partners feel directly involved;

use people’s name, as participants of group conference video calls cannot possibly realise when you are

watching them, they need to hear their names spoken.

Audio and video conferencing

You invite to a video or audio conference

Before the call

Upload required documents and presentation slides to the shared work platform, should you work with one.

To avoid misunderstandings, use reference cities rather than time zones when specifying the time for a conference. For example,

"2:00 p.m. Brussels time".

Limit the duration of the conference. Meetings that last significantly longer than one hour are often not productive. The attention span

to be expected, is shorter online than at an on-site meeting.

Contact all participants and supply them with the agenda to keep the meeting focused. Attach all relevant documents to the invitation.

Ask the invited participants for a confirmation of participation. Some tools automatically generate this function, others oblige you to

request the confirmation of participation yourself.

Perform a test run the day before (with your administrator).

A few hours ahead of your meeting, send a reminder e-mail to all participants, which once more includes the agenda.

Be ready and online at least 10 minutes before the conference.

Close all unnecessary applications on your computer. More capacity is freed up for the conference programme. Besides, a "tidy"

desktop looks better should the occasion arise that you unexpectedly need to share it.

Should you intend to use a headset microphone, check the batteries beforehand.

During the conversation

After the call

If there is a lot of background noise, ask participants to mute their microphones and to only turn them on when they want to speak.

Articulate clearly and speak at an unforced pace.

If possible, display the agenda, for example by sharing your screen.

Plan breaks in your presentation to allow time for questions to be answered.

Keep an eye on the time, stop wordy and digressive contributions etc. (which is more tricky online than offline).

Provide your contact information at the end of the online conference in order to allow others to easily reach you.

After the conference call, send meeting minutes to all participants comprising the action points discussed.

Upload all documents to the common platform.

The Dos and Don’ts of

Online Video Meetings

Brian X. Chen

www.nytimes.com/

Audio and video conferencing

Additional tips for video conferences

Webcam

Make sure that the webcam lens is clean and that shields are

open. In case the webcam is not powerful enough or not

available at all and a short-term purchase impossible, you

can switch to special apps. With the right app and software

on your computer, even smartphones can be converted into

webcams. For iPhones, Epoccam is the means of choice,

which to a limited extent can be used free of charge. Android

users can also choose from a variety of solutions, including

an app called Droidcam.

Headset microphone

Hands-free microphones are not as efficient as headset

microphones. Hands-free microphones usually pick up too

much room reverberation and background noise. A microphone

close to the mouth eliminates most of the problems that so

often make it difficult to understand each other. If possible,

also avoid wireless devices, as the microphone quality often

disappoints.

Invitation to online meeting and agenda

Should you invite to an online session, supply the

participants in advance with

the exact date and time when the meeting is to

take place, including start and end times;

the names of all participants who are to attend the

meeting;

the agenda, i.e. the topics you wish to discuss

during your meeting. Make sure to include an introductory

as well as a closing round in the agenda;

the names of the people responsible for specific

points;

a reminder to those participants who should provide

an update on certain action points from the previous

meeting;

the required presentation material;

background material which should be read by participants

prior to the meeting;

contact possibilities for questions concerning the

agenda.

Zoom-bombing

A more recent phenomenon: Unknown persons gain access to online chats and meetings with the intention of disrupting them.

Prevention:

When you invite to an online conference, you can protect the meeting against uninvited guests by using a password.

Refrain from making the invitation public, for example on social media channels.

Some programmes offer a so-called waiting room. The participants log in to the conversation, first entering this waiting

room, from which the moderator allows them to proceed to the conversation, thus exercising control over the group of

participants.

Select the settings so that only you as the host can share the screen content.

How to stop trolls from taking over

your Zoom call

Casey Newton

www.theverge.com

E-mails

E-mails are used for external and internal company communication. For external business partners, they are to be

designed like a letter with address, subject line, form of address, and signature. A less formal approach is permitted

within the company. In addition, a business communication programme is often used

for the concise exchange of information - see section "Professional discussion platforms".

When writing e-mails, remember that with your message you leave marks on different

levels: You send signals not only with the content, but also with the language (spelling,

grammar, etc.) and the design (typeface, graphic elements, etc.). Always write your

messages in a polite manner, so that they could be forwarded to any person, also those

not on your mailing list, without consequences. E-mails are often forwarded to third

parties or additional recipients are copied in when replying.

DOS

When you create absence messages, keep them as detailed as

necessary but as concise as possible: salutation, date when

you can be reached again, deputy or organisation mailbox

and your name. Make sure an up-to-date absence message

is set.

Every e-mail should contain a correct form of address and a

polite closing formula with your name as the sender.

Check the addresses of the recipients before sending the e-mail.

This prevents a message from being sent to the wrong

people by mistake.

Make the recipients aware of an annex/attachment. In long e-mail

chains, attachments sometimes go unnoticed or are overlooked.

Unmentioned attachments might not be opened by

recipients being on their guard against electronic viruses.

For example, write "please refer to the attached document

for further details". Before sending, always check that the

mentioned attachment is actually attached.

For the transmission of large attachments, you can use an

Internet service that allows you to make large files accessible

free of charge.

Bcc stands for "Blind carbon copy". No reply is expected from Bcc

recipients, nor should they reply to the e-mail or indicate

that they have been privy to the relevant information

without the recipient's knowledge. Use Bcc exclusively for

bulk e-mails and to protect the privacy of the addressees.

Cc stands for "Carbon copy", implying that you include recipients

in a message but do not necessarily expect them to react.

Should you want someone to reply, place the respective

name in the "To" line, not in Cc.

Always check your e-mail before sending it. Very important messages

should be double-checked by a second pair of eyes.

Keep the distribution list as small as possible and as large as

necessary.

When forwarding e-mails, pay attention to which parts you want

to include from the previous e-mail correspondence.

Use the same font everywhere in your e-mails. Fonts and

colours are part of the first impression you make. They

should be chosen so that e-mails are easy to read. Not

every font can be "read" by all e-mail programmes, thus

unusual fonts may appear difficult to read or strange.

Therefore, choose a standard font that is used frequently.

The recipient name in the salutation must be checked three

times before sending. Make sure that it is spelled correctly.

Many people find the incorrect spelling of their names

careless, especially if the correct spelling is visible in the

email address. How should you react if such an error

occurred by mistake? Apologize immediately.

E-mails

The option reply to all is useful, should you wish to contribute a

matter of general interest to the discussion that is to be

shared with everyone. Otherwise, refrain from using it.

Everyone with a clogged up inbox will thank you.

Reply to e-mails in a business context within a maximum of 48

hours. At the very least, confirm receipt stating politely that

you will reply in a timely manner.

The signature should contain the most important address information:

Name, function, company, address, telephone

number, etc. You will find more information about the

signature on the following page.

Pay attention to spelling, grammar and punctuation.

Do not leave the subject line blank but use it for a short and

concise summary. The purpose of your email should be

clearly stated. Limit yourself to five or fewer words. Most

e-mails are read on mobile devices where long subject

lines will not be fully displayed.

Emoticons, emojis und GIFs

Until recently, emoticons, emojis and GIFs were

not considered to be professional in business

communication. Lately a degree of flexibility has

been introduced, though. In times of crisis and

widespread remote working, people take the

liberty to release emotions and are granted a

“momentary escape” from isolation by using emojis.

The fact that they evoke a smile here and there is

more than welcome, too.

When exchanging across cultural boundaries,

make sure to note that emoticons and emojis

might be associated with a different symbolic

meaning. For example, in many countries the

“thumbs-up-image” is interpreted as an approval,

in other regions however, this is an obscene

gesture.

DON‘TS

Why emoji mean different things in

different cultures

Alex Rawlings

www.bbc.com/future

In case of collective/mass e-mails, avoid all recipients being

visible to everyone: If possible, write to the recipients of

your message personally. There are practical reasons for

sending a message to a larger number of recipients, such

as specifying a venue or the like. In such cases, enter

yourself as the recipient and all addressees under "Bcc".

This way, everyone's privacy can be protected.

Hold back with criticism when using electronic media. For

delicate conversations and criticism, choose direct conversation

or telephone calls, possibly video calls.

Do not request a read receipt. It may be interpreted by the

recipient as an expression of mistrust or may make you

appear to be rather control-minded. In addition the

information value is limited. If you receive confirmation

that a message has been opened, you do not know for

sure whether it has been read and by whom (for example,

if the secretary's office receives e-mails).

If you do not receive a read confirmation, this does not

necessarily mean that an e-mail has not been read. It is

more likely that the recipient of the e-mail refuses to

send a read receipt.

It is not uncommon for people to click "send" prematurely or

inadvertently, even though the e-mail is yet only a draft.

This does not make a good impression at all. Therefore,

do not enter the recipient's e-mail address until you have

checked your e-mail and found it to be correct.

With the advent of instant messaging, language abbreviations

have become common, such as "u" for "you". Humour,

slang, even jargon in e-mails might be ambiguous or

can lead to misunderstandings.

E-mails

Signature

Many companies and organisations specify what their business signature should look like applying corporate design rules. Stick to

these guidelines. If you are self-employed, you can use your signature as an advertising means for your business. Consider hiring an

e-mail signature service to create a professional signature. There is no general e-mail signature standard. Depending on the device

and software, the signature can be displayed in differing ways. Send a few test e-mails to friends and ask them to give you a feedback

on the appearance as well as the size. Signatures with a logo or photo can quickly accumulate many kilobytes, which makes you r

e-mails unnecessarily "bulky".

An e-mail signature should contain the following information:

Name, title

Function

First name and surname

Your function

Company, possibly logo Be cautious with logos and images in the signature. A signature should not exceed more than 50 - 70 kB in size.

Phone number Use an international format: "+ country code", for example: +66.

Webseiten link

Not to be written out in full, without www, but with hyperlinks (if possible without blue line).

Social media

Disclaimer

Mandatory information

Do not list more than two social media icons (e.g. LinkedIn, Xing, etc.) and, above all, mention only those

which you visit regularly and keep up-to-date.

Some employers request employees to include a disclaimer into their signature even though the legal

consequences of disclaimers is disputed.

Find out whether or which details are mandatory in the country your company is based in. Many countries

require specific information in the e-mail signature, but regulations vary from country to country.

If you write and reply to work e-mails on your mobile phone or tablet, you should also check the signature there. "Sent from my

XY-phone" is not a signature but merely an advertisement for the manufacturer.

Checklist before sending an e-mail

Always reread each e-mail before sending it!

Also check:

Have the e-mail addresses in the recipient field been entered correctly

Are you sending the e-mail from the correct account?

Have you specified the subject?

Have you addressed the recipients correctly?

Have you checked spelling, punctuation and grammar?

Have you remembered to include the mentioned attachments?

What should you do if you happen to make a mistake? Either you can send

a timely e-mail, apologising for the error, or you can call the recipient,

explaining the situation.

15 email etiquette rules every

professional should know

Allana Akhtar and Caroline Hroncich

www.businessinsider.com

How to Write Email with Military

Precision

Kabir Sehgal

https://hbr.org/

Fonts / E-mail Etiquette

Ilene Strizver

www.fonts.com/de

Online-Training E-Mail Business

Etiquette

www.udemy.com

Professional discussion platforms

Professional discussion platforms (messenger services in a business context) serve to facilitate an uncomplicated

exchange of information between work colleagues. They are typically used within companies and organisations. The

programmes are generally configured in such a way that the messages appear immediately on the screen. The basic idea

is a continuous flow of questions and discussion contributions, to which one is supposed to react as soon as possible.

Examples of professional discussion platforms are Slack, Work-place by Facebook, Flock, Microsoft Teams, Threema

for Business etc.

DOS

DON‘TS

When you join a professional discussion platform, first of all

familiarise yourself with the communication style of the

users.

When you receive a message, at least confirm its arrival, if you

need to postpone your answer.

Stay focused on the topic and purpose of the group.

Make sure to keep professional and private communication

separate.

Switch to e-mail if you want to send long messages and/or

bulky attachments.

Pay attention to working days, times and time zones of the

group participants.

Make sure that your profile photo looks professional, up-todate

and is adapted to the features of the industry on all

platforms and media, used for professional purposes.

When you are added to a new group, refrain from an

overeager start, just chatting away, especially if you are

not yet acquainted with the communication style used.

A formal e-mail writing style does not correspond with the

rapid exchange of information and the basic idea of

internal team communication.

Criticism and personal feedback are misplaced in forums.

Do not send multiple messages to a colleague who is not

responding.

Messages marked with "@" plus addressee are considered

urgent. Use this function only in truly urgent cases.

Online etiquette on professional discussion platforms

Discuss issues related to topic and project.

Tolerate the views of others, they can take a project forward. Criticism is only beneficial if phrased in an objective and

constructive manner.

Remain fair and do not copy the ideas of others.

Do not change your posts at a later date, otherwise comments on them will not be traceable.

Respect copyrights when uploading photos, graphics etc., do not forget to indicate the source.

Respect the privacy of other participants and refrain from forwarding personal information such as e-mail addresses or

telephone numbers of third parties.

(Based on the Netiquette Rules of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce for Munich and Upper Bavaria, open.ihk-muenchen.de/rules)

Instant messaging

The time in instant messaging ticks faster. Reply to a message without delay. The sender expects a reply as soon as you

are online. The use of short message services is speeding up. Individual governments, organisations, or companies now

communicate mostly via text messaging.

Short messages need to be written in an appropriate style differing from the one in an e-mail or a letter. After all, the

purpose of short messages is real-time communication. One converses in a fluent dialogue by means of promptly alternating

statements; similar to a telephone call, although it is a written rather than a spoken communication, of course.

Nevertheless: Even if short messages are composed differently from e-mails, you should respect business etiquette in

business communication.

Examples of short message services are WhatsApp, Telegram, WeChat, Threema, as well as various short message

services of social media platforms (Facebook Messenger, LinkedIn Messenger etc.).

DOS

DON‘TS

Reply to messages without delay.

Emojis can clarify the tone of a message but should be used

with caution (see note "Emoticons, emojis and GIFs")

Keep it short (brevity is the soul of wit), but certainly not in a

brusque manner, especially when sending a message to

someone you do not know well. However, excessively

long sections of text are not desirable and may

"overwhelm" the recipient or cause pressure to reply

equally detailed. Should you have a lot to say, suggest a

phone call or a video chat.

Do not have a private conversation in a group chat.

Avoid opening a new group chat on grounds of trivialities.

Avoid sarcasm and irony, they are often misapprehended.

If a message is not urgent, wait at least a day before a followup,

even if you are sure that your message has been

read. Otherwise, you are putting unnecessary pressure

on the recipient.

Leaving a chat group

When you leave a company or organisation or

are transferred, you also log out of the related

chat group. Do not forget to send a message

thanking all members.

The dos and don’ts of hashtags

Allie Herzog

https://business.twitter.com/

Legal information

The topic of mandatory information for e-mail signatures has already been mentioned elsewhere.

Please note that depending on the business tool, system, country, participant or user, different data protection laws apply to the use

of personal data, to the recording of audio and video conversations and to audio and video material.

In the European Economic Area (EU and EFTA, excluding Switzerland), the General Data Protection Regulation, GDPR applies. Every

person must be given the opportunity to decide whether their data may be used (opt-in). This is particularly important as the GDPR

applies worldwide to all EU and EFTA citizens. For example, this also holds true for a Liechtenstein citizen whom you meet at an event

in Switzerland or the USA and exchange business cards with. His or her data is subject to the GDPR, and you may not use the information

on the business card as you wish.

You can find more information about the respective laws on the Internet

Switzerland

USA

Canada

India

China

GDPR, General Data Protection Regulation (EU & EFTA, excluding Switzerland)

DPA, Data Protection Act

HIPAA, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

PIPEDA, Federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act

Personal Data Protection Bill

Directive on internet content regulation and governance

Personal Data Protection Law and Data Security Law – planned release during 2020

www.dlapiperdataprotection.com

IMPRINT

Image Coaching - Barbara Zehnder

p.A. Ostschweizerische Treuhand Zürich AG

Giesshübelstrasse 45, CH-8045 Zürich

Translated from German: Aurora Clement

Image rights

Photography front page and author's photographs on page 15: Authors

Photography on page 5: www.123rf.com

DISCLAIMER

All the above websites and links have been reviewed and were up to date as of April 27, 2020. The websites and links in this publication are provided for information purposes only

and do not constitute an endorsement or approval by International Courtesy Competence of the products, services or opinions of the company, organisation or person. International

Courtesy Competence accepts no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of the external website or for the links provided. Consult the external website directly for answers

to questions concerning its content.

MEETING & GREETING • WINING & DINING • DRESS CODES & STYLING • INTERCULTURAL EMPATHY

International Courtesy Competence (ICC) advises institutions and individuals in the areas of appearance, outfit and intercult ural

competence. ICC's customers are companies, Ministries of Foreign Affairs and other administrative units, universities, hotels , VIP

and security services throughout Europe.

ICC offers half-day, full-day or multi-day seminars, webinars, workshops, training courses, individual coaching for executives as well

as presentations at conferences, in-house training courses and customer events.

ICC offers its services in English and German. Presentations are lively, marked by humour, charm and give real-life examples.

ICC was founded by Barbara Zehnder and Daniel Senn in 2014.

THE ICC USPs

The ICC trainers can draw upon many years of international

experience on the diplomatic scene, in the business world

and hotel industry.

ICC’s courtesy competence has been internationally proven

and is practiced daily.

The ICC trainers have lived and worked on all 5 continents.

They convey first-hand experiences and real-life examples.

SELECTED TOPICS

Delicate situations and complaint management

Cultural differences in a nutshell

Dress codes, dress language and signals with damage potential

The correct use of titles

Checklists for corporate and private events

The secrets of seating arrangements

Publication: “Meeting – Dining – Dress Codes”

Published in German in its second edition with Versus, Zurich, 2020

Barbara Zehnder has been advising companies

and individuals on appearance, business

etiquette and outfit since 2003. More than 25

years of experience in the diplomatic arena as

an event organiser, networker, hostess and

partner of a diplomat guarantee practical

relevance.

Barbara Zehnder lived and worked in Switzerland,

Belgium, South Korea, Austria and

Ukraine. She currently lives in Sweden.

Daniel Senn has more than 30 years of experience

in international hotel management. As a global

professional and partner in the diplomatic

service, he has been organising events, meetings

and promotional events around the world for

over 20 years.

Daniel Senn has lived and worked in Switzerland,

the US, Saudi Arabia, Czech Republic, Thailand,

Australia, Brazil, Nigeria and Spain. He

currently lives in Tunisia.

CONTACT

contact@courtesycompetence.com

International Courtesy Competence - ICC Special No1 - REMOTE WORK AND ONLINE ETIQUETTE - 04.2020

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