What we can learn from old school business practices

There is no denying that in recent years there have been countless technological, organisational and social advances in the corporate world. Although this has massively benefited the business community, there are some forgotten old school practices that are well worth resurrecting.

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Dress Smartly

Business culture has become increasingly informal over recent years and nowadays it isn’t unusual to find offices that have adopted policies that allow staff to dress casually. Given that recent studies have showed that dressing well is associated with professional success, perhaps it’s time for a revival of formal office attire.

Ban technology during meetings

Thanks to modern technology, many business meetings are now over-ruled by individuals who are only half-heartedly listening to what’s going on. It seems as though nobody can go more than five minutes without getting distracted by emails, texting, social media and games. In fact, a recent study revealed that more than half the respondents admitted to checking their phone during meetings.

Meetings work much better when everyone is paying attention and participating so banning technology during this time can be a wise idea. It ensures that attendees are more focused and productive and can even shorten the length of meeting times because people will push for it to end when they start to lose interest rather than sitting there playing games on their phone.

Take proper lunch breaks

Due to the increasing pressure and workloads that many of us face, one hour lunch breaks frequently become a thing of the past. Most of us stay at our desk or grab food to go so we can get back to work as soon as possible. Although this is bound to happen from time to time, experts have claimed that people who take regular lunch breaks are healthier and more productive. Additionally to this, implementing something like a Friday lunch club can help colleagues to create stronger relationships in the office and actively encourage team work.

Be punctual

60 years ago, when people made arrangements, they had to stick to them because it was impossible to get hold of people remotely. However, since technology has advanced and communication has become instant, nobody thinks anything of dropping someone an email or text to let them know they will be late. Although this can be particularly helpful when genuine delays occur, unfortunately it has made people increasingly slack with their time-keeping skills. Old school punctuality is an unbeatable trait because it shows reliability, respect and it can decrease the costly impact of wasted time.

Although it is vital for the business community to continually strive for improvement, companies should also take care to hold on to those practices that made office life more effective, engaging, fun and productive.