On the frontlines of campus office work, your professionalism is communicated in a variety of ways. When someone enters your office, you want them to feel they’re going to be taken care of and helped with their concerns, all while being treated respectfully, kindly and compassionately. You can do so by…
- Greeting them warmly and with interest
- Paying attention to them and their needs
- Listening actively and well
- Gathering needed information for them, both through what you know and what you might need to research
- Following up when you say you will
- Having a neat, well-organized office
- Being dressed cleanly, neatly and professionally
- Exhibiting kindness and care
- Making time to understand what they’re seeking
- Assuring them there are no dumb questions
- Leaving the door open to future questions and interactions
Don’t Operate Based on Assumptions
Assumptions are barriers to true understanding and connection. That’s why it’s important to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, rather than assuming that you know everything about who they are and how they operate.
For instance, the following assumptions could limit your interactions with office visitors and colleagues…
- Assuming they’re grumpy just because they’re not smiling
- Assuming they’re happy all the time because they do smile
- Assuming that quiet individuals aren’t interested or warm
- Assuming that loud individuals don’t care about others’ feelings
- Assuming things about their health based on how they look
- Assuming they’re aloof because they cut straight to the chase when asking questions
- Assuming things about their lifestyle based on tattoos, piercings, ways of dress, etc.
- Assuming they know all campus resources because they’re a junior or senior
- Assuming they don’t want to be involved in campus life because they’re a commuter, adult student learner, student parent, etc.
Find more worksheets, handouts and other ready-made training tools like this one within our NEW Training Your Professional & Student Frontline Staff resource.
