What Is The Future of Etiquette?

I am fortunate. I have a home and I have work. Like many people, due to the pandemic, I have been holed up doing just this for the past year.

Prior to March last year, as a Communications Trainer, I enjoyed delivering our training in person. Since then, I have adapted everything Eaglei do to suit online delivery. It works fine; it is a decent enough substitute but will never beat face to face interaction. Whatever the new ‘normal’ world eventually looks like personally, I can envisage continuing to work in both ways: in person and virtually.

However the volume of rules, regulations, advice and guidance we have all been subjected to over the last 12 months has got me thinking. Without the benefit of a crystal ball, what will the future of business etiquette, in particular, look like:

• Have we seen the demise of the handshake greeting?
• Will the homemade ‘pack up’ replace the corporate lunch?
• Will partition screens divide the open plan office once again?
• Will ‘hot desking’ become ‘sanitised seating’?
• Is social distancing in the office here to stay?
• Will face coverings be issued along with a lanyard?

If the Government does not issue any further guidance on these and many other issues then, over time, it will presumably be down to individual businesses to implement bespoke solutions.