When I married my husband I experienced a little bit of culture shock. Being married means participating in the holiday rituals and traditions of both families. Being a newlywed married into an Asian family, I found family gatherings on my husband's side to be a bit bewildering. There were so many different traditions. I did not want to seem disrespectful and so I mimicked the behaviors I observed to "fit in". Eventually those mimicked behaviors became second-nature.
The same type of bewilderment, concern for appearing "unknowing", and adapting through mimicry are also found in the workplace. Whether you are new to a particular organization and are feeling out the corporate culture or new to a specific role within the organization we all find a way to maintain a semblance of capability.
What many do not realize, however, is learning your way around the corporate "traditions" and "rituals" is important to your success in any organization and is simply practicing good business etiquette.
Business etiquette can be everything from knowing department protocol to ensuring you remove your leftover lunch from the office fridge before it becomes a scientific culture. For a great list of office rules read the article Workplace Etiquette: Be Your Best At Work by etiquette expert Lisa Mirza Grotts, former Director of Protocol for the City and County of San Francisco.
Or, if you would like a more office-centric, rather than global, guide to business etiquette peruse USA Today contributor Steve Strauss' article: Top Workplace Pet Peeves and Etiquette Mistakes.
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