28 December 2018

Business protocol: how to draw up your manual

The business protocol is made up of all those norms or rules under which a company operates. It can apply only to ceremonies and certain events, but it can also go beyond that and cover even the relations between employees themselves. Each company is free to decide what it will include.

In order to make it known to all the people who are part of it, the company can draw up what is known as a business protocol manual. This is a document that explains and details all the rules under which the company must act and the situations in which they must be applied.

Below you will find a proposal that will help you draft your business protocol manual. Remember at all times that this is a guide, so you should not take these guidelines rigidly.

Business Protocol Manual: What to Include

Those who have questions about business protocol manuals often struggle with what points to include in theirs. Some of the points we recommend are:

Contents. At the start of the manual, we recommend including a table of contents that allows the reader to get a general idea of the points covered in the manual if they haven't read it yet, or to quickly find specific information if they have read it but don't remember which pages it's on. In the case of a business protocol manual in digital format (PDF, for example), we recommend that the points in the table of contents be hyperlinked to their respective pages.
Company description. It is important to dedicate a few pages to explaining what the company does, its objectives, vision, mission, values, organisational chart, etc. This will be of particular use for new employees, as with this information they will be able to better link and recall the established company protocol regarding what they have been explained about the company.
Chapter breakdown on the business protocol's aims. As we discussed at the beginning of this article, each company decides which situations its business protocol will cover. Once decided, it is recommended to divide them into chapters in the manual to facilitate distinction between them. Some of those we recommend are:
1. Standard business protocol. All those rules that every member of the company must apply in any situation. For example, a specific way of identifying themselves as a member or the way of attending to customers.
2. Ceremonial protocol. For everything concerning public acts, celebrations, etc., both internal and external, rules can be established, such as dress code. For example, a company that uses dark blue as its corporate colour may ask all its employees to wear that colour at any ceremonial event.
3. Public protocol. The company can establish rules of behaviour, presentation, conversation… specific to those events attended by public sector representatives. Perhaps some sort of screen-printed gift would be advisable for certain companies.
4. Protocol for networking. To establish professional contacts, companies can also introduce a specific form of introduction or any other code of conduct.
5. Written protocol. All written communications, such as letters or emails, can also follow certain rules. Should your company use emoticons like the classic smiley face 🙂 in its greetings, or is it preferable that it does not? These are the types of questions that help to establish written protocol guidelines.
6. Internal protocol. Establishes office rules and how to act with the company's own members. For example, if we send them a gift voucher At Christmas, how should it be done?

These have been some of the types of protocol that can be distinguished in a business protocol manual, but remember that they are just examples to act as inspiration. To determine which are recommended for your situation, you must carry out a personalised study of your company and choose them by asking yourself the essential question: «What objective does establishing this type of protocol have for me?».

We hope you find the proposed examples useful.