Who should go first in the elevator-public area etiquette

Who should go first in the elevator - public area etiquette

Not long after I started working, I went to the Five Sails Hotel in Vancouver with my Western boss for a meeting. I respect the professionals who have been in the industry for more than 30 years. They have gray hair and speak sincerely. The meeting went very well. But after the meeting, I ran into trouble - when I walked to the elevator, the gray-haired man pressed the elevator button and asked me to go in first. I thought, one of the people traveling with me was a boss and the other was an elder, so I shouldn’t have been in my turn. But the two men insisted on letting me go first, talking and gesticulating. I had no choice but to walk into the elevator anxiously, my feet uncertain. Just a few seconds, it feels like a long time, because I really don't know what to do properly.

To make matters worse, our mission was to visit offices on behalf of clients in Asia. The gray-haired man had to lead us to see three floors in sequence, which meant we had to go in and out several times. Second door, step out of the elevator several times. I feel uncomfortable every time I walk in front of the door. The habit of respecting leaders and elders that I have developed over the years does not work here. Therefore, I was very unhappy the whole morning - my lack of grasp of basic etiquette made me depressed, although the matter was not serious.

On the way back to the office, I couldn’t help but ask my boss who should get in the elevator first under the circumstances. He said: The "ladies first" rule has nothing to do with position or age. The usual order of entering and exiting the elevator is: older women, younger women, older men, younger men. The boss said something interesting at the time: "Although I am the boss, there is a fact that no one can change. I am a man and you are a woman. You should naturally enjoy and accept this respect."

Me Just a few days after getting used to this kind of rules, something confusing happened again. This time, a domestic delegation came to our company to discuss a project. We went to have a working lunch together at noon. When we entered the elevator, I consciously or unconsciously followed Chinese habits and asked the leader of the Chinese delegation to advance. When he saw me The boss, who was older than him, tried his best to let my boss go first; but my boss looked confused at this time, not knowing whether to let me, a lady, go first or let the customer go first. Everyone waited at the elevator entrance for a long time, but finally I jumped in first and said, "I'll press the elevator button."

In fact, if you think about it carefully, although it is a small matter who gets into the elevator first, there are many differences in culture and customs behind it. Chinese people have respected authority and elders since ancient times. On such occasions, leaders and elders must be given priority; while Westerners have developed the habit of giving priority to ladies, which is deeply ingrained. Any older boss must also stay behind, and also There are rules for opening a car door for a lady, moving a chair for a lady, helping a lady put on her coat, and all the "gentlemanly" demeanor. In fact, none of these are right or wrong. We cannot say that one kind of rule is better or superior than another.

Therefore, when I work in a Western company in Vancouver, I am happy to enjoy the eternal "ladies first"; if I go back to China for a business trip or receive customers from China, I still don't You will forget that leaders and bosses come first.