A few months ago, I made a simple change to how I conduct meetings that opened my eyes to an uncomfortable truth about professional behavior in 2025.
As a workplace culture consultant who trains professionals on communication and etiquette, I used to see articles everywhere about returning to office basics: avoid strong-smelling foods, mind your phone usage in meetings, tidy up shared workspaces, maintain appropriate volume in open offices.
What’s striking about today’s workplace is how those fundamentals now serve as merely the starting point. We’re navigating an environment where artificial intelligence has completely transformed professional conduct expectations.
Rather than having my AI note-taking software automatically join every meeting, I began requesting consent: “I’d like to include my AI assistant for note-taking today – does everyone feel comfortable with this? Please speak up if you’d prefer I disable it.”
This straightforward adjustment exposed countless unspoken assumptions about AI integration in professional environments. Some participants welcomed the openness. Others revealed their companies maintain strict prohibitions against such technologies.
Modern Professional Communication Standards
Contemporary workplace professionals must master:
Inclusive Hybrid Facilitation: Making remote attendees feel like active contributors rather than passive observers. This involves personally addressing virtual participants, actively utilizing chat functions, and ensuring camera angles capture the entire meeting space.
AI Consent Practices: Securing agreement from all parties before recording, transcribing, or introducing AI into discussions. Beyond legal requirements, this builds trust in an age where conversations may be analyzed and archived in unprecedented ways.
Global Digital Sensitivity: Recognizing that communication styles valued in one culture might seem harsh in another, particularly across international teams. Simple gestures like specifying time zones in calendar invitations demonstrate respect for worldwide colleagues.
Professional Recognition
This month brings the honour of being selected as Emily Post Institute’s Featured Trainer. Having completed their Business Etiquette Train the Trainer certification in 2024 and spent months developing my curriculum before my recent launch, this recognition among industry leaders feels particularly significant.
For those interested in exploring workplace etiquette training for their teams, I welcome conversations about how these programs might benefit your organization.
Looking Ahead
Organizations succeeding in this evolving landscape prioritize open dialogue about technology’s impact on workplace relationships rather than simply implementing the most sophisticated AI policies.
I’m curious about the AI workplace situations you’re encountering and those moments when you’ve noticed professional expectations shifting unexpectedly.
About the Author
Trina Boos is the Founder and CEO of Boost Academy of Excellence, where she helps professionals master workplace etiquette and business skills for today’s evolving work environment. Drawing from her experience as former CEO of Boost Agents, Trina has placed thousands of professionals in leading organizations across North America.
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Boost Academy of Excellence is a Business Etiquette Licensed organization by the Emily Post Institute.
