Pay attention and be nice.

• Position: Office Etiquette

All of the technological tools we use in the workplace these days probably have made breaches of office etiquette more common--and many of us are moving at a faster pace at work than ever before, which can make us more susceptible to bad manners and bloopers. However, according to a survey by Accountemps, Menlo Park, Calif., these changes in the workplace have not led to shifts in the code of office etiquette. Both executives and employees still notice breaches of the basic manners we learned in preschool: pay attention when someone's speaking to you and, if you do not have anything nice to say, do not say anything at all.

When asked which rules were broken most often in their office, CFOs ranked being distracted during meetings at No. 1 (27%). Workers asked the same question put gossiping about others in the office at the top of their list (28%).

With that in mind, Accountemps addresses four common questions about office etiquette:

How much do manners really matter? A lot--people may not be as formal in the workplace as they used to be, but managers and workers still expect their colleagues to be respectful and courteous. What is more, employees with good manners project an image of professionalism, strengthening their reputation and improving their chances for career growth.

What office etiquette rules are the most Important? Paying attention in meetings and declining to participate in the office gossip mill are important, but CFOs...