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Archive for the ‘Etiquette’ Category
Sun, June 15, 2008 1:50 pm By James Coolridge  Printer friendly version
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 Corporate ethics and etiquette will take you a long way in improving your confidence level and increase the chances to succeed in your career as well as social life. The mere appearance and your behavior in a society or community- the way you look, talk, walk, sit, stand, eat- sum up and present the real being in you. Your way of presenting yourself will always give the hints about who you are and what impression you have on others. So, when you are socializing in the corporate world, you need to follow its etiquette. Read on to get a vision about it.
It is a matter of great concern that many people have literally ignored the importance of good manners since the corporate world is becoming less impersonal. The high-tech workplaces have very less human interaction. Hence, people are less bothered about the ramifications of their actions. Many people have forgotten that it is not only important in their personal lives, but also play a vital role in their professional lives.
The new competition edge has taken a different angle. In this new age, a successful career doesn’t always come in the way of those who have worked the longest or hardest, nor to those whose resume is the most impressive. There are many companies who are just not willing to send someone to the front line if they don’t have a little finesse in their appearance and presentation. The bottom line is- confidence and good manners still wins the race. This means that in order to be more competitive on the job market, a professional needs to be very conversant with Business and social etiquette.
Tags: business, world, corporate, host, bad, good, manners
Sun, June 15, 2008 1:49 pm By James Coolridge
 People have different ways of greeting each other all over the globe. The different ways of greetings are a sign of respect and acknowledgement of meeting one another.
The primitives used to show their hands as a gesture that they come in peace. During the era of Julius Caesar, the roman salute was done with the right hand clenched in a fist and sharply drawn to the chest followed by grasping each other’s forearm by the hand. Soldiers used to greet their superiors with a snappy salute whereas the general public shake their hands with each other’s palms interlocking.
You can explore the local custom of various places with regard to the greeting procedure. The etiquette is to adopt the way of handshakes according to the place you visit. Elders used to say, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”
To do it the right way, ask around the local circle about the right greeting procedure. You may have good intentions, but this gets often misinterpreted and looks like an insult if you don’t follow the right greeting procedure. This should be taken care of especially when you are new to a place and its cultures.
If you are a bit confused on how the proper gesture in a locality is administered, play safe- wear a convincing smile. Handshake and smile both are types of body languages. So, a smile never fails in any culture around the world.
Handshakes along with another gesture convey a lot of meaning. A typical handshake, with palms interlocking is done by politicians. A handshake accompanied by a grasp by the left hand to the right hand or to the right shoulder of the other person conveys that the person is comfortable with the other person. This may be a proper gesture for friends but may mean otherwise if two individuals hardly know each other.
Tags: body, handshake, firm, manly, confident, language
Fri, May 23, 2008 4:58 am By James Coolridge
 So you have decided to wash off the sorrows of your tough day with some brews at the bar. You trudge into the bar, sip a couple or more pegs of beers, pay off the bill and some tips to the bar tender, spin around the bar stool and head for your vehicle outside. By doing all this, you are unknowingly violating the bar etiquette!
Yes, it is very important for the bar patrons as well as the bartenders to follow the bar etiquette. It may sound nerdy to get trained how to behave at a bar since it is not formal like etiquette at a formal dinner or wedding ceremony. The bar etiquette is informal and fluid. Here is how to behave at your favorite bar.
The starting of bar etiquette is with the person who serves the drink- the bartender. Befriend the bartender. Talk to him in a civilized manner. Bartenders’ earning mainly comes with the tips your give. So, if you find the service to be satisfactory, it is good to be generous when tipping.
If you are a bar tender and when a woman wants you to approach her swivel bar stool, she may reveal with her body language. She may maintain eye-contact with you for a long time or play with her hair. When you are buying her a drink, make sure that you do not use any weird pick up lines like “Do you come here often?” Keep the bar etiquettes in mind and if you are also interested in her, ask her number if you want it. Make a call within 24 to 48 hours if you want to see her again.
Etiquette makes you a civilized person. Though bar is an informal space, you should definitely follow the decorum of the place because you are a SOCIAL animal and not just an ANIMAL! So next time when you sit on the swivel bar stool, make sure that you maintain your decency!
Tags: bar, bartender, bar stool
Thu, May 22, 2008 5:04 am By James Coolridge
 How do you congratulate someone for their achievement? By giving away a card, a gift or a bouquet of flowers! Well, these are stereotype ways to congratulate anyone which definitely we would not suggest you! Why don’t you think differently? Think creatively? Read on to get some tips.
First of all, keep in mind the person whom you are congratulating. There may be many cards beautifully written and gifts that are very pleasant. But, they may lack one thing- the very thought about the person receiving the gifts or cards. So, show your affection for that individual. Whether the person is your friend, your family member or colleague, keep in mind the person’s hobbies, tastes and all the favorite things. You will really come up with some creative ways to offer congratulations to them.
The next important thing to take into consideration is the achievement of the person for which you are congratulating. Think about ways to offer your wishes that are appropriate to the age of the person receiving your gift. Remember, a teenager graduating high school and your dad won’t appreciate the same gifts.
So, next time you congratulate anyone, do it appropriately, most importantly, do it creatively!
Tags: greeting card, accomplishment, gifts
Thu, May 22, 2008 5:02 am By James Coolridge
 Your attitude counts a lot in the business world. Your character is reflected by the way you present yourself. Business people often become prejudiced by the mere conduct of a person in a business meeting. So, you should ensure that you maintain your rapport by avoiding the business etiquette blunder.
The most common way of introducing yourself to anybody is a handshake and lack of confidence when you introduce yourself won’t lead you anywhere. You should never fumble while shaking hands especially at the time of an interview, if you fumble and shake your hands in a weird way, you will be judged as an undesirable candidate for the job. Your professional life will be filled with mini introductions to your colleagues, clients other career acquaintance. So, every hand shake should be done correctly. Whenever you are meeting someone, stand up to shake your hands if you have been sitting and make eye contact. Repeat the person’s name so that you will remember the name for later as well.
People often have the habit of drinking too much at business functions like dinners and holiday parties. This is considered as one of the biggest blunders. Do not drink too much, limit your pegs to one or two. This will because you will come off as unprofessional, will lead you saying things that you shouldn’t say during the party. So, it is better to minimize the number of drinks you have and the best, to avoid it.
It is suggested time and again that you should follow the basic table manners. Know how to use the silverware. The ladies at your table should be served first. Wait until everyone at the table has their food before you begin eating. You should never forget to keep napkin on your lap.
Another important aspect is following the e mail etiquette. Most of the people commit the mistake of writing e mails that are too casual or inappropriate. Learn how to convey the message in your e mail. Keep the e mail professional at the same time polite. In addition, avoid using your office email to send others in the office funny, cute, sentimental, personal or chain emails.
Last but not the least, people often become too casual with their superiors. They take the freedom given by their superiors for granted. Getting too much personal with your superior is of no use. In fact, it may affect your professional status. There are many instances of bosses coming too close to their employees. This is fair but basically, the relationship between the boss and their employee should be purely professional. Mutual respect matters a lot in professional relationship. Give your colleagues and your superiors the due respect.
Hence, don’t commit the mistakes and ensure a cordial relationship professionally!
Tags: business, handshake, professional relationship
Thu, May 22, 2008 5:02 am By James Coolridge
 E mail is certainly one of the prevalent forms of communication in this present age. People take advantage of this great service both professionally and personally. However, in the midst of exchanging loads and loads of forwarded messages, people often forget to put together some coherent thought into the message. This may be out of habit or mere laziness. Here are a few tips on how to build a good e mail and thus improve your e-mail communication.
You don’t have to flaunt your vocabulary in your email. Keep it simple. Moreover, it is considered that a message exceeding 100lines is lengthy and will probably not be read. So, avoid telling stories to the receiver of your mail. There are some companies who are taxed for every second of Internet connection, so they won’t entertain your lengthy stories built up in your email.
Another thing to keep in mind is the attachment which you send in your email. If the message is short, avoid using attachment. Let the receiver know what the attachment is for. This is because many people don’t open the attachment on the fear of virus in the attachment.
Pay attention when you address an email to multiple recipients. First of all, be very sure that the message is useful for every recipient in the list. Nobody wants their inbox to be cluttered with junk mail. So, if the message doesn’t apply to the people, don’t send it to them.
After checking the addresses, it is now time to pay attention to the content of the message. You should be very careful of what you write. Be sure to start your message with a proper opening. Start the mail with a simple “hello” or “Dear”.
End the e-mail with “Sincerely” or “Yours truly”.
Informal notes are not appreciated by everyone. So, if it is a professional matter, try to keep the e mail formal. If you are not addressing a person you know, then don’t use short phrases. It may also seem unprofessional to use emoticons, so avoid them. Once you construct your email run a spell-check to make sure everything is correct. Emails with a lot of mistakes don’t look good and make a bad impression.
Last but not the least, the format of the e-mail should be simple. Remember, e mail if for communication. So, stick to the easiest format available.
This way, you will be able to communicate the message in a better way.
Tags: email, communication, format
Tue, May 20, 2008 2:01 pm By James Coolridge
 Imagine if you are at your workplace and your colleague’s cell is ringing every five minutes with its loud ringtone which really irritates you. Will you like that anyways? NO will be the answer. What if when you do the same thing? A strict turn off, isn’t it? So, it is time to teach yourself as well as your colleague the basic etiquette of using cell phones.
Start with your ringtone itself. Nobody in public place will tolerate the loud music coming out of your cell phone every five minutes as you attend the calls. So, it is better to keep your phone on vibrate mode. Another idea is to use a ringtone with a milder song or one that sounds like a regular telephone ringtone.
The next thing to keep a check on is your caller tune. You may be a hard core fan of heavy metal music, but if that is not the taste of people waiting for you to pick up the call, better replace the caller tune with something that most callers will enjoy listening to.
Many people have a question in mind that when the cell phone should be switched off. Hospitals and airplanes are places where you need to turn your cell off. You may be asked to turn your cell off in a library or theatre. No matter how important call you are waiting for, is it the etiquette to shut your cell down in such places. In such situation, allow your voice mail to pick it up and you can call them back later.
It is acceptable to answer your call in a restaurant if you are dining with your colleagues or a group of close friends. But, it doesn’t look good if you are busy answering your calls when you are in a romantic dinner with your spouse or with just one friend. The friend or your spouse will anytime loose his/her temper if you do this. So, in these situations, it is better to keep your cell off.
You should always keep your cell phone switched off during a funeral or a wedding ceremony because receiving calls during such ceremonies may offend the family or many of them may become angry due to your behavior. It is very disrespectful to keep yourself busy during such occasions.
Cell phone etiquette is a generalized thing. It is your personal choice whether to follow these or not. However, being considerate of the people around you is never bad!
Tags: cell phone, ring tone, caller tune
Thu, May 15, 2008 1:54 pm By James Coolridge
 Business is no more restricted to your workplace or cell phone. Much of the business is now conducted over food. So, it is very important to know etiquette when you dine with your clients as to build up cordial relationships with your clients. Follow these dining etiquette tips because many business deals can take shape over the dining table!
The choice of restaurant:
Since you are the host of the dinner, you are responsible for choosing the time of the meal and the location of the restaurant. The location of the restaurant should be suitable for your client. Make sure that the restaurant has parking facilities. Avoid a crowdie restaurant because it is impossible to conduct business at a noisy place.
Your guest’s preferences:
Ask your guest his/her preferences of food and place the menu accordingly. Consider the menu according to the tastes of your guest. Offer the seat preferred by your guest that will probably the one facing towards the room or facing the window.
The arrival of your guest:
Order drinks if they have not arrived yet. Keep the table untouched until your guest arrives.
Make the guests comfortable:
Ask your guests to order first and follow suite. Let them feel free to choose anything they like from the menu.
Order the right food:
When placing the order, make sure that you don’t order anything which can put out of action. Avoid anything that is difficult to eat with a knife and fork, or foods like spaghetti, where you can end up spilling sauce on dress. Make sure that you never talk with mouth stuffed with food which is a strict turn-off for your guest.
Proper coordination:
Coordination is very important at a business lunch. It will be really awkward if some people eat while other watch them eating. So, make sure that every one orders in a group, eats the same courses and finishes at the same time.
Discuss business:
Remember, the objective of the lunch is to discuss business. Had it been a dinner, you may talk business in a leisurely manner, probably after finishing off your main course. But since it is lunch, start talking business after you order.
Last but not the least…
Your business meal should give you positive result. So, you should always remember that you arranged the lunch to develop cordial relationships with your client, not with the food.
Tags: business, Etiquette, meal, client
Wed, May 14, 2008 1:53 pm By James Coolridge
 When it comes to a restaurant, the dining etiquette is important to the employees as well as the patrons. There are certain rules to be followed by both the parties to keep the dining experience enjoyable. Here are they.
It is very important for the diners as well as the employees of a restaurant to respect each other. The diners should not disrupt the meals of other diners and they should fairly treat the staff of the restaurant. On the other side, every employee of the restaurant should give their best to serve the customers well.
The restaurant staff should always strive to be spick and span. When preparing the table for the next diners, the wait staff should thoroughly wipe off the left over food on the tables. The dining utensils and plates should be arranged neatly on the table. Make sure that you follow the protocol set by the restaurant about the dining arrangements.
On the other hand, if you are a customer and have reserved tables, make sure that you arrive on time. If you think that you may arrive a bit late, make it a point to inform the restaurant staff. Call them and explain the situation. This will be surely appreciated by the staff of the restaurant.
So when the customers make calls to cancel or reserve tables, as a server, it is your duty to be patient to listen to the phone calls. Try to still accommodate the customers even if they arrive late. Polite and patience are the key words.
As a diner, you should follow the decorum. Preferably, do not take your cell phone to the restaurant. If it is unavoidable, keep your cell phone in silent mode so that your calls don’t distract other diners. If you are arranged for a party with your family or friends in the restaurant, DO spend the time in an enjoyable way. At the same time, make sure that you are not too noisy and disturbing other diners. You should be considerate about your as well as other’s privacy.
Sometimes it happens that even in the best restaurant, you don’t find the food satisfactory. Don’t be wacky in this situation. Explain the wait staff politely that your meal is not satisfactory.
On the other hand, the restaurant staff should react to the customers politely when they are explaining that they are unhappy with their meal. Try to resolve the situation.
Keeping in mind these tips, everyone will have enjoyable experience in the restaurant!
The diner should always remember to thank the restaurant staff before leaving the restaurant. When leaving your tip, take into consideration the service you received.
Keeping in mind these tips, everyone will have enjoyable experience in the restaurant!
Tags: restaurant, dining, diner, staff
Tue, May 13, 2008 1:52 pm By James Coolridge
 A cigar may be a great source of pleasure in your life, but same may be not for others. Remember, anti-smoking campaigns are in full swing and smoking can be very uncomfortable to the people surrounding you. Not to forget the build up of residue from cigar smoke on the walls, furniture and even in your clothing. Here comes the need to follow etiquette when you smoke cigar. Read on.
The cigar smell can choke the non-smokers. So, if you are smoking in the presence of a non-smoker, make sure that you find a well-ventilated area to do so. You may feel to lock yourself in your office or bedroom while you smoke but don’t do this unless there is a window in your room.
Be miles apart from your children and elderly people when you smoke because it is very important to take care of their health.
When you are away from home, light up your cigar only in legally permitted places. Look for smoking zones to puff your cigs.
Be a courteous smoker. Always ask permission to smoke when someone with you is a non-smoker or doesn’t like the smell of your cigar. Make sure that the smoke is moving towards the direction of someone who is perturbed by it. It is good to check whether anybody around you is eating. If yes then you should not light up your cigar.
You can’t travel with an ash-tray everywhere you go. So, when you are smoking away from your home, be considerate to dispose off the ashes in a safe manner. The ashes should not blow near or onto other people.
This way, enjoy your “so called” pleasure and reduce the risk of passive smoking.
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