Restaurant Etiquette for Valentine’s Day Dining Valentine’s Day is a nationally celebrated holiday often associated with a romantic dinner out. Good etiquette at restaurants is part of good manners anytime when eating out. But, it especially comes to mind around Valentine’s Day when diners pack restaurant tables to celebrate their romance. Most servers are trained to treat customers with courtesy and… Read More
How to be a Class Act in 2019 You’ve probably heard the expression that someone is a “class act.” It’s a compliment, of course. And who wouldn’t want to be described in that way? However, one needs only turn on the TV news to be assaulted with examples, instead, of a decline of civility. This decline is seen in everything from politics and… Read More
How to Set the Table for a Holiday Dinner Many people tell me they are overwhelmed when thinking about how to set the table for a holiday dinner. However, it’s actually quite simple with a few guidelines. In my tips below, you will learn how to set the table for a holiday or Christmas dinner so it’s elegant, yet easy for guests to navigate… Read More
Holiday Dinner Party Etiquette: 8 Ways to Put Your Best Foot Forward ‘Tis the season for holiday dinner parties! Which means it’s time to brush up on your holiday dinner party etiquette. Whether the party is in the home of your boss, friends or neighbors, you will set yourself apart as a gracious and thoughtful guest, if you follow these holiday dinner party etiquette tips. Here are… Read More
Office Holiday Party: 6 Tips to be Savvy, Not Sorry Be Savvy, Not Sorry at your Holiday Party ‘Tis the season for the office holiday party. It’s a great place to have fun with coworkers and mingle with the higher ups. But, etiquette and professionalism still matter at the office holiday party. After all, it’s still a work event. And you’re being observed by coworkers,… Read More
Uber and Lyft Etiquette Tips Ever used a rideshare service such as Lyft or Uber and wondered about correct etiquette? I know I did the first time my “taxi” was an Uber. Do I tip the same as a taxi? Can I tell the driver to turn the AC up or the music down? The Uber and Lyft etiquette tips… Read More
5 Workplace Character Traits for a Positive Reputation Workplace character traits often trump skills. A lack of character in the workplace has now caused some companies to “hire for character and train for skill.” It doesn’t mean skills and competence don’t matter. But, often skills can be taught and mastered on the job, while character flaws may not be redeemable. We’ve all… Read More
Mid-term Election Etiquette: Five Tips for Peaceful Politics at Work Is there such a thing as mid-term election etiquette at work? Mid-term elections are just around the corner across the United States. And since employees today typically spend more time at work than anywhere else, is it possible to have peaceful politics at work? Is it okay to talk politics at all? Many offices don’t… Read More
Business Etiquette Errors Can Be Costly In a conversation recently with a high-level professional, he said he often scribbles notes on the back of someone’s business card to remember something they talked about. He asked if this was okay. My response: It’s not ideal. It’s like putting graffiti on someone’s card. A best practice is to wait until the person has… Read More
Meeting Etiquette: Top 4 Meeting Pet Peeves and How to Avoid Them Meetings can be a way to focus on business issues, gather input and jointly solve problems. But, many people don’t practice good meeting etiquette. According to a recent report in USA Today,* attendees ranked the four meeting etiquette pet peeves below as the most annoying. Here are the faux pas and best practices to avoid… Read More