Past Etiquette Tips
Courtesy of the Culture and Manners Institute
The Switch 11/10/09
When you are at a networking event or a cocktail party, hold your drink in your left hand so your right hand is free to shake hands.
If your beverage is in your right hand and you suddenly have to switch it to your left to shake a person's hand, then your hand will be cold, wet and clammy from the beverage glass. A cold, wet and clammy handshake does not leave a good impression.
Death by Breath 11/03/09
In the event of bad breath, oxygen masks will drop from the ceiling... if only. When your breath stinks, it’s hard to do business.
Remedy garlic breath or bad breath during a business meal by chewing on parsley, drinking lemonade or taking advantage of the restaurant's after dinner mints. Chewing on coffee beans is a quick fix, although this might be followed later by coffee breath. Chewing gum is unprofessional, unless you are a football coach.
Superinfo Highway Rage10/19/09
If someone sends you an incendiary or insulting email, do not respond immediately. Do not dwell on it. Do not read it over and over, which will just make you angrier. If you can, let it sit for a few hours or even overnight. If the one who sent it is sitting on top of his/her computer waiting for a response, this will drain some of the steam out of that person like a bag of microwave vegetables.
When you do respond, respond in a calm and professional manner. Avoid arguments over email and especially "Reply to all" arguments.
10/06/09
When enjoying soup, scoop away from you with the soup spoon. If you scoop toward you, you are more likely to splash on yourself. Sip out of the side of the spoon. Do not cram the whole thing in your mouth. Do not slouch over your food. Sit up straight and bring the soup up to you.
It's Political (09/22/09)
A U.S. Senator is addressed as "Senator." ("How do you do, Senator Goodworthy?") A U.S. Representative, State Representative, and State Senator are addressed as "Mr." or "Ms." ("Thank you for speaking to our group, Ms. Doright.") Do not say, "...Representative Doright," or "...Congressman Doright."
If the U.S. Representative, State Representative or State Senator has a medical degree, you may address them as "Dr."
Which Restaurant? (09/08/09)
When inviting someone to a meeting at a restaurant, offer the person you are meeting with the choice of two restaurants. Never use the open-ended, "Where would you like to eat?" They may be thinking steak and lobster while you are thinking soup and sandwich. Or if they do not have any idea where to go, you have put them in an awkward position.
If the person you are meeting with has invited you out previously, reciprocate with an invite to a similar restaurant. Do not try to out do them with a more expensive restaurant.
Roll With It (07/07/09)
The bread plate is located in the upper left corner of the place setting. (If you are sitting at a large round table and you mistakenly place your roll on the small plate on the right, the entire table will be thrown into chaos. And someone will be left holding the roll.)
The bread plate is for bread and butter. You may also place items from a relish tray on your bread plate, such as radishes and olives. The bread plate may not be used as a weigh station for things from your dinner plate that you do not care for, such as fish bones, gristle or icky mushrooms. What happens on the dinner plate stays on the dinner plate. In the absence of a bread plate, place your roll on the upper left side of your dinner plate.
Salty Language (06/09/09)
When someone says, "Please pass the salt and pepper," it is not proper to intercept the salt and pepper in mid-pass to season your own food. That's pass interference - a ten yard penalty. Salt and pepper are passed together, one in each hand. Even if someone asks for just the salt or just the pepper, keep them together. Do not grab them in one hand by the caps. (A sweaty palm on top of the salt and pepper shakers is unseemly and unappetizing.) Do not try to balance them in one hand by the bottoms. Set the salt and pepper on the table by the next person -- do not deliver them directly into the person's hands.
Always taste your food before using the salt and pepper - especially during an interview. Salting before tasting makes you seem to the interviewer like someone who is hasty, who leaps before they look.
The Switch 11/10/09
When you are at a networking event or a cocktail party, hold your drink in your left hand so your right hand is free to shake hands.
If your beverage is in your right hand and you suddenly have to switch it to your left to shake a person's hand, then your hand will be cold, wet and clammy from the beverage glass. A cold, wet and clammy handshake does not leave a good impression.
Death by Breath 11/03/09
In the event of bad breath, oxygen masks will drop from the ceiling... if only. When your breath stinks, it’s hard to do business.
Remedy garlic breath or bad breath during a business meal by chewing on parsley, drinking lemonade or taking advantage of the restaurant's after dinner mints. Chewing on coffee beans is a quick fix, although this might be followed later by coffee breath. Chewing gum is unprofessional, unless you are a football coach.
Superinfo Highway Rage10/19/09
If someone sends you an incendiary or insulting email, do not respond immediately. Do not dwell on it. Do not read it over and over, which will just make you angrier. If you can, let it sit for a few hours or even overnight. If the one who sent it is sitting on top of his/her computer waiting for a response, this will drain some of the steam out of that person like a bag of microwave vegetables.
When you do respond, respond in a calm and professional manner. Avoid arguments over email and especially "Reply to all" arguments.
10/06/09
When enjoying soup, scoop away from you with the soup spoon. If you scoop toward you, you are more likely to splash on yourself. Sip out of the side of the spoon. Do not cram the whole thing in your mouth. Do not slouch over your food. Sit up straight and bring the soup up to you.
It's Political (09/22/09)
A U.S. Senator is addressed as "Senator." ("How do you do, Senator Goodworthy?") A U.S. Representative, State Representative, and State Senator are addressed as "Mr." or "Ms." ("Thank you for speaking to our group, Ms. Doright.") Do not say, "...Representative Doright," or "...Congressman Doright."
If the U.S. Representative, State Representative or State Senator has a medical degree, you may address them as "Dr."
Which Restaurant? (09/08/09)
When inviting someone to a meeting at a restaurant, offer the person you are meeting with the choice of two restaurants. Never use the open-ended, "Where would you like to eat?" They may be thinking steak and lobster while you are thinking soup and sandwich. Or if they do not have any idea where to go, you have put them in an awkward position.
If the person you are meeting with has invited you out previously, reciprocate with an invite to a similar restaurant. Do not try to out do them with a more expensive restaurant.
Roll With It (07/07/09)
The bread plate is located in the upper left corner of the place setting. (If you are sitting at a large round table and you mistakenly place your roll on the small plate on the right, the entire table will be thrown into chaos. And someone will be left holding the roll.)
The bread plate is for bread and butter. You may also place items from a relish tray on your bread plate, such as radishes and olives. The bread plate may not be used as a weigh station for things from your dinner plate that you do not care for, such as fish bones, gristle or icky mushrooms. What happens on the dinner plate stays on the dinner plate. In the absence of a bread plate, place your roll on the upper left side of your dinner plate.
Salty Language (06/09/09)
When someone says, "Please pass the salt and pepper," it is not proper to intercept the salt and pepper in mid-pass to season your own food. That's pass interference - a ten yard penalty. Salt and pepper are passed together, one in each hand. Even if someone asks for just the salt or just the pepper, keep them together. Do not grab them in one hand by the caps. (A sweaty palm on top of the salt and pepper shakers is unseemly and unappetizing.) Do not try to balance them in one hand by the bottoms. Set the salt and pepper on the table by the next person -- do not deliver them directly into the person's hands.
Always taste your food before using the salt and pepper - especially during an interview. Salting before tasting makes you seem to the interviewer like someone who is hasty, who leaps before they look.
