Image and Etiquette
Last month my husband and I traveled to Vancouver for a whirlwind weekend of celebrations leading up to a family wedding. Every occasion, from the groom’s dinner to festivities for out-of-town guests and ultimately, the ceremony and reception, radiated a magical sense of happiness.
Posted on February 28th, 2011 by Diane
Filed under: Dress, Social Etiquette, Special Events, Weddings | No Comments »
Professor Albert Mehrabian is frequently quoted for his non-verbal communication research on what’s often called The 3 V’s: visual, vocal, verbal. His published studies indicate that, person-to-person, we interpret messages:
• Visually — 55% from facial expressions
• Vocally — 38% from voice quality and the way words are spoken
• Verbally —7% from the actual words
With techno or e-communications, the relevance of the actual word choice increases dramatically. Obviously, the spoken tone upstages language on phone calls — we hear anger or joy — but with emails, words become the stars of the show. From the minor 7% bit player in face-to-face communication, words now move up to 70%, a big change of roles.
Posted on November 28th, 2010 by Diane
Filed under: Business Etiquette, Communication, Social Etiquette, Techno-Communication, Workplace Etiquette | 2 Comments »
Working with positive people is, indeed,
a blessing; they bring joy and brighten the day. It’s like a gift of sunshine.
Posted on October 24th, 2010 by Diane
Filed under: Accessories, Diane's Reflections, Food, Image Consultation, Social Etiquette | No Comments »
My profession brings a constant parade of diverse clients. From one week to the next, I’m constantly surprised and delighted by the stream of people arriving at my virtual doorstep. Variety is, indeed, the spice of my life. It keeps me primed for a fast-paced — make that high-octane — life. A case in point [...]
Posted on July 6th, 2010 by Diane
Filed under: Accessories, Celebrities, Dress, Fashion, Social Etiquette, Special Events, Womenswear | 2 Comments »
Imagine my surprise when I arrived at work, started opening emails and the first thing that jumped off my screen was the subject line from the New York Times: When Passengers Spit, Bus Drivers Take Months Off
In the article, the journalist considers if passenger behaviour is the result of frustration with the system or reflects a general decline in urban civility. I guess after repeatedly hearing about transit drivers as targets, I tend to side with the “decline in urban civility” theory. Sad but true.
Posted on May 28th, 2010 by Diane
Filed under: Accessories, Business Etiquette, Communication, Social Etiquette, Workplace Etiquette | No Comments »
Image has a profound impact on both professional and personal life. When people are comfortable with the way they look, they are most likely happy, relaxed and self-assured. They even communicate more effectively. With this confidence comes the ability to set, manage and achieve personal goals.
I was reminded of the importance of this much needed, self-assurance component in everyone’s life when last week two emails, one from my colleague Catherine Bell and one from a client’s mother, reached my inbox almost simultaneously. Catherine sent me a recent article of hers entitled Look Beyond the Disability that touches upon the difference between how she’s treated when she uses a cane — necessitated by the late effects of childhood polio —and when she doesn’t. As I scrolled through Catherine’s article, my thoughts turned to my client Melissa Vassallo and coincidentally, an email arrived from her mother with news about an upcoming celebration.
Posted on April 25th, 2010 by Diane
Filed under: Body Image, Communication, Image, Social Etiquette | 1 Comment »
Tuesday evening, I was in awe. It was the first White House State Dinner since President Obama took office and Michelle definitely rose to the occasion.
Posted on November 27th, 2009 by Diane
Filed under: Business Etiquette, Celebrities, Dining Etiquette, Dress, Fashion, Social Etiquette, Special Events | 3 Comments »
Everyone’s an expert on etiquette. Especially when it comes to introductions. Yet many so-called published experts don’t get it right. They fail to explain the rules of introduction — how to introduce your boss, your colleagues, even your grandmother— succinctly and correctly.
Often, these experts’ published guides devote pages and pages to introductions — how to address royalty, or protocols for meeting a diplomat from a foreign land. Good and helpful information if you move in those circles, most of us don’t.
Posted on September 8th, 2009 by Diane
Filed under: Body Language, Business Etiquette, Communication, Conferences, Etiquette, Social Etiquette, Workplace Etiquette | 2 Comments »
As a Certified Image and Etiquette consultant, for over 25 years I’ve watched the definition of etiquette evolve and expand, especially in the world of business.
Thirty years ago, anyone using the word etiquette in everyday speech might have been laughed out of town. Let’s face it; etiquette had a bad rap. It was synonymous with pretension – the Holy Grail of an elite fraternity of social snobs. Rather like curtsying at a debutantes’ ball. There were exceptions, of course. No one questioned the etiquette of addressing then President Jimmy Carter as “Mr. President” – a clear gesture of respect for both the office, and the man.
Posted on August 28th, 2009 by Diane
Filed under: Business Etiquette, Diane's Reflections, Dining Etiquette, Etiquette, Social Etiquette | 3 Comments »
’d venture to say that PDAs are more commonly carried than pens, or even combs, in the pockets and purses of most urbanites. Every week, I receive questions for BlackBerry etiquette or iPhone protocols and our May newsletter provided tweetiquette tips. Social networking is a part of daily life and often provides a wake-up call with the first tweet of the day.
We have become a nation of archivists – meticulously recording even the smallest of details. Although the accent is on “social,” some would say there’s a dark side to all this documentation. And that’s exactly what prompted a group of New York City’s avant-garde writers to host twice monthly, off the record salons, or parties, where PDAs and photos are strictly verboten. Kind of a party hearty atmosphere – with no fear of recrimination. But an over the top, Bacchanalian fête is not the intent. Rather, the point is to cease and desist from chronicling every nanosecond. (One could argue that the hosts have, indeed, made a clever PR move.)
Posted on August 18th, 2009 by Diane
Filed under: Communication, Etiquette, Social Etiquette, Techno-Communication | 1 Comment »
