Being able to lead others – to motivate them to commit their energies and expertise to achieving the shared mission and goals of the organization – is a necessary and vital part of the job for every manager. Influence and leadership are connected in many ways:
Both come from within
Both facilitate change
Both require relationship building
Both can foster an environment of trust
Posted on April 7th, 2011 by Diane
Filed under: Communication, Workplace Etiquette | No Comments »
A candidate’s “attitude” can be a strong predictor of their future performance, however, not all interviewers probe this dimension of an applicant’s capabilities during the interview process. This is especially relevant given attitude is closely tied to motivation and job performance.
A three-part behavioural-based skills assessment can be utilized during the applicant screening process to access for effective attitude:
Posted on March 7th, 2011 by Diane
Filed under: Body Language, Workplace Etiquette | No Comments »
These are the individuals who organize and plan every function from conventions to luncheons and although the uninitiated may think this profession is glamour incarnate, the reality is very different. Military precision, troubleshooting par excellence and enough detail to drive an actuary crazy all define the professional Event Planner’s day.
During the training program, I gave a menu-planning workshop. Here’s a behind the scenes look at what we covered.
Posted on February 13th, 2011 by Diane
Filed under: Conferences, Dining Etiquette, Food, Special Events, Weddings, Workplace Etiquette | 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 »
Clothing does send a message. But there’s an enormous side benefit to a well-groomed appearance and general sense of “dressing up” — it gives you a lift. Big time. One of the greatest advocates of this philosophy is my friend Bill Shaddy. As a former International HR Director at Pepsi, Bill knows “the right stuff” when it comes to stocking his closet. These days, however, things are a little more complicated. ill, I should explain, has been living with MS for the last 18 years and snaps are just easier than wrangling with a button and bitty hole. Rain or shine, Bill dresses up. His only concession is a stylish cane by his side.
Posted on October 26th, 2010 by Diane
Filed under: Body Image, Business Etiquette, Diane's Reflections, Dress, Image, Image Consultation, Menswear, Workplace Etiquette | No 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 »
This taste of the industry has piqued my interest; so I’m now anticipating the next phase — as a guest speaker on an actual cruise. I think of it as a departure from my usual stomping grounds — from boardroom to on-board. The intention is to get both a better perspective of cruise staff training needs and passenger behaviour, to ultimately develop some timely protocols for both groups. Although a guest speaker’s responsibility is “to speak”, the social aspect is equally as important. Hosting a table at dinner, being available to discuss informally the finer points of your speech, and being sociable, friendly and approachable are all part of the job.
Posted on March 24th, 2010 by Diane
Filed under: Business Etiquette, Communication, Diane's Reflections, Special Events, Workplace Etiquette | 7 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 an image and etiquette consultant, I am very conscious of how I present myself — my reputation depends on it. Although my client base is English, my first language is French. I mention this because a great deal of my work involves making presentations to large groups of people and I have a conspicuous French accent. Some people have suggested it enhances my image; others are less enthusiastic….
One of my personal standards is to speak as clearly as I can, particularly when addressing an audience. Several years ago, I decided to improve my pronunciation and contacted the University of Toronto; they recommended Gloria Pierre.
Posted on September 2nd, 2009 by Diane
Filed under: Business Etiquette, Communication, Image, Workplace Etiquette | No Comments »
Managing your office environment Apple Stores across North America take pride in being paperless environments. They use technology to circumvent reams of paper, with only an occasional departure from their paperless guidelines. Apple may be the exception, rather than the rule. If memory serves, it wasn’t long ago when “experts” were forecasting that offices around [...]
Posted on August 7th, 2009 by Diane
Filed under: Workplace Etiquette | 14 Comments »
