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Not your grandmother’s etiquette

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Hello and welcome to the Clise Etiquette blog, a place to discuss savvy and not so savvy decorum. Etiquette may sound like a stuffy or old-fashioned topic, but it’s really just about making yourself and others more comfortable by being respectful, kind and professional.

I am an etiquette consultant, speaker, trainer, coach and author of Spinach in Your Boss’s Teeth: Essential Etiquette for Professional Success. I share etiquette and protocol tips, stories and techniques that you can use to feel more confident, at ease and successful socially and in the workplace.

I invite you to share your thoughts and questions on the situations in life that confuse you, anger you, give you pause or make you proud. Please feel free to let me know if there are topics you’d like me to discuss or hear more about. Some of my best posts come from questions or stories readers share with me.

Thank you for stopping by. I invite you to subscribe to my blog by clicking on the green button.

Wedding etiquette: from invitations to attire

Wedding season is upon us! In June, I am attending two weddings for family members. One is Friday night, and the other is the next day on Saturday afternoon. While it will be a little challenging getting to two weddings in two different states on consecutive days, I’m thrilled to attend them. I love weddings!…

Won’t You Be My Neighbor? 14 Things You Need to Know About Being A Good Neighbor

Do you know who your neighbors are? According to the Pew Research Center, 57 percent of Americans say they know some of their neighbors. Whether you frequently talk to your upstairs neighbor or you only see your next-door neighbor on occasion, being a good neighbor is important in establishing yourself as part of the neighborhood…

How etiquette has changed over the last twenty years

I sometimes wish there was a different word for etiquette. Often the term conjures up a stuffy, old-fashioned concept; one that is certainly not relatable to today’s realities. But as I often say in my trainings, I would not be an etiquette consultant if it was any of those things. I remember when I was…

How I became an etiquette consultant

When I decided to become an etiquette consultant in 2009 I choose to attend The Etiquette Institute based in St. Louis, MO. for my training and certification. I had done quite a bit of research about the various institutions that offer etiquette consultant training and The Etiquette Institute seemed like the best fit. I couldn’t…

“No problem” and other customer service communication problems

A friend of mine implored me to write something about the use of the phrase “no problem.” She was the recipient of the words at her dental appointment. Upon arriving at the dentist’s office, she was instructed to wait in her car until they were ready for her. Because it was hot outside, she started…

New etiquette for the new work norms

Much has changed in the business world since the pandemic wreaked havoc in our lives. Remote work has become the norm for office workers; in-person meetings have morphed into often mind-numbing virtual meetings and conversation has been replaced by chaterruptions. Business casual is now business sweats and networking is pretty much non-existent. Some of these…

Five tips for networking during a pandemic

Zoom video conferencing meeting
With the New Year approaching, many of us think about goals for the coming year. If your plan is to find a job, get promoted or grow your client base there’s no better way to do that then to network. However, given the pandemic you might be wondering how you can connect with others in…

Seven steps for leading efficient, effective and inclusive meetings

Are you getting the most out of your meetings? Are your employees engaged and freely contributing? Are decisions being made in an expeditious way? Chances are your meetings are not accomplishing much. According to a study by Atlassian, people spend 31 hours per month in unproductive meetings. And what do participants do in those meetings?…

Etiquette dilemmas in a virtual world

Our mostly virtual world, due to COVID-19, has created a slew of new etiquette dilemmas. People are wondering everything from whether they should have their video on or off in a Zoom meeting; what to do with kids or pets that make an appearance in a meeting; when, if ever, is eating and drinking acceptable…

Virtual meeting etiquette and best practices 201

Now that we have been practicing physical distancing mandates for several weeks, many of us are becoming more comfortable with the tools needed to meet virtually. A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about some basic dos and don’ts for using Zoom. I thought it would be helpful to share more 201 level etiquette…
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