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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.

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norm for office workers; in-person meetings have morphed into often mind-numbing virtual meetings and conversation has been replaced by chaterruptions.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…

How to not embarrass yourself on Zoom

Zoom video conferencing meeting
Zoom, Zoom!!! Have you been on a Zoom meeting yet? While we practice social distancing and obey stay at home orders to stem the spread of COVID-19 everything has turned to virtual meetings. In the last week I have been on eight Zoom meetings, some for business, others for organizations I belong to and a…

The new etiquette norm for greetings

Yesterday, when I met with a new CPA to give him our tax documents I noticed that as he approached me he had his right hand in his pocket. While driving to his office, I had thought about whether I would shake his hand or not because of the Covid-19 virus. I was prepared to…

I thought you should know (insert bad manner here)…

A colleague of mine has a podcast called How Can I Say This where she discusses everyday communication conundrums. Beth Buelow, is the founder of the podcast and owner of ZOPA Consulting, Someone submitted a question to her about how to tell someone they chew with their mouth open, so naturally, as an etiquette expert,…

The dreaded “Reply all” email response

When I’m giving a training on digital diplomacy – the dos and don’ts for using technology – almost every time a participant will share how frustrated they are by people misusing the “Reply all” email option. They vent that “Reply all” is used too often and unnecessarily. Sometimes participants share that people don’t use the…

Surviving and thriving at the job interview over lunch

If you’re interviewing for a job, there is a chance you could be invited to meet over a meal. Managers know that you can learn a lot about a candidate by how they conduct themselves when dining. People tend to let their hair down a bit when dining because it seems more social than business.…
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