True Test of a Gentleman

True test of a gentleman!  OK men, this one is for you.  Can you pass the gentleman test?  If your wife, your co-workers, your children were to be asked if you were someone they would consider to be a gentleman...would they say "Yes?"  Does it matter?  Statistics show that men who have more "gentleman" attributes get more respect from their peers, receive pay raises at a faster pace and overall report to have healthier and happier relationships.  It matters.  See how you do with the following questions...

• Do I open the doors for all ladies and my peers?
• Do I avoid ever speaking of offensive topics in the presence of ladies?
• Am I careful to never engage in any behavior that could be misconstrued as inappropriate?
• Do I always pay for the meals of those whom I invite to lunch or dinner?
• Do I dress in a way that shows I have respect for myself and others?
• Do I stand when a lady approaches or leaves my table?
• Do I only extend my hand to a lady once she extends her hand first during an introduction?
• Do I refrain from giving physical affection to ladies that I am in a casual relationship with, unless I have their permission?
• Do I help all ladies in my presence with their coats, umbrellas or any other item that they need assistance with?
• Do I refrain from ever borrowing money from a lady?
• Do I keep my Word, always returning items on time and always completing task when I have committed to completing them.
• Do I keep myself clean, always being mindful of my breath, body odor and overall hygiene?
• Am I comfortable with making and keeping eye contact in all my conversation?
• Am I confident, kind and honest?
• Do I have polite table manners?  Do I use them at all times?

If you answered yes to most of these questions, then you my friend are a great example of a gentleman and I'm sure that you feel the benefits of being such in your life.  If you could not answer "yes" to many of these questions, may I suggest you call me.  We'll work on it :)

Professional Etiquette

Today, more and more companies are looking to etiquette experts to help transform their employees to the needed professionals that they must be to compete in this global market.  So, let’s have a little preview of what professional etiquette is here.  Here’s some things to consider:

• Having a positive tone and voice when answering the phone is crucial.  It is the very first image your customers have of your company.  Customers ask, “Are they friendly?  Do they act like they’re interested in why I’ve called?  Do they act ‘put out’ that they’ve had to answer the phone?  Do they make me want to do business with this company?”  These are just a few questions going through a customers mind when interacting with someone on the phone at a business.  It’s also very important to never place callers “on hold” without their permission and never for more than 30 seconds without giving them the option of calling back later or leaving a message.  Yes, I realize this is “news” to many companies :)
• Be positive at work.  Do you work with anyone who complains often?  It’s not that fun is it?  No one likes to work with others who complain and are often negative.  Complaining and being negative is very unproductive and tends to bring the entire atmosphere of the workplace down.  If you have an official complaint, then administer the complaint through the proper channels.  Besides that, be cheerful, positive and productive at work.  It’s not fair to unload our personal business or our “gripes” to our coworkers.  They are their to do their job and make the most of their circumstances while being a proactive and positive force for the company.  Either be a team player, or move on.
• It is very unprofessional to gossip, but especially at work.  Gossiping is a very destructive force that literally leads to drops in production, declining company moral and even a loss of overall profit.  At work, we are to be professional at all times.  This means we look for the positive in those we work with, we work well as a team to reach optimal performance and we keep unproductive conversation at bay.  Don’t be a “busy body” at work, just be busy.
• Take responsibility for your actions.  A professional knows that somedays we succeed and some days we fail but those who really succeed are those that learn from their failures and move on.  Sometimes we spend more time trying to cover our mistakes then the time it would take to take responsibility for our mistakes and then move forward to do many more wonderful things.  Never “pass the buck”.  Be a MAN.  Be a WOMAN.  Take ownership and move forward.
• Give your 100% regardless.  Sometimes, employees loose interest in an assignment or a project and start “slacking” on their work ethics.  Giving 100% every time, every project, every day is what divides the winners from the losers.  We will always end up ahead by giving our all.
• Help others succeed.  The real test of a great leader is how many great leaders did we help build.  Some people think that as long as they look out for themselves, they will always end up on top.  This is not true.  We may have some success with this as our motto, however long term success comes from helping others succeed and in turn, helping ourselves.  Be on the team.  The winning team.  Show integrity, honesty, character and moral conviction every day at work, rain or shine and you my friend will have a recipe for success.

More to come...

Monica Irvine

a.k.a. Mary Manners

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Social Media Etiquette

Hello Friends,

As we all spend more time on social media, it's time to outline some social media etiquette that will benefit us all as we apply these principles to our communications.  Here we go:

• Messages should tend to be uplifting, informative or positive.
• Posting more than four or five things a day, may be too excessive.
• We should ask ourselves, "Is there anyone that I would rather not see this post?"  If anyone comes to mind, then we should not post on social media.
• We should never engage in bullying, teasing or arguing via social media.
• Our post should not be solely focused on ourselves, as this would seem narcissistic, but should rather include our family, our friends and outside influences.
• Check our intentions before posting, asking ourselves, "Are we posting this to benefit others or to gain some perspective, or am I posting to hurt, insult or misguide others?"  If our intentions are proper, then it is appropriate for social media.
• Be careful not to over share.  Usually, these are things that are gross, disgusting, vulgar, too private, or too intimate.  We never use names when speaking of situations where others were affected in a negative way.
• Try to be humble when announcing accomplishments.  It's fine to be proud, we just need to be sensitive to sounding like we're bragging.
• NEVER upload pictures of others to social media without their permission.  Come on, we all want to look our best, especially when the whole world can see.  Let's make sure our friends and family are OK with us posting pictures of them.  Email them ahead of time and ask if they mind if we share the image on social media.
• Do not "tag" anyone without their permission, unless you are sure they want you to "tag" them.
• If you don't like a comment or post, unless you feel like it is damaging your reputation or someone else's, there's really no reason to comment.  Just move on.  It's not our responsibility to inform every person of what points we disagree with them on.  Just let it go.
• Don't "over ask" someone to "follow" you or "pin" your info, etc.  Invite and then let it go.

Here's another great link that has some further protocol for social media I really like:

http://www.atlanticwebworks.com/blog/social-media-etiquette-tips-to-stay-out-of-the-penalty-box

Artwork by:  news.cnet.com

Have a great day,

Monica Irvine

a.k.a. Mary Manners

Chicken Curry Balls

Here's the recipe.  Make these for your next women's luncheon or shower.  They will be a huge hit.

Ingredients

• 2 packages (3 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons orange marmalade
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 cups finely chopped cooked chicken
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped celery
• 1 cup finely chopped macadamia nuts, toasted (or you can substitute almonds)

Directions

• In a large bowl, beat the first five ingredients until well blended. Stir in the chicken, onion and celery.
• Shape into 1-in. balls; roll in nuts. Cover and chill until firm (can refrigerate up to 2 days). Yield: about 20 servings

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