Have you heard about the little blue bird of happiness? No, this one is virtual and it’s called Twitter. This social media tool is growing by leaps and bounds and as of March 2009 had over 8 million users in the US. Is it just a passing fad? I don’t think so. As more business is conducted online people are realizing the power of social media, especially Twitter, to promote their business. To truly succeed with Twitter it’s vitally important you know the etiquette before you jump in and accidently alienate your followers. [...]

I subscribe to a few different blogs of people I admire or enjoy. One recent blog post surprised me as it seemed out of character for this blogger. It was a bit like a brag about how busy he was and why it was making him a better person. He outlined minute by minute what he was doing one day. A few times the timeline included the statement that he was chatting with people while “picking off a few emails” or taking phone calls. He went on stating how full every minute was. Even when he was alone he was doing something – email, writing, etc.  He seemed exhausted by his life while also talking about how necessary it is to work like this because he’s “out to win.” [...]

It would be easy to assume civility is dead given the antics of a few people who should know better. Over the last week we’ve had a Congressman be disrespectful to the President, a tennis star show poor sportsmanship and a musician take away from another’s moment in the spotlight. What these three did was wrong and rude and lacked respect for others. It was enough to give anyone pause about where our country is headed. However, I think we are letting a few color the many and I argue there are so many gracious, kind and respectful people in this country, they just don’t get the coverage that the bad boys/girls do. [...]

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.

The blog will be a place for people to share thoughts and questions on the situations in life that confuse you, anger you, give you pause or make you proud. I’ll share etiquette and protocol tips and techniques that you can use to feel more confident, comfortable and successful in the workplace and socially.

I look forward to sharing ideas and dialogue with you. Please feel free to let me know if there are topics you’d like to discuss or hear more about.