Clise Etiquette

Not your grandmother’s etiquette

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 and successful by being respectful, kind and professional.

I am a business etiquette consultant, speaker, trainer, coach and columnist for the Puget Sound Business Journal . I share etiquette and protocol tips, stories and techniques that you can use to feel more confident, at ease and successful in the workplace and socially.

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 either email or RSS. Just click on the RSS or email symbols to the right of this post.

Tags >> Arden Clise, Business etiquette, Clise Etiquette, Protocol, writing

Author Arden
Date September 14, 2009
Trackback: Trackback-URL Topics Business etiquette, Protocol, Social etiquette

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Lessons learned from an unpleasant coffee meeting

If you are a salesperson, business owner or are unemployed, you most likely do a lot of networking. This often means coffee and lunch dates with people who have complementary businesses or who can be helpful to you in some way. Continue reading “Lessons learned from an unpleasant coffee meeting” »

Tags >> coffee date etiquette, networking, referrals, who pays at a coffee meeting?

Author Arden
Date May 9, 2013
Trackback: Trackback-URL Topics Business etiquette, Conversation, courtesy, Dining etiquette, Networking etiquette

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Cocktail parties with class

This is a guest post by Laura Taylor of Honest to Goodness.

Entertaining friends and family can be easy and impressive without all of the stress. You can plan and prepare party appetizers that are simply delicious and sure to wow your guests. When planning a menu for an afternoon or evening reception, here are some factors to consider: Continue reading “Cocktail parties with class” »

Tags >> appetizers, cocktail parties, Honest to Goodness, Laura Taylor, planning a cocktail party menu

Author Arden
Date May 1, 2013
Trackback: Trackback-URL Topics Uncategorized

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Leaving a job with grace

One of the most challenging things to do is to be gracious when you feel you’ve been wronged. And, when the situation is one where you’ve been terminated from a job, it can be especially difficult to not become angry and vindictive. Continue reading “Leaving a job with grace” »

Tags >> being fired, how to handle being laid off, what to do if you're let go

Author Arden
Date April 22, 2013
Trackback: Trackback-URL Topics Business etiquette, Civility, courtesy, Professional image

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A polite colleague’s dilemma

Dear Arden,

I enjoyed a lovely dinner with a colleague and would like to mail her a handwritten thank you note. Her business card doesn’t list a mailing address; this seems to be the trend with so many business cards in these days of electronic communication. I will email a note but I’m wondering if you have any advice for securing postal addresses to provide a more personal touch with our correspondence.

Signed,

Personally Touched

A colleague sent me this email, and it turns out she was talking about me. I had invited her to dinner and she wanted to thank me for the evening. But, as you can read, I don’t list my mailing address on my business card nor on my website because I don’t want junk mail.

My client correspondence has my mailing address on it, so it seems to work out fine, with the exception of colleagues who want to send me correspondence via snail mail.

Continue reading “A polite colleague’s dilemma” »

Tags >> how to find someone's mailing address, Offical White Pages, thank you notes, the importance of saying thank you, when to send a thank you note

Author Arden
Date April 3, 2013
Trackback: Trackback-URL Topics courtesy, Customer service, Letters and notes, Social etiquette

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Bad behavior

Do you turn into a monster behind the wheel of your car or when you’re in other seemingly anonymous situations? Why is it that even the mildest mannered, gracious people become Mr. Hyde in certain circumstances? Continue reading “Bad behavior” »

Tags >> anger management, bad customer service, humanity, kindness, road rage, rude behavior

Author Arden
Date March 21, 2013
Trackback: Trackback-URL Topics Civility, courtesy, Customer service

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Stiletto heels and other attire conundrums

I belong to several etiquette and image groups on LinkedIn. I like being able to share ideas and resources and to ask questions of the group about various etiquette and attire topics. The last question I posed to a group I started – The Image and Etiquette Consultants group – was “how high of a heel constitutes a stiletto heel?” It sparked quite a discussion. Continue reading “Stiletto heels and other attire conundrums” »

Tags >> appropriate business attire, appropriate heel height for the workplace, business casual, LinkedIn groups, stiletto heels, workplace attire

Author Arden
Date February 20, 2013
Trackback: Trackback-URL Topics Attire, Professional image

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The art of the (love) note

I love Valentine’s Day. It’s not the candy, flowers and other commercial trappings that make this day special for me, it’s that the day is a celebration of love. A day when we take the time to express our affection for the people we cherish. Continue reading “The art of the (love) note” »

Tags >> correspondence cards, flat cards, handwritten notes, how to write a thank you card, love letters, love poem, note cards, stationary, thank you notes, Valentine's Day, writing thank you notes

Author Arden
Date February 14, 2013
Trackback: Trackback-URL Topics Letters and notes

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Nice gals and guys finish first

Sally Jewell (Scott Cohen / Associated Press / March 22, 2006)

I read in the Seattle Times this morning that Sally Jewell, President and CEO of REI, has been nominated as Secretary of the Interior by President Obama. I couldn’t be more excited for Sally, and, I’m not surprised she has been tapped for this high level position. Continue reading “Nice gals and guys finish first” »

Tags >> graciousness, humility, kindness, REI, Sally Jewell, Secretary of the Interior, Washington Mutual

Author Arden
Date February 6, 2013
Trackback: Trackback-URL Topics courtesy, Customer service

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