I sometimes get out my Amy Vanderbilt’s Everyday Etiquette book to see how much etiquette has changed since the book was written in the 1950s. There is a section on when a man should remove his hat and one on where a secretary should put her steno dictation pad when meeting with her boss. While most men don’t wear formal hats, secretaries are now executive assistants and dictation has been replaced by email, those scenarios were about respect and respect is still important for a profitable, happy workplace. 

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I just attended a small business roundtable group which serves as a forum for entrepreneurs seeking business advice and mentoring. The facilitator couldn’t be there so we were on our own to lead the discussion with a couple of suggested topics. Unfortunately that led to trouble.

We started out talking about economic projections but a couple of people moved the discussion to politics. Only a few people participated in the political conversation and they all seemed to agree with each other. There seemed to be an assumption that we all felt the same way. I was very uncomfortable and I suspect I wasn’t the only one.

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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.

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.