Man is a social animal and as such he has to fulfil the requirements of social life. A person has to meet, mix and react with friends, relatives, acquaintances and others . For developing one’s knowledge about correct manners and etiquette, one has to keep one’s eyes and ears open and be a learner all the time.So, below are few social and business etiquettesa man or a women should follow while conducting themselves in a society.
Social etiquette
* HandshakeLook the person in the eye/smile/use a firm grip (not death grip) and a firm wrist (limp is pretty awful) /hold for no more than 2 or 3 seconds
* Seating in crowded placesIf seating is limited, and you are sitting, offer your seat to a woman who is standing (older woman takes precedence over a young woman)
Note to self – if the young woman is wise, she will offer her seat to the older woman and you may offer your seat to her.
Also appropriate is offering your seat to an older gentleman (before offering it to a younger woman)
Seating in restaurants and parties
Stand until the host/hostess tells you where to sit
Be sure to help the women in the party be seated before you take your own seat
Pull the chair out slightly so they may be seated easily
Help to slide the chair in gently to the table
* Opening doorsOpen doors for ladies, elders, anyone loaded down with
packages
Open car doors for a woman to get into the car and out of the car (you may have to tell the young lady that you will open her door so she doesn’t catapult herself out of the car before you can get around to her side)
* Helping with jacket/coatWhen you see a lady putting on a coat or jacket, gently hold the coat by the collar/shoulder area and help her put it on (I say gently because women hate their clothes being bunched, scrunched or man-handled – sigh, sad but true)
* Offers of helpWhen you see women doing anything, the following questions are usually always welcome:
May I help you with that?
May I carry that for you?
Coasters (filed under ‘Picky little stuff’)
Before you set a glass/bottle/dish on a table or desk, ask if your host would like you to use a coaster if you don’t see any available
Business Etiquette
* HandshakeLook the person in the eye/smile/use a firm grip (not death grip) and a firm wrist (limp is pretty awful)/hold for no more than 2 or 3 seconds
* Seating in crowded placesOffer the seat to an individual in a superior position to yours by saying, “Would you like to take this seat?”
* Seating in restaurants and partiesStand until the host/hostess tells you where to sit
* Opening doorsOpen doors for peers, superiors, clients, or anyone loaded down with items being carried
* CoastersBefore you set a glass/bottle/dish on a table or desk, ask if your host would like you to use a coaster if you don’t see any available
* Etiquette for LadiesCandace Simpson’s book, “How to be a Lady; A Contemporary Guide to Common Courtesy”, makes the point that, since society has changed so dramatically over the past 50 years, the definition of a ‘lady’ has left everyone confused.
“A lady in today’s world knows that educating herself in every way possible (higher education to common sense manners) empowers her to become a woman of accomplishment and poise. She knows that it is not her dress size or the size of her bank account that bring her satisfaction in life. A lady knows that beauty and wealth may soon be gone, but her inner character is the measure by which others will ultimately judge her as a person”. Manners have nothing to do with money, or showing anybody that you are better than they are as manners are the exact opposite of that.
Just be nice!
- Picture a young woman smiling, wearing an elegant dress, jewels and hairstyle
- Picture her now with a scowl on her face, complaining and being rude to someone. How does your impression of her change?
The most important guideline for being a ‘lady’ is to be kind; choosing to believe the best about others and yourself. The more you act like a lady (kindly) you will notice that this brings out the gentlemanly side of the men in your life.
Strange but true – when you are being kind, you will feel beautiful.
There will be those in your life who will question this kind behaviour that may be new to you. There is nothing that you need to explain.