As a young girl growing up; my grandma, auntie, and mom, always
stressed the importance of mannerisms and etiquette. No matter who I was around,
or where I was; from baby to adult, they never forgot to mention, "Be a lady,
be polite, say your please and thank you’ s, and treat others with respect”.
Overtime, it seemed like these conversations were repetitive
and endless. I would always say “I know, I know”, but it wasn’t until I was in my
adult years that I learned to appreciate how important mannerisms were. From first
impressions, to networking, to school, to relationships; these little small
gestures went a long way. If you don’t see where I am going with this, let me
give you an example.
Remember those days when you were a toddler; maybe 2-3 years
old, and your parents would introduce you to their friend? They would say “_____, meet so and so.” “Look them in the eye when you say hello, okay?”And although none of this mattered to you (you probably
wouldn’t even look at them at all if your mom didn’t say anything), little did
you know that your parents were prepping, and polishing you for the future.To land
a job, for people to take you seriously, and for you to get far ahead in this
thing we call LIFE.
With all of this said; I’d like to welcome you all to Social Etiquette 101 with Noelani .You may have already heard this information before ,
or you may have not; however, the tips below are a few simple reminders, of the
things your parents told you, or my parents told me growing up. There are
plenty others, and the list definitely goes on, but these are a few of the basics. If you have any tips you’d like to share, please
share in the comment box below.
- “Thank you, Excuse me, and Yes, Please” go a long way. Using these words show that you are kind, and have good manners.
- Open the door for the elderly, or offer them your seat on the bus.
- Don’t chew with your mouth full!
- Don’t smack or pop your gum. ( My grandma always said when you pop your gum; it lets the people around you know that you have cavities)
- Don’t play your music on speaker on a bus, or any place where you know people don’t want to hear it. Purchase or carry your headphones. YOUR music is for YOU.
- Achoo! Please cover your mouth when you sneeze. Sneezing in your elbow is even better.
- When you go out to a restaurant; know the difference between a salad fork, and a regular fork. (A salad fork has wider spaces/tines and extra leverage)
- When you visit a Japanese restaurant, or another type of cultural restaurant; try to use the utensils they use for eating. This could be chopsticks, or your hands. Even if you don’t stick to it the entire time, it shows that you are willing to learn, and appreciate culture.
- Are you wearing a dress or skirt? Cross your legs at the knees or ankles. You may have on Vickie secrets, but no one wants to see your undergarments.
- Recycle if you can. The earth loves manners too J
- Eye contact, Eye contact, Eye contact. We spoke about this earlier.
- That napkin folded up on the table, it goes on your lap. Don’t want to get food on those white pants.
- Sip, don’t slurp. What was your ice coffee; is now just ice.
- Try to remember names; you never know who you’ll meet. That cool person you just met at the bar; might be your next boss.
- Pull your pants up please!! Men, we do not want to see your boxers. Women , don’t want to see your strings.
Be Encouraged
Noelani
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