June is the most popular month for weddings in the U. S. Each year I receive dozens of inquiries and comments on wedding etiquette, including horror stories. Here are my top eight tips to always be the perfect wedding guest. 1. Respond to the Invitation: The number one complaint I hear is how guests do not bother [...]
Keeping Promises is Good Etiquette
Author: Syndi Seid1 May 2013
Have you ever borrowed an item and never returned it? Have you promised to send a potential client or friend something, and never followed through? Have you said you’d call someone to invite him or her to lunch, but you never do it? Worst of all, have you ever borrowed money or promised to pay [...]
8 Tips for Video Conferencing Etiquette
Author: Syndi Seid2 April 2013
The hot new trend in meetings is video conference calls. Thanks to new advances in technology, this service is more affordable than meeting in person, and in many situations, it’s free. Before I dive into the eight best practices for producing and attending video conference call meetings, here are three articles to review on how [...]
Watching Your Actions and Behaviors
Author: Syndi Seid1 March 2013
Spring is the season for cleaning up your actions and behaviors. Start developing new good habits on etiquette today and by summer you will have changed how you do things and act toward others forever.
Lunar New Year or Chinese New Year vs. Spring Festival
Author: Syndi Seid1 February 2013
It is called by many names, yet the celebration of the Lunar New Year in many Asian cultures remains the same. It is a holiday based on the lunar calendar, not the Western Gregorian calendar. The main difference is the Gregorian calendar is based on the earth’s orbit around the sun and the lunar calendar [...]
8 Quotes to Inspire Etiquette
Author: Syndi Seid1 January 2013
I love collecting quotes. They motivate me to think about my life and goals, and keep me going over time. These are among my favorites: 1. “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams” and “Happiness is not a goal… it’s a by-product of a life well lived.” – Eleanor [...]
Holiday Gift-Giving From the Heart
Author: Syndi Seid4 December 2012
Gift giving should come from the heart, not out of a sense of obligation. Giving a gift—whether money or an object —is how we express how we care about someone in a special and extra way. Below I’ll discuss how to navigate the thorny waters of gift giving; whether to give a personal gift, gift [...]
8 Tips on Keeping Germs to Yourself!
Author: Syndi Seid1 November 2012
It’s the worst luck to catch a cold or flu just after the summer season? You can’t afford to miss work after being away for your summer vacation, so you go in anyway and risk being criticized for spreading germs. Or if you don’t have a cold yourself, how do you keep from catching someone else’s germs and getting one? This “Tip” shows you how to get through a busy cold and flu season without infecting everyone else and how to keep the bugs at bay when people around you are infected:
Cultural Awareness: Celebrating National Days
Author: Syndi Seid12 October 2012
Except for people of Native American heritage, everyone in the United States is an immigrant from another place. Do you know when the National Day of your country of origin is celebrated? How about that of the colleague sitting near you? In countries all over the world, National Day is among the most important celebrations of the year.
The Sandwich Technique to Deliver Bad News or Complaints
Author: Syndi Seid1 October 2012
Among the many etiquette skills presented in our seminars, the one I enjoy sharing most is one of the simplest. It’s the Sandwich Technique; a tool managers use when they have to deliver unpleasant news, resolve a conflict, address a troubling situation or make a constructive complaint. It’s easy and effective. Compliments and positive statements [...]
