Mindful Manners

by Nancy R. Mitchell

Overview

Mindful Manners succinctly explains everything you need to know to successfully maneuver the world today, from proper networking to giving the perfectly tasteful toast.

We need only to look around our communities or visit social media to know there is an etiquette crisis. With rudeness rampant and civility on life support, it’s time for us to take a hard look at ourselves to determine if we are contributing to the problem or combating it.

Enter: Mindful Manners: Modern Etiquette for a Better Life, a common-sense examination of etiquette as an operating system for living life with kindness and courtesy while we work, play, drive, dine, and shop in our physical and virtual communities. Arranged by events and settings, you'll learn how to decode proper dining habits, wedding decorum, the secrets behind successful job interviews, and much more.

Mindful Manners jettisons the old-school notion that etiquette is nothing but stuffy rules on how to properly hold a teacup. Modern etiquette is a powerful tool that can help everyone feel comfortable and confident in a variety of situations, whether you're building personal and business relationships, demonstrating respect for others, or trying to live a life that flows more smoothly.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780785837282
Publisher:	Book Sales
Publication date:	07/01/2019
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 7.70(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Nancy R. Mitchell is an established protocol and etiquette consultant and advisor with more than 35 years of experience in the field. Currently, she is an adjunct faculty member at the George Washington University, Washington, DC, where she developed and teaches protocol courses in the School of Business and Public Management's Event Management Certificate Program. For more than two decades, she served as director of special events and protocol at the US Library of Congress, the world's largest library and cultural center. In her position there, Ms. Mitchell and her staff coordinated the institution's major special events, visits of heads of state and other dignitaries, fundraising galas, conferences, and meetings. As the Library's chief protocol advisor, she served as liaison to the White House, the US Department of State, Congress, the Supreme Court, and other government agencies, embassies, academia, and corporations.
 
Ms. Mitchell owns The Etiquette Advocate, a firm providing etiquette and protocol training and consulting to corporations, non-profit organizations, government agencies, embassies, universities, and the travel and hospitality industry. She is quoted on matters of etiquette and protocol by CNN, ABC Nightline, Martha Stewart Living Radio, The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Washington Business Journal, the Associated Press and Washingtonian magazine, and has been featured on ABC Good Morning America, Fox News, and National Public Radio. She is co-owner and founding partner of the firm, Protocol Partners-Washington Center for Protocol.

Table of Contents

Introduction vi

Chapter 1 You It Personal Best

Prepare for Success 1

Building Your Brand 2

Appearance and Attire 3

First Impressions 3

Clothes Encounters 4

Gauge in Brain (Formal vs. Informal) 5

Hygiene and Grooming Guide 10

Posture 11

Grammar 11

Swearing and Offensive Language 11

Time Sensitivity 12

Feedback 13

My Space 13

Wrap Up 13

Chapter 2 People Skills

Take a Hard Look at Your Soft Skills 15

Connecting and Building Rapport 17

Listening Skills 19

Conversational Skills 21

Body Language 23

Handshake and Other Greetings 24

Introductions Playbook 25

Name Game 30

Networking Etiquette 33

Disability Etiquette 37

Chapter 3 Your World

Living with Manners 41

Retail Rudeness 51

Medical Office Manners 57

Etiquette of Worship 58

Parking Lots and Garages 59

Chapter 4 Fun and Fitness

Entertainment 61

Health and Fitness 63

Chapter 5 Manners Hit the Road

Getting There 71

Hotel Hospitality 82

Chapter 6 Communicating Courtesy

Thank-You Notes and Letters 89

Business Letters 90

Words of Condolence 94

Grammar Review 97

Chapter 7 Going Social

Cell Phone Courtesy 103

Texting 106

Social Media 108

Chapter 8 Be Our Guest

Invitations 115

Receiving an Invitation 117

Party Playbook 121

Houseguest Handbook 128

Gifts-General Guidelines 130

Party Protocol 131

Chapter 9 Manners Go To Work

Job Interview Etiquette 139

You're Hired! Welcome Aboard 143

Gender-Neutral Courtesy 147

Business Cards-Owner's Manual 149

Meetings Manners 153

EZ Email Etiquette 157

Chapter 10 Dining Decoded

General Guidelines 163

Tabletop Tour 168

Dining Styles 173

Restaurant Dining 177

Customer Courtesy 179

Fast-Food Finesse 182

Food-Service Glossary 185

Chapter 11 Down the Aisle

Determine Your Vision 191

Timeline 192

Save-the-Date Announcements 193

Invitations 194

Ceremony 204

Reception 205

Gifts 209

Thank-You Notes 211

Acknowledgments 212

Index 213

About the Author 216

Editorial Reviews

"In a world where reading news headlines would have you believe it has gone to hell in a hand-basket, it is nice to see someone making the effort to uphold some common civility and manners which, though they might be updated now for same-sex weddings, work cubicles or food trucks, are never out of style." - DearAuthor.com

From the Publisher