Latest "Uncategorized" Posts
March 19, 2020
These are strange, uncertain times — so many of us are practicing self-isolation in our homes and are cut off from regular contact with friends, relatives, and colleagues.
But this period also presents an unprecedented opportunity!
Instead of seeing your time at home as a jail sentence, it’s time to get creative. If we use our time wisely we can emerge from this pandemic smarter, prepared, and with a new appreciation for life.
Here are 30 ways you can use this time to enrich your mind, heart, and home.
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Posted by Margaret Page in Personal development, Time management, Self Care in challenging times, Uncategorized and tagged #selfcare #selfquarantine
February 18, 2020
Think about career mistakes and big moments come to mind — not taking that plum job, bungling a big presentation, getting passed over for a promotion.
But it’s the day-to-day decisions that can really make or break your career. Your sum total of your everyday choices is your reputation, and it’s the often-overlooked key to unlocking success.
We’re all guilty of slipping up from time to time. But if you’re consistently doing the following, you could be sabotaging your reputation — and your future.
Bad Mouthing Others
It can be difficult to restrain yourself in the heat of the moment, but unkind words about your colleagues make you look untrustworthy. If you’re talking about a co-worker behind her back, how is the listener supposed to believe that you won’t do the same about him?
Using Foul Language
There are a few industries where blue language is tolerated and maybe even expected. But that’s not the case for 99 percent of us. Although some people might find off-color language provocative, or even funny, you run the risk of offending people and looking unprofessional.
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Posted by Margaret Page in Interviews, Business, Personal development, Uncategorized, Business Etiquette, Communication and tagged career, workplace, Reputation, career mistakes, promotions
November 5, 2019
Here’s How You Can Embrace Gender-Neutral Pronouns
It should come as no surprise that I am a big believer in the power of words. They can welcome or exclude, admire or demean. An exciting, recent example of this is the movement of people choosing their own third-person pronouns. Much like the way you strive to spell and pronounce people’s names correctly, using others’ chosen personal pronouns is a basic but important way for you to treat them with dignity and respect.
A Bit of Background
More than ever, people who do not identify as a man or a woman are feeling comfortable enough to truly be themselves. You may encounter individuals who see themselves as neither gender or as a mix of both. This can include non-binary, transgender, gender fluid, gender nonconforming, and genderqueer individuals. One of the ways in which they can communicate their identities is by choosing their own personal pronouns, or which pronouns they would like others to use when addressing them. These are commonly referred to as gender neutral pronouns or gender expansive, and they are a powerful way for those who use them to help others feel seen, valued, and included.
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Posted by Margaret Page in Personal development, pronouns, Uncategorized, Business Etiquette, Communication and tagged Gender, pronouns, gender-neutral pronouns
October 15, 2019
Weddings are probably the most common event where #toasting etiquette comes into play. The emcee, the groom, the best man, the person toasting the bride and even from the bride herself may give toasts. We’ve heard them all, from exceptional toasts to the worst toasts. My work associate told me about her wedding 26 years ago when the best man stood up to toast the bridesmaids. “The bridesmaids look lovely and the food was good.” Wow, OK. Not the worst toast I have ever heard, but certainly not the most exceptional or memorable.
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Posted by Margaret Page in Business, Personal development, Uncategorized, Dining Etiquette, Etiquette Tips, Wedding Etiquette and tagged toasting etiquette, wedding, Toasting, emcee
August 9, 2019
You’ve met people with itbefore. They walk into a room purposefully and confidently. They command attention. When they speak, people hang onto their words and take their ideas seriously.
It may seem like these talented people were born with oodles of charisma. But here’s a secret: Presence is a skill that can be taught. With practice, you can own a room any time, anywhere.
How would it feel to walk into a job interview supreme confidence? Or to give a presentation in front of your company’s C-suite with panache? Once you master the basics of presence, you’ll be amazed at the doors it can unlock.
Here are three keys to tapping into this superpower.
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Posted by Margaret Page in Uncategorized
July 13, 2019
If you’re like me, you can’t wait for summer to arrive! Summer means enjoying all the best that the good weather has to offer, like going to my local beach to relax. I love the feel of the warm sand between my toes, cooling off with a swim, then topping off the day with a picnic or a good read on a beach chair. If you’re heading to your local beach anytime soon, here are some thoughts to keep in mind to make it enjoyable for yourself and others.
Keep it Clean
In an early episode of Mad Men, Don Draper’s family left a picnic by simply shaking their blanket and leaving the trash behind! Times have changed – and for the better. When disposing of your waste at the beach, make sure you use the proper recycling and garbage disposal bins. Not only does it keep the beach pristine for others, it keeps the bees and ants from gathering where they’re not wanted.
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Posted by Margaret Page in Uncategorized and tagged etiquette tips, good manners, Beach, Beach Etiquette, Summer
June 5, 2019
In a world where we are communicating more and more through email, text and social media, the value of physical thank you cards is being lost. Yes, it is amazing how easy it is to stay in touch nowadays – a quick text to see how someone’s day is going– but with something as important as a thank you card, I still believe sending a physical version is far more valuable. The next time your firm receives a big order from an important client, consider sending them a thank you card instead. This is especially true in the USA during National Business Etiquette week 2019.
Physical cards still have a longer shelf life—and greater impact. Because we get so many emails and text messages throughout the day, it’s such a thrill to open our mailbox (our REAL mailbox) and find a physical card inside. After all, you can’t display an email on your desk or hang a text on your bulletin board!
But who has time for that, right? We have the best intentions – we really do want to send out more cards, but time gets away from us and it becomes just one more thing to add to our to-do list. Did you know that people intend to send out an average 70 cards a year for various occasions, but in the end only send out 10 because of the inconvenience? Unless you really plan ahead, when you think about sending out a card, you’re scrambling to find a stamp!
Well, that’s why I am such a huge fan of Send Out Cards. I love them.
Send Out Cards
SendOutCards, founded by CEO Kody Bateman in 2003 – has sent out over 100 million cards since its launch. The online service makes it so easy to send a personalized, printed greeting card to anyone. You choose a custom card, add your own personal photo and message – and then you just click SEND. They take care of all the rest – printing, stuffing, stamping and mailing the physical card for you.
Thoughtful Cards
A colleague of mine once gave me a box of Thoughtful Cards. Similar to a post card, Thoughtful Cards have a wonderful thank you note on one side along with the usual spot for an address and note on the flip side. All I need to do is “pick, personalize, and post”. Their motto is, “Go from gratitude inaction to gratitude in action! It was a lovely gift that I have used several times already.
My personal goal is to send out one card each day. And although I think email thank-yous are convenient and necessary, the arrival of a personal card is far more memorable. If you’re trying to stand out from the crowd, separate yourself from your competitors, sending a physical card will help you do that.
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Posted by Margaret Page in Uncategorized, Business Etiquette, Communication, Etiquette Edge and tagged business, Gain Confidence, Class and Communication Skills with Etiquette Products, thank you cards, customer appreciation
May 29, 2019
Today’s bride and groom are defining their special day in a way that reflects their style and interests in a much more personalized manner than ever before. Blinged-out sneakers instead of white pumps, receptions at micro breweries, and saying ‘I Do’ while wearing flip flops on a Hawaiian beach.
My best friends in the whole world are the four I graduated from high school with in 1980. We got our drivers licenses together, shared our boy crushes and snuck away to concerts together before we received our Dogwood diploma. We never gave much thought about who we would marry, let alone thinking about children’s weddings. That was for when we were old; certainly not now!
Well, fast forward 40 years and guess what? Yup – I am attending a destination wedding in France. Not my friend’s, but her daughter Meaghan’s and her fiancé, Arnaud. And not in a church, but a chateau that has been in the family for centuries. Back in 1980, most of my high school contemporaries were getting married at the local community centre, let alone somewhere outside of town. Meaghan was my flower girl, so I was super happy and excited to attend. Who wouldn’t want to attend a wedding in a French chateau?
As romantic as a French chateau wedding sounds, I can’t help but think the logistics could be a royal nightmare (pun intended). Who makes sure the chateau isn’t full of cobwebs? Is the local priest a 97-year old that doesn’t speak English? Is the local wine any good or should we be using it as red wine vinegar to pour over the fig salad? How does one know this when you live 8300 km away?
I caught up with Meaghan yesterday to get some answers. Apparently, the most challenging thing is that you don’t know what you don’t know. What does that mean exactly? Well, take catering for example. In North America, we’ve come to expect custom service levels that resemble à la carte. The French caterer was quite amused when asked if plates and cutlery were included. Her response? “Well, what else would you eat on?”
Local etiquette and business customs also came into play when thinking about a destination wedding. Apparently asking a wedding expert to make all kinds of changes was a major faux pas. She is the expert, right? Isn’t that why the bride and groom hired them? Deferring to her expertise was something Meaghan and Arnaud had to learn along the way. No problem! Well, except for the fish. Fish you ask? When the wedding couple requested three vegan dishes, they were told, “No problem, we’ll serve local fish.” When the bride went on to explain that local fish would not work either, the caterer said she would be able to work around it. Thank goodness she was able to serve the three vegans some lovely salmon filets instead. Oops!
Navigating foreign paperwork has its own challenges as well. If a non-French citizen wants to get married in France, paperwork needs completing to determine if they are eligible to marry there. Arnaud, having been born in France, happily translated all the documents into English. Turns out all Meaghan needed to provide was a “Certificate of Celibacy”. Wait…what? How on earth was the Federal Department of Global Affairs Canada going to be able to provide that kind of certificate, never mind validating the claim? Awkward!! In the end Arnaud’s translating needed some tweaking. Turns out all they required was proof she was single (célibataire) and had no plans on being a polygamist. Talk about lost in translation!
Lessons to take away? If planning a destination wedding, keep local customs in mind (tipping included), double check your language translations and always, always keep your sense of humour because cobwebs in the chateau are probably the least of your concerns. And really, have you ever tasted bad French wine?
Karen Taipalus lives and works in Delta, BC and enjoys writing short stories and articles based on every-day life events. She likes travelling with her family, wine tasting with girlfriends, bookclub and pickleball. Karen works in business development and social media.
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Posted by Margaret Page in Uncategorized and tagged etiquette tips, bride, travel, love, weddings, destination weddings, groom
April 10, 2019
A Guide to Tricky Emoji
A colleague recently texted me with a wonderful idea. As someone who messages quite a bit, both personally and professionally, I’m pretty up-to-date on proper etiquette. But when I tried to choose an emoji heart to indicate that I loved my colleague’s idea I was stymied. There were so many choices! A yellow heart? A beating red heart? A large pink heart flanked by smaller hearts?
I’m not alone in my confusion. The misuse of emoji is fodder for Buzzfeed articles about the generation gap between parents and their children — they even show up as plot points in comedies. Here are some of the most commonly used emoji and what they really mean.
Hearts. We all know hearts represent love, but their colors add another layer of meaning. Bustle published a great guide to heart colors that I like to reference. If you’re familiar with the subtle language of giving flowers, you’ll notice a few similarities: Yellow for warmth, purple for drama and glamour, a cluster for over-the-top expression. Save a single red heart, like a single red rose, for a love interest.
Wink. A wink in real life might indicate a joke or a flirtation. In emoji, it is most definitely the latter. Not appropriate in professional texts or with someone other than a partner, spouse, or potential love interest.
Crying laughing. This emoji indicates that you’re laughing so hard that you’re crying — definitely different than the laughing emoji, for which it’s sometimes confused. Make sure you don’t choose the version with a drop of water coming from its forehead: that indicates a nervous, cold sweat.
Smiling face with hands. This face seems very happy, but the hands are an indication that something else is going on. This emoji is a virtual hug — not appropriate for your boss, for example.
Expressionless face. Don’t use this emoji unless you want to convey your displeasure or lack of enthusiasm for an idea, person, or project.
Smiling face with heart eyes. Be careful when using this emoji — it can be applied to an idea you love, but also indicate love or flirtation to the person on the other end of your text message.
There are hundreds of emoji. I’ve concentrated on the way these emoji are used in North America and Europe, but you may run into different interpretations in Asia, for example. When in doubt, type it out rather than use a symbol.
Do you have any emoji horror stories? Please share them in the comments below!
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Posted by Margaret Page in Valentines Day, Uncategorized, Business Etiquette, Communication, Everyday Etiquette, Just for Fun and tagged communication, Emoji, hearts
March 28, 2019
You’ve sent out the agenda, booked the boardroom, organized the AV equipment, and the lattes and muffins are waiting on the side counter. As Department Manager or Director, you’ve done all the pre-meeting preparation and are ready to chair your meeting! You’ve arrived 15 minutes early to ensure all is ready and the attendees are filing in.
Whether your meeting is formal or more informal, the following procedure is generally accepted meeting practice:
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Posted by Margaret Page in Uncategorized, Business Etiquette, Communication and tagged meeting, Boardroom, Chairperson, agenda
