International Women’s Day has been observed since the early 1900s. It was in 1908, more than 100 years ago, that 15,000 women took a stand—marching through the streets of New York City, demanding better working conditions and the right to vote.
Every year since that day, on March 8, we celebrate women’s achievements throughout history and across nations. A theme is chosen by the United Nations for International Women’s Day, and this year the theme is Gender Agenda: Gaining Momentum.
“Over time and distance, the equal rights of women have progressed. We celebrate the achievements of women while remaining vigilant and tenacious for further sustainable change. There is global momentum for championing women’s equality.”
What You Can Do
No matter how successful and skilled we are, there’s still this part of us that seeks confirmation and affirmation that others believe in us–especially from other strong, successful women in our lives.
To celebrate the women in your life, share with them the unique talents and skills they possess that you admire. Take time out of your busy day and acknowledge what you so enjoy about them.
Be specific with your compliments. The best compliments we receive are specific to ourselves. Think about it, which compliment would you rather receive? “Great presentation!” or “Great presentation! You know how to communicate and get your message across so effectively!”
Empower another woman this month (and every month!) While each of us bears the weight of history, we also hold the potential to transform it.
Check out this great video from Kronos and Xplane! The video provides interesting facts and statistics about the changes and developments that have impacted women in the workforce.
One of our most popular posts is the article we wrote on telephone etiquette. In it, I shared a few telephone answering tips to ensure that you’re presenting yourself, and your business, in the most professional manner—at all times.
Good telephone manners go a long way, and one of the things people really struggle with is this scenario:
You’re on a business call and you’re deep into a really great conversation and suddenly you realize you’re talking – but no one is there! In mid-conversation, the call was dropped. Then, here’s the sequence of events that follow:
You hang up and immediately call the person back.
Your call gets automatically directed to the person’s voicemail.
As you’re leaving a message asking for a call back, you hear a beep on your phone – oops, an incoming call.
You hang up, hoping you can catch the call.
Too late, the incoming call goes straight to your voicemail. “Hello George, this is Sam, looks like we lost connection. Give me a call back.”
You dial again–just as Sam has heard your voicemail and is dialing you back.
And you’re back into George’s voicemail box.
Now you both hang up and wait for the call.
At the other end, Sam is also waiting.
Talk about a mess! After a few rounds of this back and forth, the entire conversation has been lost.
Who should call back and who should hold off?
The etiquette for situation where a call is disconnected is simple: Whoever initiated the call is responsible for calling back.
With so many of us using cell phones to communicate in business, remembering this simple tip will save a lot of confusion and wasted time the next time you’re disconnected.
When you lose the trust of your customers, colleagues, employees, or other stakeholders in business, you’ve given up much more than you realize. And you would be surprised at how difficult it takes to rebuild that trust once it’s lost.
I read a statistic that said that once you lose trust, it takes 37 experiences to get back to the point you started with in the relationship. And once you do recover trust with that individual, if you have another misstep—and lose credibility—the process starts all over again.
To rebuild trust, there are a few things you can do:
If you’ve done or said something that resulted in a loss of trust, understanding the reason you violated the individual’s trust in you is the first step to rebuilding the relationship.
Acknowledge your mistake—take responsibility for the action that caused the loss of trust.
Be patient. Your actions, moving forward, will speak louder than words. Know that it’s going to take time for the relationship to get back on solid ground.
Before you make commitments, ensure that you are being realistic with expectations. As much as you want to “WOW” a client, it’s best to under-promise and over-deliver!
My last piece of advice is to cut yourself some slack. Life happens. If you find that you’re constantly in a state of “catch up,” and you’re not meeting commitments, it’s time to build in some “Get Real Time.”
In “Get Real Time,” you add a buffer to your day – extra time to get things done. Schedule time in your day for interruptions and for personal breaks. Be realistic with your time.
To keep the trust of others, start by being respectful to yourself. Know your own limitations. The word “no” is not a dirty word. In the words of Tony Blair “The art of leadership is saying no, it is very easy to say yes.”
Trust affects your influence and success—at every level of business. Without it, you lose your effectiveness—and your competitive edge over others.
David Horsager has spent years studying the connection between success and trust, and outlines 8 key areas that he calls The Pillars of Trust. To gain a competitive edge, take these “Pillars” into account to build a strong foundation of trust.
Your turn! Do you have any advice for us on how to rebuild a broken trust?
I recently shared a challenge on my blog that I’d like to extend to you: 3 Habits to Start Creating Today.
To set a new standard for interacting with others, please incorporate these three habits and share your findings with me. I love hearing about your results.
Anyone else have a case of January fever? I absolutely love January because it’s the time of year when people are most willing to take action, make changes, and exercise their ability to shape their lives. There’s a lot of talk about goal setting and resolution making, but I think of January as a lot more than that – it’s a time of visioning, dreaming, planning and manifesting. It’s the month of inspiration and courageous steps forward!
Now, I don’t know about you, but it sure seems to me like 2012 was an extremely challenging year for a lot of people – which, on the flipside, makes this January extra exciting. It’s a fresh start, a new chapter, a chance to turn the page and create from scratch. What a wonderful opportunity!
So if you’re feeling inspired to make this year your best one yet, I want to share a great strategy to help you on your way.
The late, great Earl Nightingale, a pioneer in leadership and self-actualization, suggested a simple yet profoundly effective technique to achieve personal breakthroughs in record time – and I’ll tell you about that in a moment.
But first, it’s important to note that many people will find themselves resisting this strategy. At first glance, it seems too easy, too simple, especially to those of us who tend to struggle and sweat to get what we want.
But, according to Mr. Nightingale, it doesn’t have to be so hard! If you want to achieve a personal breakthrough, all you have to do is this: Turn off the television, the computer, the phone and the radio; silence the distractions and sit quietly at a desk with a pad of paper and a pen. Write your goal or problem at the top of the page. Then, for the next 30 minutes, ask yourself: How can I accomplish this goal or solve this problem in the easiest and fastest way possible?
This is an incredibly powerful way to unlock an unlimited number of ideas. Truth be told, it may become one of the most inspiring and motivational things you do all year! (Trust me on this one… it’s true!)
Now, this may seem like a very simple thing to do – and in fact, it is. However, you may find yourself resisting it. (I’ll admit it… I do!) So, why is that? Well, according to Earl Nightingale, most people would rather do anything in the world than THINK. We would much rather turn on the TV, browse the Internet or chat with a friend, all the while worrying about our challenge instead of taking the time to solve it.
However, this is January – and January fever can burn hot enough to melt that resistance. It’s a breakthrough month! So give yourself the gift of trying this out. Clear your desk, set a timer, sit yourself down, take a deep breath and just begin. If you can get that far, you’ve already done the hardest part. Soon, you will find yourself inspired, thrilled and amazed with the creative ideas that spontaneously appear.
A quick word to the wise: know in advance that many of your ideas will be less than stellar. That’s okay. You’ll toss out many of them; that’s just part of the process. Write them down anyway. During brainstorms, the golden rule is: do not edit yourself. Let the ideas flow freely, without judgment. Just record the brainstorm.
If the phone rings or the dog barks, or something else tries to distract you, ignore it. Keep this appointment with yourself. It is important enough to devote your full attention to it.
Challenge yourself to put at least 20 ideas down on paper. Give yourself permission to be a little crazy and silly; it helps to free your imagination from self-judgment. (Hint: that’s often when the genius shines through. And besides, it makes the process more FUN!)
Here’s is a simple example:
“How can I lose 25 pounds in the easiest and quickest way?”
Clean all junk food out of my pantry, fridge and freezer.
Fire the gardener and hire a personal trainer.
Dance my way through housecleaning chores.
Salads for dinner – always. And no sugary desserts.
Stop snacking at my desk or in front of the television.
Spend more time with my thinnest friends and ask how they stay that way.
Post a mirror on the refrigerator, just about thigh high.
Always eat in my underwear… with no clothing to hide my belly rolls.
Never answer the door for Girl Scouts selling cookies.
Invite my mother to nag me about my weight.
Go ahead, have fun with this! Get creative. You don’t have to hold yourself to everything that you put on paper, just throw out some ideas and reconsider them at another time. The point is to get your wheels turning, the wheels of creativity and inspiration. These wheels will carry you forward toward solutions and results.
Again, think in terms of quickest and easiest solutions. Train yourself to look for the shortcuts and the most inspiring pathways toward your goal; you’ll learn to think quicker and better, and to reach for breakthrough ideas. Strive to get more inspired, more often.
Most importantly, abandon the idea that achieving your goals requires a long, hard struggle. That approach is soo 2012. Make this the year that you finally find a way to create what you want without all the blood, sweat and tears.
And when the ideas start rolling in, please let me know… I can’t wait to hear what you will create in 2013.
In support of your success,
Margaret Page
P.S. Want to know what I’m creating in 2013? More belly laughs! I firmly believe that laughter – big, hearty belly laughs – are central to a great quality of life. I want to experience this kind of joy every day! If you have any tips for me, or any funny things to pass along, please reach out to me on Facebook or Twitter. And if there’s anything I can do to support you in making this a phenomenal year, please be sure to let me know.
If you’re the kind of person who makes New Year’s resolutions, I have a challenge for you this year.
As you go about your day, incorporate these three “manners makeover” habits to set a new standard for interacting with others —whether in business or personal.
Be fully present – In the words of the late inspirational speaker and wordsmith Jim Rohn, “Give whatever you are doing and whoever you are with the gift of attention.” Seems like a simple request, but it’s tougher than you think. With so many distractions – cell phones, email, etc. – it’s easy to think you can multi-task while on a conference call and still be fully connected to the conversation. Not so.
The next time you’re talking to someone, really stop and listen. Refrain from thinking about what you’re going to say in response. And if you’re out to dinner—and I can’t believe I still see this happening all the time – keep your cell phones turned off! By checking email or texting while in someone’s company, you’re saying, “Hey, it’s great to see you, but right now there is someone more important I need to talk to.”
Compliment others (fill their bucket) – How did you feel after your last interaction with____________? Did that person make you feel more positive or did they leave you feeling a little deflated?
The Gallop organization has created a wonderful metaphor to take us to a new level of personal interaction. Imagine each of us has an invisible “bucket,” and we also have a ladle. When you engage with a person, you have two choices: You can use the ladle to fill his or her bucket, or take from it. The secret is when you fill someone else’s bucket we also fill our own bucket. When we take from someone’s bucket we are also dipping into our own bucket. WE are at our best when our buckets are full.
When interacting with people this year, remember the bucket. Complimenting others is a good way to fill his or her bucket. Remember kindness is contagious.
Leave things better than you found them. The last manners challenge is simple: Leave things better than you found them. We owe it to those that came before us to leave things better than we found it so those that come after us can enjoy the same opportunities or benefits we had.
By incorporating these three tips into your everyday encounters, you’ll create new habits that will leave a lasting impression.
Remember this: If our lives are on autopilot, we are not in control of the destination. Make a conscious decision to be a positive example—leading the way.
I’d love to hear from you as you challenge yourself to keep these three manners resolutions this year. Send me a note or comment on the blog.
And if you’re on Twitter, share your thoughts using hashtag #MannersMakeover.
Happy New Year to all of you! Wishing you much success and happiness in 2013!
At this time of year, when so many are trying to lose those extra holiday pounds, health clubs and gyms are busier than ever. With the influx of people in and out of the gym.
So what’s the biggest etiquette pet peeve of a typical gym-goer? Leaving the equipment sweaty.
It’s office holiday party time again! Here are a few tips to make sure you have fun, without forgetting that it’s a business event.
If you’re attending a social gathering this holiday season, hosted by a business colleague, remember these tips:
Don’t skip the party. If you’re invited to an office party, show up.
Know the dress code. You don’t want to show up in a Christmas sweater and Santa hat if the party is more formal. And this is not the time to start showing off your cleavage! Best advice: Ask your host or hostess about the dress code before you go, and choose an appropriate outfit.
Eat before you go. Have a light snack before you go so that you’re not spending all your time at the snack table. And if you plan on drinking, you’ll have something in your stomach.
Bring a hostess gift. A bottle of wine, or a nice box of chocolates, makes great hostess gifts during the holidays.
Limit your cocktails. Even small quantities of alcohol can loosen your inhibitions and lead to embarrassing moments at an office party. Limit yourself to one or two cocktails for the evening and then switch to a non-alcoholic beverage.
Mingle and enjoy yourself. Everyone who hosts a party wants to be sure that their guests have fun. If an impromptu round of Christmas caroling is initiated, join in the fun!
Put your phone away. An office party is the perfect opportunity to get some face time with your boss or other higher-ups. Leave your phone turned off or on vibrate so you can make the people at the party your priority.
Avoid excessive “work” talk. As tempting as it might be to spend the time chatting about the latest project, use this time to talk about non-work-related topics. And this is definitely not the time or place to gripe about anything or anyone from work.
Keep conversations positive and upbeat. Have a few topics up your sleeve – and avoid politics and religion, as a rule.
Say good-bye. When you leave, be sure to seek out the host / hostess to thank them for the invitation and say good-bye.
Say “thank you.” Skip the email and send a personal, handwritten note within 24 hours of the party.
Above all else, when attending a holiday office party, remember that it’s still work. No matter how festive the party is, protecting your professional reputation comes first. You don’t want to be remembered with the lampshade on your head at the end of the evening.
I have a friend who shared with me recently that one of the ways she keeps up with what’s going on in the lives of her four grown children is by checking their Facebook and Twitter profiles. She knows where her son—who is away at college—is spending his time most days because she sees his Foursquare check-ins pop up on his Facebook page! My friend feels more at ease by having a little glimpse into their daily lives (even though her children would probably say she was stalking them!).
Social media has definitely changed the way we interact with people—both personally and professionally. But one of the biggest changes social media has brought about is how we network.
In my book “The Power of Polite,” I site this example: When meeting new people, would you jump into a conversation without introducing yourself? Would you consistently talk about yourself without any regard for others around you? Of course, you wouldn’t – and the same rules apply when connecting with people through social media as they would when connecting in person.
When connecting with people online, keep these five business etiquette tips in mind:
Have a professional presence. If you’re on Twitter, you’ve seen the “egg.” Those profiles that haven’t put a professional photo in their profile are left with the default “egg” to identify them on Twitter. Whether you’re on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn, update your profile to include a professional photo and up-to-date bio that demonstrates your passion and area of expertise. On LinkedIn, your professional headline is important, so make sure it shares more than just your job title—express your full competency.
Introduce yourself. One of the best ways to introduce yourself on social media is by sharing useful content. This is a great way to grab the attention of those you want to reach. On Twitter, retweeting other people’s updates is a form of acknowledgement. Simply by being social (on social media) will get you noticed and you will begin to make connections.
Be real.LinkedIn is a great place to connect with business professionals, but one of the biggest mistakes I see people make is connecting with people by sending out the default message LinkedIn provides. When inviting a business connection, add a personal message with the invitation. Something like, “Hello George. It enjoyed meeting you at the business luncheon at Ted’s Restaurant last week. I’d love to add you as a professional connection here on LinkedIn.”
Listen. Whether it’s real life, or online, building connections has more to do with listening and engaging than it does with talking about you, you, and you. Choose key people you want to connect with and listen to what interests them and jump in where there is an opportunity to provide value.
Show your gratitude. When someone shares your content, or provides feedback on one of your social networks, always say “thank you.” Not only is this good etiquette, it is a great way to connect with a fan or follower and engage in a further discussion.
Whether you’re connecting with people online or in person, knowing how to present yourself in a way that sets you apart from your competition is key to success.
When it comes to tipping, even the most seasoned travelers can be unsure. What you believe to be a generous tip can be perceived as an insult in certain countries. And in still others, offering a gratuity can be construed as rude.
Knowing when to tip and how much to tip can be a bit of a struggle if you’re unprepared. Before you embark on your holiday excursion abroad, take a few moments to review these “around the globe” tips on tipping.
According to Conde Nast Traveler, never leave a tip on a credit card. Your server may or may not necessarily receive it.
In France, the locals usually tip up to 10 percent when dining out—in addition to standard service charges noted on their bill. Visitors, however, are not expected to tip unless the service is excellent.
In most parts of the U.K., service charges are included. If not, then a 10 to 15 percent tip is appreciated. If you are “regular” in the pub, it’s not unusual to say to your bartender “Take one for yourself,” when you are paying for your drinks (ie. Pour one for yourself and add it to my bill.). In the past, the bartender would probably have replied, “Don’t mind if I do,” and joined you in a beer. Today, he would likely have a coke or take the cash and put it in a beer mug next to the cash register!
In Switzerland, most places include a 15 percent service charge on the bill. No additional tip is expected, but in fancier restaurants, or if you receive excellent service, leaving an additional small tip is acceptable.
When dining in Germany, adding a 10-15 percent tip to a food or bar bill is customary.
In Italy, leaving a tip as close to 10 percent is acceptable, but no more.
At restaurants in Turkey, a 10 percent cash tip is appreciated.
In Australia, it’s customary to leave a 10 to 15 percent tip for good service.
In the Middle East, those who provide services tend to reach out for a tip more often, but its customary to tip in small amounts.
In Dubai, you’ll find a 10 percent service charge tacked onto your bill at hotels, restaurants and bars. Typically the tip is divided among the staff.
In Egypt, expect to pay an additional 5 to 10 percent on top of the 5 to 10 percent charge that is already built into the bill. Dollars are often the preferred currency.
At restaurants in Israel, the tip is typically included in the bill, but it’s customary to add a few shekels to the total bill. At your hotel, tip the concierge a shekel or two if the service is excellent; and expect to pay six shekels per bag for porters and four shekels per day for housekeepers.
When dining out in Argentina, it’s customary to round up and add a 10 percent tip. Dollars are recommended and it’s a good idea to keep a lot of change in your wallet as restaurants and shops are not keen on breaking bills.
In Brazil, no additional tips are expected in restaurants, as it’s included in the 10 percent fee.
If you’re dining out in Mexico, be sure to have cash on hand as it’s the preferred method for tipping. Ten to 15 percent is customary. Dollars are accepted, but pesos are preferred.
In South Korea, the only tip expected of tourists is for your hotel porter. Tip the usual $1 per bag.
Travelers to Japan and China are not expected to tip at all—except for in Hong Kong where a 10 percent tip is acceptable. Leaving a tip can be construed as offensive in these countries as it implies that the employee is undervalued by their employer.
Knowing the etiquette for tipping when traveling abroad will save you time, money and maybe even a little embarrassment!
International Women’s Day has been observed since the early 1900s. It was in 1908, more than 100 years ago, that 15,000 women took a stand—marching through the streets of New York City, demanding better working conditions and the right to vote. 
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