Deborah OConnor November 5, 2013

 

In the course of my work I am constantly asked questions. I will address some of the most frequently asked.

• I am at a fancy dinner party and there are copious utensils, a myriad of stemware, and it’s very confusing. What should I do?  You need to know that your place setting is a map of what you will beeating. Simply work your way in from the outside, i.e. from left toright on your left and from right to left on your right. If you areserved soup first, you will see a soup spoon on the far right.Obviously, you will use it. FYI, if it is a round soup spoon, you willbe served a cream soup. If the spoon is oval, you will be served a clear soup. Continue in this manner and you will work your way to the lastutensil. What about dessert? Your dessert utensils will be above yourplate.
• I have finally broken out of the cube. I have my ownoffice, I’m in the “inner circle”, and I have worked hard for this.However, I have many friends and colleagues still in the cubes and don’t want to lose touch with them. Will my closed office door make theothers on my team feel paranoid? The answer is to keep all doorsopen except during an emergency. Remember, open doors inspire trust and a spirit of friendship and camaraderie.
• You’ve emailed your client four times asking for a response. He completely ignores you. Do you email his boss? Absolutely not. Even though your client was rude to ignore you, contacting hisboss is a no-no. It shows no respect for your client and is sure toincur his wrath.
• One of your colleagues is getting marriedand the attire is black tie. Should a woman wear what she would wear toany black tie event? Because it is a colleague’s wedding, thischanges things considerably. You can expect to see business friendsthere so discretion is definitely needed. Do not wear anything thatlooks sexy or inappropriate. Go for a classy and elegant look and youcannot go wrong.
• What are interviewers looking for? Thisquestion can be answered with many pages and suggestions, but to beconcise and to the point, they are trying to decide if they want you tobe at their company five days a week, fifty weeks a year. In a nutshell, they are looking for someone with people skills, problem-solvingskills, and closure skills. Try to demonstrate these skills specifically in your interview.
• You are at a very important business dinner with a table full of colleagues and your boss. You are expecting an important phone call from Hong Kong and you need totake the call. Where do you put your phone? Do you turn the ringer on or off? Do you mention this to anyone? Put the phone in your pocketand have it on vibrate. Tell everyone at the beginning that you areexpecting this call and will need to step away from the table. Fullyengage in the conversation and camaraderie of the business dinner andwhen the call comes in, simply get up and leave the table. Return asinconspicuously as possible and rejoin the conversation.

Please feel free to send questions to Deborah at: www.successfulimage.biz.
She will answer them in her weekly column.

Deborah O’Connor is a social strategist and founder and president of Successful Image LLC with offices in Columbia and Atlanta. She offers training and seminars on image management, workplace etiquette, and social skillsnecessary to succeed in life professionally and personally. Contactat:  [email protected]        www.successfulimage.biz