Basic Manners and Etiquette

Success in a person’s life should not be measured and limited to books. Academics can take you on the path to success but it is equally important that one should know how to handle oneself in the real world and that can only be possible if one has been groomed in basic manners and etiquette too. There are a lot of examples in this world of not very learned but highly successful persons in life.  

Basic manners and etiquette are simply the behavior of a person in a company, a society or in public, and in general towards others. Basic manners and etiquettes cannot be limited but involve total personality development. So they cannot be generalized and are dependent on the occasions and activities like table and eating manners, a social get-together, talking on a telephone, corporate mannerism, behavior during an official meeting, and so on and so forth. 

• Table manners and Eating etiquette: 

Table manners and eating etiquettes speak volumes of a person’s upbringing and background. One should eat in small bites enough for a mouthful to avoid the food from spoiling your mouth and clothes. Rest assured no one is going to run away with your plate. While eating it is always good to chew the food with a closed mouth and not to talk while chewing. Always wait for all people to arrive before you begin your meal and should always wait till the host starts. Licking fingers while eating gives a bad impression, so avoid at all costs. Always say thank you when served, after the meals it is good manners to go and keep the plate in the washbasin or where other used plates are kept. At the time of leaving be polite to say thank you and appreciate the host’s efforts, it speaks volumes about a person.

Visit: Moral Values for students

• Corporate Etiquette: 

Corporates have their own set of manners and etiquettes. In the corporate world, it is important to make eye contact and always offer a warm smile when talking to someone or in the course of a discussion. It is good manners to turn off or mute the mobile when someone is speaking to you. It is also considered bad manners if, before his completion, a speaker is interrupted in between his speech, it shows disrespect to the speaker. Always respect the speaker.  Holding the door for the other person, when he is entering or leaving a room, is good manners. Always remember to say please or thank you as the situation demands. Ensure you shake hands with your right hand and as such always keep it free. Keep an open perspective having your point of view in a discussion, but avoid an argument or giving a blank look. 

• Society Etiquette: 

Talking of society in a larger perspective always speak politely using appropriate language and be helpful to others. Be appropriately dressed for an occasion and always remember to be punctual, avoid being late under any circumstance. Being aware of a guest’s preference is a sign of good manners and a way of showing that he is a welcome guest. Wait for everyone to be served before you, as a host, also begin eating. Have an exit strategy from a get-together. It is inappropriate to leave without informing the host and it is always good to compliment him for everything before leaving. Ensure to let the people disembark from the elevator and hold the door for others before you board, just do not just barge into the lift. Be polite in an e-mail and always check your text before sending it. Keep your cell-phone out of any conversation, in a social gathering. At an airport, avoid unnecessarily over-crowding the boarding area as regular flight announcements are made by authorities over the public address system. 

Telephone manners are a big area of concern nowadays. At times people speak so loudly in the mouthpiece as if the person at the other end is hard of hearing. On the contrary, when talking on speakerphone, at times, people are so loud that those not involved in the conversation unnecessarily get disturbed. It is thus very important to practice good speakerphone manners. It is important to give the call received on a phone its due, by simply removing your mind from other thoughts and activities and being attentive to what the other person is saying. Do not cough or sneeze directly into the mouthpiece while talking on the phone, turn your head away and cover your mouth. Always put the phone receiver down softly, do not bang it down on the phone as it is not considered good manners.

Meetings whether official or social lack conduct and mannerism. There should be thorough planning for a meeting, an appropriate place, and the appropriate time should be frozen. People should be discouraged from going in and out during a meeting as it disturbs the speaker and is very disruptive.  Attendee’s to the meeting should be aware of the agenda and the purpose of the meeting and should be participative in the discussion. It should not be treated as a place to relax and sleep. Phones should be switched off in meetings to avoid disruptions to the participants.

Thus to help in personality development for kids and to become a part of their personality development training it is very important that basic manners and etiquettes should begin within the family and get deeply ingrained along with academics in schools and colleges to enable to get the most out of life.