A valuable lesson in etiquette
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• amfAR cinema against AIDS
• Celebration of the Arts Gala
• What to expect premiere London
• Billboard Music Awards Red Carpet
• Men In Black 3 London Premiere
Tuesday Sep 15 2009
Christina Kelly (26), from Clane, Co Kildare, attended a course at The Finishing Academy, Naas, that dealt with modern social and business etiquette.
"I had an image of etiquette school as an American woman in a blazer teaching a group of girls to be ladies, but actually it was very relaxed.
"I didn't tell many people I was doing it for the same reason -- that they would think it was strange. But now I can't stop recommending it.
"It was the business aspect that drew me to it. Some things they tell you might seem like common sense but I got some great tips.
"The biggest thing for me was being taught how to deal with emails and phonecalls. I work in accounts in the building industry and you can imagine we get some people on the phone who are annoyed. It's easy if someone is shouting at you to be angry back.
"The lessons taught me to be more aware of my tone. What I try to do now is keep my voice calm and steady and have an understanding tone. I do find that the more sympathetic you are, the more people tend to back off and calm down because they know they are being heard.
"What was really interesting to me was the crossover between business and social etiquette.
"If you are at a business dinner with work colleagues, it's about trying to find that line, knowing when you should or shouldn't talk about business or who should pay the bill.
"On a social level, there is this whole area they call 'millennium etiquette' -- what was polite in olden days is not necessarily polite now.
"Opening doors for people -- it shouldn't be specific to gender anymore.
"If I'm a woman and I reach a door before a man does, it's only right that I hold it open for him.
"I have to say the lessons have given me confidence -- it's not about changing yourself entirely, it's just about being more aware of how you come across to the world."
