Workplace Issues
Mind your mannersModern etiquette: Keep up your professional image at dinnerWhether a business meal is casual or formal, simply adhering to these basic points will go a long way to making a favourable and lasting impression on all your dining companions. Pamela Eyring, Reuters |
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When most of us think about how we’re perceived professionally, we conjure up images of ourselves giving boardroom presentations or skillfully negotiating contracts with clients. Yet one of the strongest indicators of how truly professional you are is not how you handle a room or host a meeting, but how you handle yourself at the dining table.
Your grasp of basic manners and etiquette is a projection of your experience, your status and, of course, your professionalism. More importantly, how you conduct yourself at the dining table gives potential clients and partners a sense of how you will handle their business and your relationship.
Appropriate dining behaviour is a way to prove to your boss and those in the corner office that you are an individual capable of representing their company in a manner that advances the company’s reputation and goals.
While there are many fine points to dining, today I will cover the most basic and essential points here. Just adhering to these few simple pointers will establish you as a professional at the dining table and beyond.
Keep the table clear
Never place keys, purses, hats, gloves, eyeglasses, folders, or anything that is not part of the meal on the table. If items must be in reach, tuck them in a pocket or neatly beneath or behind your chair.
Napkin
The napkin should be picked up, unfolded and placed on the of silverware, it should never touch the table again. If you are not using the utensil, put it down on the plate. Use a knife and fork to cut only one piece of food at a time. When you finish a course, place the knife and fork in the “finished” position. Picturing your plate as the face of a clock, the tip of the knife and fork are at 10 and the handles are at 4. The blade of the knife faces the fork, not the edge of the plate.
Think B.M.W.
It’s not unusual for a confused diner to be unsure which bread plate and water glass are theirs and mistakenly “borrow” their neighbours’ setting. To avoid making this embarrassing faux pas, remember B.M.W.: Bread, Meal, Water. Your bread plate is always on your left, your meal is in the middle of the place setting, and your water is always on your right.
Buttering your bread
How you butter your bread is one of the biggest indicators of good vs. bad table manners. Always put butter on your bread plate rather than directly on your roll. Break, don’t cut the bread, and then butter one bite-sized piece at a time. Never butter a whole slice of bread at once, or slice a roll in half and butter it.
Conversing while dining
Business meals present the unique challenge of simultaneously trying to stay engaged in the conversation and enjoying a meal. The best strategy for this involves taking small bites, finishing chewing, smiling, and then carrying on the conversation. Never speak with food in your mouth.
Whether a business meal is casual or formal, simply adhering to these basic points will go a long way to making a favourable and lasting impression on all your dining companions.
(Pamela Eyring is the president and director of The Protocol School of Washington, which provides certified professional etiquette and protocol training. Founded in 1988, PSOW is the only school of its kind in the U.S. to become accredited. PSOW’s website is http://psow.edu. Any opinions expressed are her own.)
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