Business Etiquette In Australia

Etiquette expert asks where have our manners gone

THE year is 2011 and etiquette expert Anna Musson is asking where our manners have gone.

In bygone eras, there were complex rules on everything from shaking hands to serving poultry, walking down main streets or travelling on a tramcar.

In colonial Australia, people addressed others using their titles, such as Mr and Mrs, and children were to be seen, not heard.

Today, the rigid rules of etiquette have gradually died with the passing of each generation.

And we are spending less time in face-to-face interactions because of mobile technology, e-business and social networking sites.

It’s in this climate of limited social interaction, that Ms Musson has found success.

The 38-year-old Killarney Heights resident founded her business, the Good Manners Company, in 2007 and conducts regular workshops for corporate high-flyers, football players and high school teens.

Major Australian women’s and men’s magazines, TV morning shows and Sydney radio stations have all featured Ms Musson, who can be recognised for her blonde bob, lipstick smile and penchant for pearls.

In one magazine interview, she calls Brisbane people more rude than Sydneysiders.

In another, she advises against using the expressions “yep” or “no worries” and advocates handwritten, thank-you notes.

Some of her advice on social functions is quite precise: always arrive within 10 minutes of the start time, never on time and stay for a maximum of two hours during the day or two-and-a-half-hours if it is in the evening.

She also has answers for questions some may not have even thought about, such as whether your socks should match your shoes or your trousers. (The answer is your shoes, by the way.)

Her courses and programs cover situations which can be minefields for social faux pas: formal dinners, the work environment and business attire.

Raised in Christchurch, New Zealand, Ms Musson came to Sydney at the age of 20 to seek fame and fortune.

She worked in five-star hotels dealing with high-profile clients and about five years ago began working with Sydney’s veteran etiquette expert, June Dally-Watkins.

While working with Ms Dally-Watkins she was already running etiquette courses at her local church.

“Then I said, ‘if I can do this for a living, this would be my dream job’,” she said. “I really do live and breathe this stuff.

Are Bow Ties Appropriate for Business? | Etiquette Tips & Quips ...

And saw this headline on the cover: “Tie one on for the Cup–an ode to the bow tie, an essential accessory for the Carolina Cup gentleman.”

“Men who wish to project a different, daring or distinguished style choose to tie up their fashionable loose ends in a handsome bow tie,” the article read, explaining that men can elevate their look from “done to dapper” by wearing a bow tie.

It seems that in the South, a bow tie paired with a suit is quite fashionable for formal social occasions. But as I read the article, I wondered about how the bow tie is received in the business arena? Is it outdated? Inappropriate? Or merely a striking personal style statement?

I get asked this question all the time in my dress seminars . “Can I wear a bow tie at the office and still be viewed as credible,” men ask. Being from the Northeast, I used to say, “Absolutely not!” However, now that I am living in the South, my view has changed.

Now, I have two major considerations with regards to this look. The first is, where does the client live? The bow tie is much more accepted in the South. When I am out to dinner at nice restaurants in Columbia, South Carolina, I see lots of businessmen wearing bow ties. Up north, and, indeed, most of the country, a bow tie is a rarity and therefore more likely to be seen as unconventional.

The second consideration is the client’s corporate culture. If he works in a creative environment, such as an advertising firm, fashion house, or magazine, a bow tie may be accepted, or even viewed as trendy. A strait-laced law firm, however, is less likely to be bowled over. Observe how your higher-ups dress—you should generally follow their lead. Are there any signs of personal expression? I know some businessmen who wear colorful ties, or bold striped socks with their expensive power suits just to add a touch of personality. If that’s the case in your office, a bow tie might be acceptable.

If you choose to wear a bow tie, know that it will brand you as somewhat eccentric. Just look at “Mad Men,” for example. The two characters who wear bow ties are Bert Cooper (who also walks around without shoes), and Harry Crane—arguably the more unusual, less ambitious men in the office. Compared to the sleek, traditional power ties worn by Don Draper and Roger Sterling, they look very quirky and perhaps less powerful.

The lesson: You may have to work harder to prove to others that you are a committed professional!

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