Lightblub!

“Well … if I speak to you in my home accent, would you listen to me during the entire class?”

My answer was chorus of yeahs and simultaneous head nods.

“OK … raise your right hand and repeat after me. I promise to listen the entire class if Laura speaks in her southern accent during the entire class.”

All 10 hands were raised and voice repeated my statement.

“Alriiiight ya’ll, let’s get staaaaarted.”

After a few shocked giggles (and my answer to why the accent is turned off most of the time) we started the class and the group sure ‘nuf remained true to its commitment.

I walked away from class with a few giggles of my own. Something as simple as showing them a little bit of “me” – something unique – was all it took to win over the tough crowd. It’s amazing what a dose of genuine self will do.

At which I wave my hand and tell them not to worry.  First of all, I don’t carry around a grade book, and that there is a time and place for everything.

I find most people have an immediate lack of confidence when manners, etiquette or civility is mentioned.  That is a shame considering most people behave well enough.  Etiquette isn’t about a big set of rules, forks and RSVPs. It’s about how you act to build relationships.

In fact, the great Ms. Emily Post said it best herself. “Whenever two people come together and their behavior affects one other, you have etiquette … Etiquette is not some rigid code of manners. It’s simply how a persons’ lives touch one another.”