Quick Tips

#1:  5 Ways to Combat Rudeness

• Don’t take it personally. Perhaps the offender is having a bad day.
• Size up your annoyances. Is it worth it to make a fuss over something small, or is it a waste of your emotional time?
• Set a good example. Rudeness begets rudeness. If you speak sharply to the bank teller, don’t be surprised if you get the same treatment in return.
• Count to ten. When someone’s behavior makes you angry, take a few deep breaths and ask yourself, “Is it really worth blowing my stack over this?”
• Laugh it off. If you can’t come up with a friendly joke, just chuckle and change the subject.

#2:  A great handshake—at home or abroad

In North America and Europe, a firm handshake is an appropriate form of greeting. In Asia and the Middle East, where hand shaking is still relatively new, the customary grip is gentler; a too-hearty grip could be interpreted as aggressive. In Islamic countries, offering your hand to a woman is highly offensive. At the other extreme, it’s said that you can never shake hands too much in France, whre women shake hands as freely and as often as men.

#3:  Beyond the handshake

Here’s when it’s okay—and not—to use more personal greetings:

The Peck on the Cheek: Men and women should refrain from kissing in business situations, since even an innocent peck might be misconstrued. The exception is when people know each other quite well, especially when they greet each other at a quasi-social event like a convention or a business lunch.

The Air Kiss: This cheek-touch with pursed lips that began as a way of avoiding smudged makeup can come across as insincere. Stick with the handshake.

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