Soft Skills – Marietta Stuhlfelder

“Carpe diem”

Since childhood I have loved these words. They contain so much power, beauty and wisdom. “Carpe diem” is Latin and translates to “Seize the day”. To me, these words are a reminder to make the best of each day and to be the best person I can possibly be. As a role model, I want to inspire and enrich the lives of others.

Happiness is a journey and not a goal. It is a journey full of surprises and adventures. There is sunshine and there is rain. But in the end it is all worth it. I believe that happiness is possible for everybody and in achieving happiness our world will be a better and more peaceful place to live in.

Strong social relationships are the number one source of happiness in humans.

Most of us love to be around and with others. So why don’t we perfect our social skills and find happiness on the way?

In the German language we have the expression“ feiner Herr”(perfect gentleman) and “elegante Dame” (elegant lady) which mean that a person has mastered social graces. Whatever the situation, you will know how to handle yourself gracefully and with dignity. Social graces comprise etiquette, good manners, poise, posture, social dancing, image and the skill of conversation.

Social grace is the sum of good manners and behavior to make human interactions smooth and pleasant. Consideration, Trust, Respect, Truth, Fairness are cherished values and principles exemplified through good etiquette. They are essential for a friendly and peaceful world.

Good relationships will make you happier and feel more accepted. Isn’t it wonderful to make somebody else smile? How do you feel when someone else is nice to you? Soft skills will help you interact with others in a better and more successful way and are a gateway to a more fulfilled and enriched life. They are the foundation for building excellent relationships with others.

“Seize the day” and enjoy your journey through life!

Marietta Stuhlfelder, 2020

Soft skills are very important in the business world, and etiquette is an integral part of it. Excellent soft skills can positively differentiate someone over others with comparable technical skills.

Imagine that your company has a formal business dinner with a potential new client. Your staff member was asked to participate as well. He arrived dressed casually, chewed with his mouth open, drank one too many drinks, took private phone calls and started to eat before everybody else. Do you think that you will get this potential new client to do business with your company? Everybody in a company from the new staff member to the high executive needs excellent etiquette skills because it reflects back on the company’s work ethic and the quality of your product.

Great etiquette will also improve the atmosphere in the office. People will be better team players and treat each other with more consideration and respect. This is very important considering that now people of diverse cultures and ages often work together in tight-knit teams.

Bullying and gossip is not just a problem at schools but also a very big problem in offices. Losing an employee because of bullying will cost the company. It will cost time and money to find and train somebody new, customers may leave, the dynamic in the team changes, and the bully is probably still there so the problem will likely occur again. These problems can be avoided if your workforce is trained on how to gracefully interact with one another.

Consideration, respect and honesty are valuable traits in an employee and in a team. Wouldn’t you love for your employees to appreciate their co-workers and look forward to coming to work? Etiquette will provide an excellent base for that.

Marietta Stuhlfelder, 2020

Beiträge

Business-Etiquette