Savvy people know that after you have enjoyed the hospitality at a dinner party, the proper thing to do is to write a thank-you note to the hostess (or host is there wasn't a hostess). But, what if you are invited to the White House for a State Dinner? Do you send a thank-you note to the President? to Mrs. Bush? Do you send a thank-you at all?
Too often a dinner party is held and the guests have a marvelous time, enjoying the food, entertainment, enticing conversation and then go home and tell everyone what a great time they had. Why would anyone think that the host or hostess wouldn't want to hear that? If you were the host, would you not want your guests to express their appreciation of the event and their involvement? I dare say that you would. BUT, it would be my guess that the guest of honor and escort (in this case, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip) may be the only ones to send a thank-you.
If you have been a host, you know that there is a great deal of work involved in executing a simple dinner party. Imagine having to execute a white-tie affair. If I had been lucky enough to have been invited, I would have sent a messenger (I live in the Washington, DC metropolitan area) with my handwritten appreciation to the First Lady and to the Office of the Social Secretary of the White House this morning - first thing. A lot of work and worry went into staging such a lovely evening and while the gratitude of the guests as they left is nice, nothing beats knowing that at least one guest appreciated the efforts enough to put pen to paper.
Showing posts with label Cynthia Lett. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cynthia Lett. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Friday, February 09, 2007
What does "Certified" mean in the etiquette business?
I am concerned about the "Certified" designation etiquette consultants have given themselves which demeans our field of training. It seems every day a new website goes up with the owner touting that they are a "Certified" Etiquette Consultant or Trainer.
The public would naturally believe that since they have "Certified" among their credentials, that they have passed an exam administered by a respected certifying organization proving they know a majority of what they need to know to be among the most knowledgeable in their field. After all, CPAs (Certified Public Accountants), CFPs (Certified Financial Planners) and Board Certified Physicians have all taken and passed a grueling examination to earn their "Certified" status.
You would assume that a CET (Certified Etiquette Trainer) or CPC (Certified Protocol Consultant) or similar acronyms after the name of someone who teaches etiquette would mean the same. But, the truth is, they most likely paid for and attended a three to five day Train the Trainer course offered by someone in the industry who has been teaching the subject for a while and has devised a method to teach others to do the same. Taking the course is a great start but it does not mean the same thing as proving you know the material by examination.
It started with the Protocol School of Washington advertising to prospective etiquette teachers that they could earn their "certification" credentials by taking their Train the Trainer course for a fee and three or four days in the classroom listening to their instructors teach. This started in the 1980's and since then several other professional etiquette trainers have devised their own Train the Trainer "Certification" courses. At the end of the courses, the students could then tout that they were "Certified" etiquette consultants. I believe that these training courses are valuable and wish there were more. But... they need to be promoted as what they really are - training courses with a license to use the company's materials in the students' own business.
In early 2002, the International Society of Protocol & Etiquette Professionals was started by me and a wonderful group of protocol and etiquette professionals I asked to be advisors after a string of phone calls from companies which had hired "Certified" etiquette consultants to teach their employees business etiquette. To a one, they told the same story. The consultant taught the course as if it were scripted and at the end could not adequately answer specific questions about situations the employees were up against. Their question to me was, "How can I tell if an etiquette consultant really knows his or her subject? I assumed since they advertised that they were "Certified" that they were at the top of the field."
I explained that up until then there was no professional designation for true professionals in the field.I explained that up until then there was no professional designation for true professionals in the field. That fact was why I started ISPEP.
Our field of training was growing exponentially and there was no way to tell the newbies from those of us who have been teaching the subjects for 15-30 years. The designation of "Certified" needed to mean what other professions respected - examination proof that the individual knows a great deal about the subject. With the assistance of professional certification writers, the CEP (Certified Etiquette Professional) and CPP (Certified Protocol Professional) exams were written and classified. They are four-hour long exams and difficult even for professionals who have been in the field for a while. There are minimum requirements to take the exam including at least 3 proven years of involvement in the field and positive feedback from clients whom they have taught.
There is another organization which offers a portfolio based certification but examination of a portfolio doesn't prove the individual knows the proper material - just that they have been paid to teach or use their knowledge of it. The companies which came to me in 2002 had hired teachers from their websites and from references in the media. These teachers had worked for others and grown their portfolio but proved in the classroom that they didn't have the level of knowledge to take care of the needs of their audiences. They were all "certified" however.
In the past six months, 98 people have taken the Sample Certified Etiquette Professional Exam (50 questions and free to take) and only two have passed. 90% of those who took the Sample exam I know are practising etiquette trainers/consultants. (I don't recognize the other 10% but they also could be teaching the subjects) Of those 85% state on their websites that they are "certified" etiquette consultants or trainers. I believe the public deserves better when it comes to being presented with a professional's credentials in our field. If the trainer/consultant attended a train the trainer course, they are not "certified" - they are no more than licensed to use the materials from the course to enhance their own business. The Sample Certified Protocol Professional Exam is also available free for the taking. 139 have taken the CPP Sample exam and only one has passed. ISPEP has 7 CPPs and 6 CEPs since the exam has been offered. There should be more and I hope the experienced professionals in our business will take the exam and earn their CEP or CPP.
I am also pleased that international governments and multi-national organizations have come to me and ISPEP and stated that they want their protocol officers to be certified by ISPEP because it means to them that their employees really know their business. Professional certification in protocol especially is more important it seems outside of the United States. I hope that changes with time and saturation of "experts" in the field.
I would love to hear from you if you have any comments about the certification of etiquette consultants and the growth of professionalism in our business.
The public would naturally believe that since they have "Certified" among their credentials, that they have passed an exam administered by a respected certifying organization proving they know a majority of what they need to know to be among the most knowledgeable in their field. After all, CPAs (Certified Public Accountants), CFPs (Certified Financial Planners) and Board Certified Physicians have all taken and passed a grueling examination to earn their "Certified" status.
You would assume that a CET (Certified Etiquette Trainer) or CPC (Certified Protocol Consultant) or similar acronyms after the name of someone who teaches etiquette would mean the same. But, the truth is, they most likely paid for and attended a three to five day Train the Trainer course offered by someone in the industry who has been teaching the subject for a while and has devised a method to teach others to do the same. Taking the course is a great start but it does not mean the same thing as proving you know the material by examination.
It started with the Protocol School of Washington advertising to prospective etiquette teachers that they could earn their "certification" credentials by taking their Train the Trainer course for a fee and three or four days in the classroom listening to their instructors teach. This started in the 1980's and since then several other professional etiquette trainers have devised their own Train the Trainer "Certification" courses. At the end of the courses, the students could then tout that they were "Certified" etiquette consultants. I believe that these training courses are valuable and wish there were more. But... they need to be promoted as what they really are - training courses with a license to use the company's materials in the students' own business.
In early 2002, the International Society of Protocol & Etiquette Professionals was started by me and a wonderful group of protocol and etiquette professionals I asked to be advisors after a string of phone calls from companies which had hired "Certified" etiquette consultants to teach their employees business etiquette. To a one, they told the same story. The consultant taught the course as if it were scripted and at the end could not adequately answer specific questions about situations the employees were up against. Their question to me was, "How can I tell if an etiquette consultant really knows his or her subject? I assumed since they advertised that they were "Certified" that they were at the top of the field."
I explained that up until then there was no professional designation for true professionals in the field.I explained that up until then there was no professional designation for true professionals in the field. That fact was why I started ISPEP.
Our field of training was growing exponentially and there was no way to tell the newbies from those of us who have been teaching the subjects for 15-30 years. The designation of "Certified" needed to mean what other professions respected - examination proof that the individual knows a great deal about the subject. With the assistance of professional certification writers, the CEP (Certified Etiquette Professional) and CPP (Certified Protocol Professional) exams were written and classified. They are four-hour long exams and difficult even for professionals who have been in the field for a while. There are minimum requirements to take the exam including at least 3 proven years of involvement in the field and positive feedback from clients whom they have taught.
There is another organization which offers a portfolio based certification but examination of a portfolio doesn't prove the individual knows the proper material - just that they have been paid to teach or use their knowledge of it. The companies which came to me in 2002 had hired teachers from their websites and from references in the media. These teachers had worked for others and grown their portfolio but proved in the classroom that they didn't have the level of knowledge to take care of the needs of their audiences. They were all "certified" however.
In the past six months, 98 people have taken the Sample Certified Etiquette Professional Exam (50 questions and free to take) and only two have passed. 90% of those who took the Sample exam I know are practising etiquette trainers/consultants. (I don't recognize the other 10% but they also could be teaching the subjects) Of those 85% state on their websites that they are "certified" etiquette consultants or trainers. I believe the public deserves better when it comes to being presented with a professional's credentials in our field. If the trainer/consultant attended a train the trainer course, they are not "certified" - they are no more than licensed to use the materials from the course to enhance their own business. The Sample Certified Protocol Professional Exam is also available free for the taking. 139 have taken the CPP Sample exam and only one has passed. ISPEP has 7 CPPs and 6 CEPs since the exam has been offered. There should be more and I hope the experienced professionals in our business will take the exam and earn their CEP or CPP.
I am also pleased that international governments and multi-national organizations have come to me and ISPEP and stated that they want their protocol officers to be certified by ISPEP because it means to them that their employees really know their business. Professional certification in protocol especially is more important it seems outside of the United States. I hope that changes with time and saturation of "experts" in the field.
I would love to hear from you if you have any comments about the certification of etiquette consultants and the growth of professionalism in our business.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
It's a new beginning...
Happy New Year to all who read this. Due to a family tragedy last September I have been lax in keeping up with my intent to write in this blog and to share my thoughts about the state of rudeness in our society. While the grieving process takes time, I am dedicated again to paying attention to it and writing more often.
Recently I decided to sign up for Google alerts for the words etiquette and business etiquette. I am heartened to see that the subject is written about every day and many times a day at that. Though a certain percentage of the articles and blog posts are about bathroom etiquette (it really must be bad out there), it is nice to see that the general printed media have taken it upon themselves to alert the public that etiquette is not only an interesting subject but one that sells papers. The growth of our "industry" of teaching manners and proper business methods has, in my opinion, stemmed from the increase in media coverage. If you read the word enough times, perhaps it may stick in your mind as a worthy consideration.
Another thought for today. How many of you received thank you notes for the gifts you gave to others during the holidays? Did you receive them by email? by text message? or by a handwritten note with an envelope and stamp? I sent a gift to a young cousin (age 24) last holiday which was never acknowleged by her. Instead her mother sent a handwritten note to me thanking me in her stead. Taken aback by the mother's gesture and wanting to see if anything was wrong, I called for a chat. I was informed that her daughter thought that she would say thank you to me the next time she saw me. (I haven't seen her since she was 12 and don't have any plans to visit the state where she lives) Funny that having an etiquette maven in the family doesn't encourage the impetus for good manners. Her mother on the other hand fully understands the need for acknowledgement of a gift and its good will. We have a lot of work to do!
Recently I decided to sign up for Google alerts for the words etiquette and business etiquette. I am heartened to see that the subject is written about every day and many times a day at that. Though a certain percentage of the articles and blog posts are about bathroom etiquette (it really must be bad out there), it is nice to see that the general printed media have taken it upon themselves to alert the public that etiquette is not only an interesting subject but one that sells papers. The growth of our "industry" of teaching manners and proper business methods has, in my opinion, stemmed from the increase in media coverage. If you read the word enough times, perhaps it may stick in your mind as a worthy consideration.
Another thought for today. How many of you received thank you notes for the gifts you gave to others during the holidays? Did you receive them by email? by text message? or by a handwritten note with an envelope and stamp? I sent a gift to a young cousin (age 24) last holiday which was never acknowleged by her. Instead her mother sent a handwritten note to me thanking me in her stead. Taken aback by the mother's gesture and wanting to see if anything was wrong, I called for a chat. I was informed that her daughter thought that she would say thank you to me the next time she saw me. (I haven't seen her since she was 12 and don't have any plans to visit the state where she lives) Funny that having an etiquette maven in the family doesn't encourage the impetus for good manners. Her mother on the other hand fully understands the need for acknowledgement of a gift and its good will. We have a lot of work to do!
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