From Girls to Young Women

I often joke that my development of social graces was by accident. As I recount my childhood, my mother was too busy working two jobs and squarely focused on me doing well in school (because she was damn sure – before I was – that I was going to college)! This is not to suggest [...]

What Not to Wear…To Work

Compliments of Jacqueline Whitmore, etiquette expert and author of The Protocol Post, under absolutely NO circumstances should you wear the following items to work: Flip-flops: They look too casual, are too loud when you walk and may pose safety risks for companies. Besides, flip flops don’t look appropriate with suit pants or a nice skirt. [...]

July is National Cellphone Courtesy Month (hint, hint)

blackgirlgrown has previously written on the importance of having at least some sense of social decorum when using a cellphone or PDA. For good or bad, cellphones have become a part of our daily lives. Understandably, cell phones provide added comfort and reassurance to parents so that they can reach their children. It also provides [...]

It’s Not Just Lunch, It’s Business

Sometimes one can forget that when you’re invited to a business lunch, it’s about business. Whether you’ve extended the invitation or accepted one, certain business rules of etiquette apply. PINK Magazine’s “Manners at Work” blog provides great advice for some, and good reminders for others. April Fawcett Nagel gives the following tips: Always arrive on [...]

Being Respectful of One’s Time

If anything is for sure in this universe it is that time cannot be recouped. Time is the one thing we don’t know how much we have and can’t get/earn/hustle/steal back. Time waits for no one. So you would think given its precious nature, one’s time would be respected and not wasted. Not so much, [...]

Blackberry Manners

My name is blackgirlgrown.  I am a Blackberry addict.  The first step is admitting you have a problem.  Fortunately,  I’m not as bad as some people.  And  it’s one of the few things I have in common with President Obama.  We have a common Blackberry addict bond.   I’ve also been quite the Blackberry pusher, responsible for getting [...]

The Importance of the RSVP

There is nothing more unnerving than planning a party only to be unsure about who is actually coming. You try your best to add RSVP information but for some reason, some people just don’t get it. RSVP means, “let a sista know if you’re going to show up, or not.” So, in the interest of social decorum (I’m still learning myself) and social order, let’s review the meaning and importance of the RSVP.

Seat Manners

When Karen Grigsby Bates, author of The New Basic Black: Home Training for Modern Times, announced her “Come Correct” blog on The Root several weeks ago, I couldn’t wait to start reading the series dedicated to civilized citizenry in the 21st century.  In brief, the blog highlights and educates on general etiquette rules, manners, and [...]

Dressing the Part At Work

Sage advice in the workplace has always been to “dress for the job you want.” However, with an increasingly business casual culture, the line between business appropriate and a hot mess have been forever blurred. I’ve had to catch myself a few times in the mirror trying to determine if tall black boots with a particular skirt passes the business appropriate test. Unfortunately, it is not until you get to the office, and get the once over from a colleague that you figure out you’ve made the wrong call. And of course, that is the same day your boss calls you in to join an important meeting.

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