Professional Courtesy, LLC

Karen Hickman specializes in Etiquette and Protocol Consulting and is based out of Fort Wayne, IN | TEL: 260-486-7758

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Holiday Gifting for Your Medical Staff

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medical doctor holding gifts in hands isolated on white

A Medical Manners Moment…

Holiday Gifting for Your Medical Staff

I am always disappointed when I hear health care workers in larger medical groups say that they don’t think their physicians even know their names. A sad commentary I think, since a physician’s staff has a lot to do with the over all patient experience. Also, it has been shown that the feeling of being valued in a job is very important to all of us. So, if health care workers feel they are invisible to their physicians they are certainly not feeling valued.

Since this is the holiday season, now, is the perfect time for physicians and administrative people to show their appreciation to their staff members.

Here are some ideas on how to do that:

Attend the office Christmas party. If you are the boss and you don’t attend the practice party, the message you are giving is one of indifference or that you don’t care about your staff.

Gift your staff. Offering a monetary bonus if it is in your budget, or a thoughtful gift, is always appreciated at the holiday time. Focus on the word thoughtful.

Acknowledge everyone. Get to know all the staff people, from the scheduler to the people in your billing department by name. There all no small jobs in any organization.

Feed your staff. If the size of your staff is small enough, take them out for lunch occasionally. If it is too large for that, order in.

Remember your staff all year long. You don’t have to wait until the holidays to show your appreciation. Consider doing something nice for your staff throughout the year. For instance, acknowledging birthdays is another way to make them feel special.

How to Help Grieving Friends at the Holidays

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 Giving a helping hand to another

How to Help Grieving Friends at the Holidays…
Anyone who has lost a loved one, whether it be a parent, spouse or child, will tell you that the first year is very difficult. Coming up on all of the “firsts” that first year can be very painful and most people are acutely aware of their loved one’s absence. And of course, the holiday season can be particularly painful. All of their traditions are now punctuated with a blank space where their loved one would have been. Doing all of the things that they used to do, for some may be a comfort, but for others, they may feel the need to do something completely different than in years past.

One thing that could contribute to the painfulness of their situation may be the holiday cards that they receive from friends and family members. Those cheery cards with all of the family photos and the Christmas letters telling them of what a wonderful year your family has just had may be very hard for them to open. Now, I am not suggesting that your ignore them at this time, but consider changing your approach on how you send your greeting to them.

How about sending a personal note letting them know that you are thinking of them in a special way and that you are remembering their loved one, too. Saying something nice about their loved one will never get old. They know the rest of the world is moving on, but they are still actively grieving. A cheery “Merry Christmas” probably isn’t going to seem very merry to them. Wishing them peace and comfort would seem more appropriate.

It will take you more time to write out a special note, but you probably won’t have too many of those to do and the impact it will have for your friends will be worth it.

Also, don’t expect a holiday card from them. Sending out cards with just one name on them may be too sad for them…for others, not. But what grieving people need most from friends and family is understanding and support, not judgment. So, reach out and lend your support.

Perfume Etiquette

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Perfume on pink background
Perfume Etiquette
So, you love your perfume and enjoy wearing it. However, any fragrance, such as cologne, perfume and aftershave should be used sparingly in any situation, but especially at work. People should have to get fairly close to you before smelling your special potion or signature scent. You would never want your fragrance to precede you into a room or hang in the air like old cooking smells, after you have gone. Your scent should attract people, not irritate or repel them.
Many people are hypersensitive to perfume or even allergic to it. It can cause migraines, nausea and a general unwell feeling for some who are exposed to it for long periods of time. If you work with someone and have to share a fairly small space and their scent is causing you discomfort, it may be time to tell the offending person. Telling a person politely that his or her fragrance is causing you to feel sick may be all that is needed. However, if the individual doesn’t respect your request to lighten up, you may need to take the issue to your supervisor or HR person so he or she can intervene. Today, the continued exposure to an unwelcome scent can be equated to having to endure secondhand cigarette smoke in the workplace, and some companies are being taken to task on the issue.
So here are some guidelines to keep in mind before you splash on your favorite scent:
•Consider the two-foot rule — people should not be able to smell your fragrance until they get fairly close to you.
•Choose lighter scents during the day and in summer months. Leave the heavier and exotic scents for nighttime and winter.
•Avoid wearing perfume in hospital settings (this applies to visitors, too) and on planes.
•Use lightly scented body lotions instead of perfume when you know you will be in close quarters with others.
•Don’t mix your fragrances.
•Don’t reapply a fragrance in public, and be mindful that the person wearing the perfume stops smelling it long before others do. Ask someone if he or she can still smell your fragrance before putting on more.
•If more than one person tells you your perfume is strong, believe them. Less is more!

For distinction, find a scent that everyone else isn’t wearing and make it your signature. And remember to put your perfume on before your clothes and your pearls. Perfume can be damaging to pearls and you don’t want your clothes to be permeated with your perfume.

Holiday Gift Giving at Work

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medical doctor holding gifts in hands isolated on white

Holiday Gift Giving at Work…
Gift giving at work can be tricky, so it is important to find out whether there is a gift-giving policy. The larger the company, the more likely it is that there will be a specific written guideline.
If the gift-giving policy is not a rigid one, find out what the tradition has been and try to follow it. Making the wrong move can cause hurt feelings and cause problems in the future.
Here are some other guidelines for gifting at work:
•Find out what people usually spend on gifts and stay within that price range. Spending more than others can make you look like you are trying to show people up or that you are not a team player.
•Do participate in the joint gift for your boss or supervisor. Giving a separate gift can make you look like a brown-noser.
•Choose gifts that reflect the interests of the people you are gifting. This is a time to show appreciation and to let recipients know you have put some thought into their gift.
•Stay within your budget when buying gifts. It isn’t about the cost, it’s about the thought. Be resourceful and clever when shopping. And be sure to wrap your gifts — that wrapping can make a usual gift look special.
•Avoid joke gifts; everyone doesn’t have the same sense of humor. Stay away from inappropriate gifts or gifts that are too extravagant, personal or sexy.
•Be a good sport and keep your sense of humor and play by the rules if your co-workers participate in the Yankee Swap (white elephant) or Secret Santa games.
•Give gifts privately to co-workers if you don’t have something for everyone.

Happy Holidays!

Office Christmas Party

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Business group people in santa hat at Xmas party.
Office Christmas Party…how to attend with style.
Corporate holiday parties can be stressful and unappealing for some people in an organization. However, you may be committing a huge faux pas and sabotaging your chances for advancement by not attending. Attending shows you are a team player. It is the opportunity to get to know those you don’t know well or have time to chat with during your regular business hours. And it is a chance to meet some of the spouses and significant others in your co-workers’ lives.

It is a bad idea for an employee not to participate, but an even larger mistake for a boss not to show up, without a very good reason. Not attending sends the message that bosses don’t really care about their employees and that they set themselves above those who work for them — a huge insult in my book. And if that is the message that the employees take away from their absence, it can damage the employees’ perception of how much they feel they are valued and how hard they want to work for the company. Corporate cultures and attitudes start at the top.

So, here are some tips to get you through the party and make it more enjoyable for everyone.

  • Be sure to respond to the invitation and let the planners know whether you are bringing your spouse or a guest, only if they are included in the invitation.
  • Dress for the event. This may be the time to jazz it up a bit with your attire, but be careful not to get too sexy.  That plunging neckline may not be forgotten on Monday morning. Ditch your jeans…dressing appropriately shows you care.
  • If you bring your spouse or a guest, be sure to introduce him or her to your coworkers.
  • Mingle! This is a perfect time to meet others in the company you don’t usually have the opportunity to see.
  • If you are one of the bosses, circulate and don’t just hang with the other bosses.
  • Pace yourself when it comes to alcohol consumption. You don’t want to be the topic of conversation on Monday morning.
  • If a meal is involved and you are ordering off a menu, go middle of the road with price. Ordering the most expensive thing on the menu can look as if you are taking advantage.
  • Thank your hosts upon leaving and send a handwritten thank-you note the next day.

So when that invitation arrives for the company party, say yes to going. Happy holidays!

Company Profile

Founded in 1999, the mission of Professional Courtesy and Karen Hickman is to present programs of the finest quality with the highest degree of professionalism.

The purpose of the seminars and programs is to enable professionals, executives, and individuals to conduct business in diverse cultural arenas with ease.
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Professional Courtesy, LLC
Etiquette/Protocol Consultants
P.O. Box 15353
Fort Wayne IN 46885-5353

Telephone: 260-486-7758
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