BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE

Everyone wants a better personality. We are all born with our own set of
strengths and weaknesses, and no magic formula works wonders for all of us.
When we know who we are and why we act the way we do, we can begin to
understand our inner selves, improve our personalities, and learn to get along
with others. As a public servant we play a very important role in the society
which is the very reason why we need to develop our personality.

One of the greatest benefits of learning about personalities is the relief you feel
when you can understand why another person reacts as he does. Until we
recognize our uniqueness, we can’t understand how people can sit in the same
place for the same amount of time and all achieve different degrees of success.
Thus, this seminar is designed.

II.OBJECTIVE

At the end of the seminar, participants will be able to get acquainted with
the real me underneath before trying to change what shows on the surface.

Specific Objectives:
As a result of the seminar, the participants will be able to:

 determine their type of personality;

 understand the different personality determinants;
 identify their strengths and weaknesses; and
 know some social graces.

Four Temperaments Test by the Eysenck

Method- https://temperamenttest.org/en-gb/
OSPP Four Temperaments Test
A U G U S T 3 , 2 0 1 7 B Y J A M I E @ A R T F U LT H I N K E R S . C O M

9 Social Graces and Business Etiquette Tips for

Building Relationships

In
business, one of the fundamental measures of success is the ability to
build long-term, profitable relationships. These profits are not
necessarily a reflection of just dollars and cents. Relationships can be
profitable by measure of intangible assets, such as knowledge,
experience, goodwill, association and reputation.
Businesses and societies are created, built and sustained by people
working together towards common goals. It is often equally important
in driving towards these goals to rely on who you know, in addition
to what you know.

In the quest for driving toward optimal outcomes in any relationship,

valuable connections begin by passing the initial test of making a good
first impression. These early encounters are often evaluated by a
person’s conformity to cultural norms and social graces.

DEFINITION: Social graces are skills used to interact politely in social

situations. They include manners and etiquette, which are specifically
accepted rules within a culture for the application of universal
manners.

It is from these initial first impressions, by chance or circumstance,

where relationships are built or discarded. The best foot forward in
developing a solid partnership requires a foundation of mutual trust
and respect. How that evolves, is through a continuation of good
communications, transparency and honesty.

“The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t

said.” Peter Drucker

Adhering to good business etiquette and social graces helps to open

doors and keeps them open. Here are some tips and goals for making
the best first impression and building treasured relationships that last
a lifetime.

9 Social Graces that Impact

Business Relationships
#1: Listen Up. It is critical to be a better listener than talker. Listening
is one of the hardest skills to master in life. Our brains are wired to
always be on, sifting through new ideas, making opinions and
calculating our next move. It takes practice to “manage” all of that
activity and just listen. It doesn’t mean you have to be silent. Social
graces remind us to pay attention, don’t interrupt and let others speak.
First impressions are often based on our ability to listen. Read more on
this topic in Listen Up or Lose Out.

Goal: Be a Better Listener.

#2: Make Eye Contact. The inability to make eye contact is probably
what loses more people’s interest in the first 10 seconds than any
other social grace. Maintaining eye contact in direct communications
shows you are interested in what the other person is saying. Be careful
not to make it awkward or stare. Not all first contacts are made face-
to-face; however, a good tip is to assume they are watching you
through whatever device you are using. Imagine they can see where
you are looking and how well you are paying attention. Sit up, focus on
the conversation and talk directly into the speaker. Eliminate all
distractions.

Goal: Give Everyone Your Full Attention.

“Looking someone directly in the eyes during a conversation is the key

to making any social or professional connection. We rely on eye
contact to communicate and connect with one another on a conscious
and unconscious level.” – Psychology Today

#3: Be On Time. Provide the best opportunity for making a great first
impression by being on time. Aim for five minutes early in all cases.
Being on time is the most costly way to lose opportunities and harm
relationships, even before they start. Every second you leave someone
waiting is a second they are building up another reason why they are
not interested in what you have to say. This applies to meetings over
the phone, online or in-person. Being on time shows respect and that
you care about the relationship.

Goal: Be the First to Arrive.

#4: Remember Names. It’s all in a name. If you show the lack of
attention to remember a person’s name, you probably will lack the
attention to detail required to achieve the goals in the relationship.
Paying attention during introductions, writing down a person’s name
and collecting their information are critical for fostering any
relationship. You are better asking someone to repeat their name, then
calling them the wrong name or calling them the generic “you”
because you neglected to remember their name.

Goal: Get the Name Right.

#5: Ignore Hearsay. We all know how important it is to not judge

others. There are many that find their lot in life to influence others
with their opinions or share idle hearsay. It is not acceptable for
justifying why you do or do not engage in a business relationship. In
leadership, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is listening to
gossip, chatter, noise and other’s unsolicited judgments in lieu of
gathering your own facts and making your own first impressions. He
said, she said, they said has no place in business. This does not mean
you ignore fair and critical input, it simply means to use “facts” and
your own experiences to determine the value in your potential
relationship.

Goal: Get the Facts.

#6: Pass on Aggressive. One sure way to prevent any relationship from
moving forward is being passive-aggressive. It is probably the #1
business communications violation. This doesn’t mean you should not
speak up or participate in the conversation. In fact, not purposely
withholding or participating in the conversation can also be a passive-
aggressive behavior. Eliminate conversation roadblocks, such as:
talking over people, negativity, ‘mansplaining’, interrupting others or
giving back-handed compliments. When you begin a sentence, “You
always…,” you have entered the danger zone. “Just kidding,” tells
others you probably meant exactly what you said. Explaining the
obvious is one way to shut down any 2-way dialogue. Aggressive has
no place in social graces.

Goal: Avoid Stubborn ‘Know How’

#7: Understand the Culture. We are global. Relationships form at the
bases of cultural differences and acceptance. We all have something
to offer. This requires awareness and knowledge of cultural norms,
behaviors and expectations. Cultures can be defined by demographic
and sociographic boundaries like geography, language, heritage and
ethnicity. It is also important to recognize that there are cultures
within businesses as well. Do your homework in advance. Are gifts
acceptable? Do you present a business card? In what direction? Do
you use a title? What is the best attire? Ask others who are native to
the culture, read, research and use Google. Ignoring cultural social
graces when they venture outside your own “world” displays a lack of
care and willingness to develop good relationships. It’s ignorant.
Respect others and how they do business to get the most out of your
relationship.

Goal: Understand the Cultural Impact

#8: Acknowledge and Respect. You never know who you will meet in
life and how that person can change your future. The guy in the old
pick-up truck driving down the road in Omaha might just be one of the
richest people in the world, imagine that chance encounter to develop
a meaningful relationship! Being open to other’s ideas, listening to
their stories, being present when the ask for your attention are all vital
social graces to building good relationships.

Goal: You Can Learn from Everyone

“I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man

or the president of the university.”– Albert Einstein

#9: Thank You Matters Most. Two of the most important words in any
relationship are thank you. Taking nothing for granted and respecting
others time and space, all can be summarized with a note of gratitude.
Thank you. Thank you for taking the time to meet. Thank you for your
follow-up. Thank you for reaching out. Thank you for the introduction.
Thank you for your consideration. Thank you for your help. Perhaps the
outcome will not give you what you had hoped when you first engaged
with a person; however, how you show up and pay your respect will be
remembered forever. Acknowledging others actions shows you care
and that is the ultimate social grace.

Goal: Always Give Thanks!