Let Them Eat . . . Lunch

If someone is eating lunch at his or her desk, do not loom and ask, “What’s for lunch?”  Do not interrupt the person and try to do business.  Give them some space.  Respect the lunch.  It’s a lot like when people are on the phone – do not hover in the door of their office or cubicle.  Unless the building is on fire, do not interrupt them.

If you are the one eating lunch, be honest about your lunch time.  If you have an hour, that doesn’t mean go out and shop for an hour, then bring lunch back to your desk and begin to eat it after your lunch hour is over.

From  the Culture and Manners Institute at http://www.cultureandmanners.com

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Flatware Fumble

What happens when you drop your fork on the floor in a restaurant?  Five second rule?

Wait for the wait staff to pick it up and ask for a replacement.  If you are eating at someone’s home and there is no serving staff, you might want to try and pick up the fork yourself, if you can do so without disrupting the diners on either side of you.  If the floor could talk, it would tell you, “Do not even think about wiping that fork on your napkin and using it again.”  Discreetly ask your host/hostess for a replacement.

From  the Culture and Manners Institute at http://www.cultureandmanners.com

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