Did you get caught??!

There is a lie being whispered into our heads these days. It says “nobody cares, you can just do what you want, and no one is paying attention”. It is a lie. People are watching and there will be consequences! The choices made to do something, be in a particular place, say a certain thing or phrase, all have the potential to cause regret and grief later. Character takes a lot to build but very little to destroy, or as political activist Thomas Paine states “Character is much easier kept than recovered.”

Recently, several incidents in the media have highlighted how a slip in judgment can snowball into a loss of community respect and public humiliation. If what you are in private or the places you frequent are questionable, or even the demeanor you display under pressure is mean and nasty, it will change the way people view you. Your professional character will be questioned regardless of past accomplishments or family background. It will not matter that to you, past behavior was just a stepping stone into your future, nor does it matter whether you felt responsible for the ethical activity around you or that you felt disrespected in the vilest way. Your actions, your presence, your response must always portray moral character, fortitude and professionalism. Another author put it like this “How horrible it will be for those who try to hide their plans from the LORD. Their deeds are done in the dark, and they say, "No one can see us" and "No one can recognize us." Here's a tip: someone is always watching, someone always sees, and in today’s environment, someone is always willing to not only record and post it, they will also “tag” you with full disclosure!

Professional presence like character is powerfully transparent. It withstands past scrutiny and responds appropriately to present circumstances and public disclosures. “The measure of a man's real character is what he would do if he knew he never would be found out” ~Thomas Babington Macaulay

I am Pamela Coopwood, and I am “Speaking of Protocol”

www.linkedin.com/in/pamelacoopwood

https://twitter.com/ThePlannedEvent

www.theplannedevent.com

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Comments

Welcome...now behave!

Recently, I was berated by a sweet faced lady, who assuming I was familiar with all of the local landmarks, curtly informed me that I should make it my business to "know" my city if I expected people to frequent here. Then, she sped off, turning across several lanes to reach whatever destination was next on her agenda. As I shook my head, I thought, "Welcome to tourist season!". Hello, are you a tourist? Yes? Well, welcome to our city, our community, and our world in Any Town, USA! We really appreciate that you have chosen to travel our streets, explore our sites, stay in our hotels and taste our culinary delights! We will try not to stare at your choice of dress, snicker at your accent, or beep when you are lost and make wide left turns from the right hand lane! But, we do need you to know that this is our home and like any good guest, there are rules for civilized and polite engagement which enhances the experience for all. Vayama, an online internation

Ethics or Etiquette? There is a smug assumption among business professionals that if they have good etiquette, they will consequently have great ethics. Often when asked to speak on the topic of etiquette, it is assumed that cloaked within the presentation will be subtle references to ethics. Most often, it is not there. They are not the same. Although one can be present without the others, a professional presence not only exhibits both, but understands the line of demarcation between the two. Business Etiquette is a learned but unwritten code of conduct that makes interactions predictable and professional. It originates from Protocols, which are the rules that govern a civil society. The rules combine common sense and consideration for others, into codes, for appropriate behavior in the workplace and in society as a whole. Business ethics are the principles and norms that serve as guides for good and bad conduct in business. The guides may written as codes of conduct, or not w

Did you hear about poor old....

(In loving memory of my brother, Gregory. You always believed I could.) It's been a while since I have written something public but recent events have driven the protocol person inside of me crazy! Through a series of unfortunate events, I found myself seated in a funeral parlor surrounded by friends, family, well-wishers, and onlookers. One hardly expects to know everyone who shows up at such a gathering, but cordial behavior is extended to all, no matter how severe the grief. But, there is a line. Crossing it whether knowingly or unwittingly, always causes the recipient of such foolishness to reassess their tenacious hold on their present reality. They must first ask themselves, if the person is actually real. In times of grief, it is easy to imagine things another way because each moment is filled with "what if's and why's". After ascertaining the obvious, yes, there they are, the next question becomes, "did I really hear that or did they actually

A Point of Protocol

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