Tips for good modern day etiquette

And good protocol at the table is not about hobnobbery and snobbery, it’s about knowing how to feel comfortable in a social situation and put others at ease.
That’s right, the underlying principle of having good manners is more about the company you’re with than it is about you.
Julie Lamberg-Burnet, Director and Founder of the Sydney School of Protocol says our awareness of etiquette started slipping in the late 80s and 90s.
“That's driven by technology because we’ve become so reliant on digital communication,” Ms Lamberg-Burnet told news.com.au, “and there's a whole generation who’ve overlooked having a face-to-face conversation so everything’s been broken down to become very casual.
“People rely on technology so much that they’ve forgotten how to have a meaningful conversation and have good eye contact, we’re all distracted, but you need to focus on the person you are with.”
Ms Lamberg-Burnet adds that timepoor parents are also to blame for our younger generation’s lack of manners.
“Etiquette and manners for the most part come from your parents as children and these days parents are busy and if you don’t have a mentor, it can get lost along the way. It’s important for parents to realise etiquette is a life skill and a social skill.”
Fast food has also created a situation where children don’t actually sit at a dinner table.
“They have no concept of setting a table because they're sitting in front of a television,” Ms Lamberg-Burnet adds, “but the casualness of dining means there does need to be a little bit of experience of knowing in other settings what’s appropriate.”
And as our love of food and rapidly expanding global economy forces us to socialise and conduct business at the table more than ever before, our table manners need to be up to speed.
Ms Lamburg-Burnet says business deals and job opportunities can be won and lost over a person’s knowledge of etiquette.
 “A business deal can actually be undone over a business table and a lot of corporates these days are taking people who are applying for roles — particularly in law and financial services — to a hosted environment to see how they’re interacting and how they're handling themselves in a social situation, and it can be a deal-breaker,” she adds.
But above all else, etiquette is how to build relationships and how to put people at ease.
“People now appreciate knowing how to act in situations and how to not act clumsy or awkward and then they shine because they're not worried about which piece of cutlery to pick up or how to make a great first impression.”
Tips for good modern day etiquette:
• When eating bread at a restaurant always break off one small piece at a time rather than place the whole portion in your mouth.
• When taking butter from a dish, always transfer it to your plate first and then spread from the portion on your plate
• Leave your napkin on the seat should you excuse yourself and slide your chair in under the table when you leave
• Don’t wave your cutlery around while speaking, keep your hands down low, including when buttering your bread
• Always hold a wine glass by the stem
• Always leave a small bite of food on your plate to indicate you were satisfied by the meal
• Always introduce yourself using your full name
• Never place personal items such as a mobile phone, wallet, keys or sunglasses on the table
• Never start eating before your host does, use them as your cue
• Your bread plate is always on the left side, your glassware on the right
• Familiarise yourself with the correct finishing and resting position for your cutlery
• Remember, above all else, dining is more about the conversation and less about the food