The Protocol School of Washington Sponsors 'National Protocol Officers Week' 3/23 - 3/29/08
NEW YORK, March 24 /PRNewswire/ -- What do employees from Boeing, Motorola, NASA, the FBI, The House of Representatives, Forbes, Duke University, Dell, NORAD and the Bank of America have in common? All honed their operational protocol and international business etiquette skills at The Protocol School of Washington (R) (PSOW)(R) for 20 years the global leader in international protocol and business etiquette training. To recognize protocol officers, event and meeting planners and communications experts who host dignitaries and events from different cultures, PSOW is sponsoring the 2nd Annual "National Protocol Officers Week" March 23 - March 29, 2008 . "Especially today when America's global image has faltered, the role of protocol officers is not just important: it's 'essential.' These people are America's front-line, Good Will Ambassadors who daily represent the U.S.," says Pamela Eyring, Owner & Director of PSOW. Protocol and event specialists work in business, government and academia handling everything from U.S. and foreign order of precedence, titles and forms of address, customs and cultural differences. The DIGNITY -- HONOR -- RESPECT that these employees show to foreigners (and those they work with) can dramatically improve the image of the U.S. as an entitled and arrogant nation; an image that surfaced after 9/11.
The Statistics Tell the Story
According at a Public Agenda September 2006 study, "87% of Americans say it that it is important to U.S. national security that "the rest of the world see the United States positively." On the heels of that story, The New York Times in December 2007 reported, "If anything, being an American company in Europe is a liability these days. Some American practices are regarded with deep suspicion."
PSOW chose the DIGNITY -- HONOR -- RESPECT theme for its 20 year anniversary because the school believes that every individual can be their own Good Will Ambassador for America by learning as much as possible about the people and cultures they work with.
Did You Know?
-- Not all cultures use eating utensils -- in many Middle East countries people eat with their right hand. The left hand is used for hygienic purposes.
-- The current Governor of a State takes precedence over a former president of the United States .
-- When a U.S. president passes away there are 3 funerals: one public, one private, one government.
-- When greeting dignitaries, including heads of state, the order is to greet the head of the country that has the longest-standing relationship with the U.S. first.
-- When planning a business luncheon, the guest of honor is seated to the right of the host.
-- The position of honor in a car is the seat behind the front passenger seat.
A BBC poll (conducted in 11 countries in 2003) found that "Sixty-five percent of the population -- a majority in every country -- considered the United States an arrogant superpower." And, the Business for Diplomatic Action found that, "If left unchecked, American's reputation crisis will be a drag on the national economy." According to the PSOW the data behind studies like these supports the school's internal research and feedback culled since 2006. "Our students reinforce my belief that lack of respect is damaging relationships (and productivity) in the workplace, weakening the social fabric of America and painting an increasingly grim picture of America abroad," says Eyring who adds that all the polls and surveys explain why PSOW has seen a 50% increase in enrollment in the past year and why the school has needed to add two additional protocol officers class to meet demand for training. "We've seen a steady increase in the number of new protocol officer positions being created in all sections including, for the first time, healthcare and hospitality," adds Eyring.
Visit www.psow.com to take the Business Etiquette IQ test, get biz etiquette tips and request the How to Dine Like a Diplomat flyer, complete with a 'cheat sheet' place-setting map.
The Protocol School of Washington Post Office Box 676 Columbia, South Carolina 29202 Toll-Free 877-766-3757 www.psow.com E-mail: [email protected]SOURCE The Protocol School of Washington
