Did Michelle Obama Break Royal Protocol

July 14, 2009 - PRLog -- (Phoenix, AZ) – Just a few months ago, media pundits from TIME magazine, CNN, The Huffington Post, and The Guardian, just to name a few, were in a dither debating if First Lady Michelle Obama had committed a faux pas when she touched the Queen of England during their first meeting in early April. Consultant and trainer Marla Harr of Business Etiquette International (BEI) says no, since Queen Elizabeth initiated the touch. But Harr claims this sort of near miss can make or break a deal for companies who want to do business in the global arena.
“What could be a perfectly acceptable greeting or gesture in one country could be a sign of disrespect in another,” says Harr. “For example, shaking hands or giving the “thumbs up” sign in the U.S. is perfectly acceptable, but in the Middle East, it’s an outright insult.”

As the U.S. reaches out to bring the world economy back on its feet and improve relationships with other cultures, knowledge of protocol is more important than ever. “International protocol skills are essential to succeed in today’s world,” says Harr. Senior management teams going global that want to be educated and briefed on a country’s business customs, culture, and idiosyncrasies would do well by BEI’s Know Before You Go International Briefings Series. This customizable seminar covers everything from the importance of rank and status to table manners (did you know it’s offensive to eat with your left hand in India?). Attendees learn about Etiquette and Protocol Intelligence, Intercultural Understanding, Modern Protocol, and many other strategies for succeeding in the global market. Know Before You Go can be tailored to a particular country’s customs and etiquette to address a company’s exact needs. Whether the sales team is headed to Moscow, Sri Lanka or Dubai, they’ll learn how to do business and contract negotiations in that part of the world. Attendees of Harr’s seminars come away with not only a greater understanding of other cultures; they recognize the importance of being prepared to do international business in a respectful way to achieve success.

Harr says, “Our mission is to enhance our clients’ understanding of civility, etiquette and respect toward one another and other cultures. My personal goal is to ensure that each participant gains the knowledge to enhance their career growth and interpersonal relationships.” BEI also works with companies and their staff on basic social skills and common courtesy in the workplace, teaching multigenerational sales teams the BEI motto: Act Well, Do Well.

Marla Harr is consultant and trainer for Business Etiquette International. Certified and trained by the Protocol School of Washington® and backed by more than three decades of corporate management and educational development, Ms. Harr brings a wealth of knowledge and skills to the business etiquette and protocol industry. Two things are important to Ms. Harr: Keeping a sense of humor while learning about the challenges in the work place, and bringing etiquette and protocol intelligence to the business world with down-to-earth delivery. She has taught at Arizona State University, California State University, Scottsdale Community College and local chapters of Meeting Professionals International, Southern California and Arizona. Ms. Harr is also a Certified Meeting Professional and an active member of Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). The company web site is www.actwelldowell.com

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BEI provides professional development classes & private coaching on business etiquette, international protocols, communications and work place civility. The focus is on soft skills that improve the work environment and build better client relationships.