Comments for The Petersen Report

Comment on How to Handle Awkward Interview Questions Diplomatically by Unemployment Help

Unemployment Help — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:57:54 +0000

I actually have a clinical therapy background and find it is the perfect marriage between Recruiting / Therapy. I have found myself many a time helping people to calm down and manage their anxiety before an interview. I think that’s part of the job – I need to make sure that I’ve given you the tools to prepare yourself for the interview and also make sure that your nerves are in check before you start your process.

Now – if given all these tools you still appear to me to be unprepared or too excited, I will cancel the interview and reschedule. I’ve had many times hires individuals that were a disaster in the interview process but great employees. Some people just don’t interview well.

Side Note: Not all bad interviews fall under this category, hence our expertise in the industry helps us to distinguish.

Comment on Hit the Restart Button: Apologize! by Dave

Dave — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 22:11:29 +0000

I have often found that extending the olive branch and apologizing – even when you feel an apology is not warranted – goes a long way toward reaching a meeting of the minds.

It does not always work however. I have dealt with the occasional individual to whom I have magnanimously given an apology, only to have my apology treated as vindication rather than an extension of the olive branch.

Comment on Handbags and Other Pretentious (or Annoying) Table Situations by Kathleen Kissoon

Kathleen Kissoon — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 15:28:48 +0000

Thank God there are persons such as Gloria and myself who try to redress the unfortunate imbalance in the use of good manners and behavior.
Leslie, I think you need to read the article again as you missed the suggestions for what are the appropriate things to do if you are reserving a seat. In addition, how inappropriate it is of you to mention someone by name. If I were Pam I would be most offended.

Comment on Handbags and Other Pretentious (or Annoying) Table Situations by Sporty King

Sporty King — Mon, 04 May 2009 03:24:25 +0000

well I feel better. I’m guilty of both the napkin moving and sip taking… however I did reset the table (have Hospitality training) and moved my glass. Thanks for the guidelines. I’ll avoid these faux pas

Comment on Handbags and Other Pretentious (or Annoying) Table Situations by Kelly Lambert

Kelly Lambert — Sat, 02 May 2009 01:03:55 +0000

Gloria, the incident you shared regarding the not-so-gentlemanly man is simply appalling, speaking from the male perspective. A gentleman would never ask a lady to take another seat in this situation. Instead, he would remind her that he had taken a sip from the glass and offered to get her a fresh one from the server. But then, we have surmised that this individual was no gentleman. I do hope you changed tables.

Taking this incident into the realm of leadership, my passion, one can readily see that this individual, if in a leadership role, would have an agenda focused solely in self and not on the good of the whole.

Comment on Handbags and Other Pretentious (or Annoying) Table Situations by Nancy Sanders

Nancy Sanders — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 21:31:26 +0000

I’m sure I speak for many when I say,”thank you” for the reminders of appropriate behavior. One more comment – in addition to practicing (un)common courtesy, it is also more sanitary to retain your glass and not place the napkin on the seat or back of chair to save “your” seat.

Let’s practice abundance and know that there are plenty of wonderful people to sit next to.

Comment on Handbags and Other Pretentious (or Annoying) Table Situations by Haydee Pampel

Haydee Pampel — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:19:11 +0000

James, you have given testimony to the decline in the quality of social interaction. I agree it is due to fear, and also, due to the uncertainty of our identities. I applaud Gloria Petersen! She has undertaken the daunting task to train members of our society in ways to help make our lives more beautiful. In the words of Professor Forni, co-founder of the Johns Hopkins Civility Project: “To learn how to be happy we must learn to live well with others, and civility is the key to that.”
Here is another quote I have posted in my office that I would like to share with you.
“The very essence of politeness seems to be to take care that by our words and actions we make other people pleased with us as well as with themselves.” by Jean de La Brouyere.
We can only wish that everyone lived by that thought.

Comment on Handbags and Other Pretentious (or Annoying) Table Situations by leslie ungar

leslie ungar — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 16:04:26 +0000

you are a gem and the rest of us are cubic zirconia! you are so right. how do you train the world? I’m sure I have been guilty of many of the transgressions that frustrate me. what do we do, stay tethered to our seats all night? is there a correct way to save a seat? Pam Averill who became Pam Averill Harriman and ambassador to France, met her last husband by purposely changing the seating at an event. goes to show how important seating is or can be to our future. you have pointed out so many bad habits, now we need the solutions! electricimpulse.wordpress.com

Comment on Handbags and Other Pretentious (or Annoying) Table Situations by James Frederickson

James Frederickson — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 00:40:41 +0000

The need to save the best seat you can get is often driven by fear. Fear that you won’t be with the people you want to be with (and they’re usually not the individuals you should be networking with). Or fear that someone will sit next to you who will make you uncomfortable. In any industry there are always people with “reputations,” individuals you don’t want to be seen with or get “stuck” with. So you see people strategizing how to get their clique together (which defeats the opportunity to mix and mingle–and show their true class) and making sure they all stay together, preferably facing the main table with straight lines of sight. They scoop up the best seats and block out anyone they don’t want in the way. It really gets pretty transparent.

Comment on Behavior by John

John — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 18:04:10 +0000

Our society has become much more crass, impatient, rude and the list could go on at great length. I am less concerned with what celebrities do however I am very concerned with the public discourse in the political arena.

When I lived in San Francisco you were figuratively and literally ostricized if you did not toe the line with political correctness. When I expressed a view different from the norms I was verbally attacked. This was not the case until recent years and it is damaging to our society as a whole.

Differing views and the ability to express them make us stronger as a society but that does not seem to be valued currently

My hope is this is just a cycle, and we will return to a time when a Democrat and Republican can disagree but discuss and learn from each other.