September is one of my favorite months.  Summer vacation is over, and almost everyone seems focused on education. It's not just students who should be thinking about what classes to take and books to read. Professionals who want to succeed in today's global economy should consider what they are doing to continue their own education and training and that of their teams. Learning should be a personal lifetime goal and a strategy for every company and organization that wants to thrive. 

To encourage you, I want to recommend a book that a dear friend and colleague gave me, It Worked for Me, by General Colin Powell and Tony Koltz.  After reading this book, I felt I had attended a graduate course in leadership and business management. General Powell's Thirteen Rules should be every executive's mantra.  Chapters like "Mutual Respect", "Never Walk Past a Mistake," and "Tell Me What You Know," are filled with invaluable bits of wisdom and practical information. I  believe it should be required reading for anyone working in an office setting.   

It's now been several weeks since the London Olympics ended.  We saw amazing feats of perseverance and poise that inspired the world.  There were so many protocol lessons that I've included a few more in this month's issue.  As a tribute to the fabulous success of the hosting nation, I hope you enjoy this video that a friend shared with me.  

In closing, I would like to send best wishes to my friends and colleagues during the Jewish High Holy Days.

Sonia Garza-Monarchi

1. Back-up plans: when coordinating an event or writing a business plan always think about what might go wrong and prepare for it.  Anticipating problems before they happen is a key tool for success. Organizers planned for the possibility of rain during the outdoor opening ceremony, and had over 65,000 ponchos for the spectators.  As you can see they came in handy. 

2.  Symbolism: so many things have special meanings--colors, numbers, animals and flowers so make sure you ask about and research this when planning an event.  A bad luck symbol could negatively impact an event while a good one could make it more meaningful. For example, the red poppy is a symbol of remembrance for the fallen used in the United Kingdom and Canada and was incorporated in the opening ceremony.

3.  Religion: there are many religious traditions and events such as Passover and Lent that may impact meetings.  During the Olympics it was Ramadan, the time when Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset which was particularly challenging for the athletes.  Some athletes observed the fast, and some delayed it while others fasted only on days they didn't compete. When scheduling a global event or meeting check international calendars for holidays and religious traditions that may coincide, and consider how you can accommodate them, or whether you should choose another date. 

4. Women: when doing business internationally be aware that the role of women may vary from country to country and may impact how you do business.  The 2012 Olympics saw a first when three countries had women competing for the first time: Brunei Darussalam, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.  In some cases, this required allowing those women to compete wearing special attire to conform to their countries' traditions.

5.  Forms of Address:  it is important to know the proper forms of address when recognizing people, and to do so in precedence order.  For example, at the opening ceremony attended by Queen Elizabeth, Queen Sofia of Spain, several members of the royal family, and other important guests, the emcee used the following titles and order:

Your Majesty

Your Majesties

Your Highness

President Rogge (of the International Olympic Committee)

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

6.  Program order: when coordinating an event or meeting you should pay special attention to the order of the agenda or program. Sometimes this order is dictated by logic, sometimes by tradition, and sometimes by a range of other factors, but it should never be without careful consideration. In the case of the opening ceremony, after the entertainment we saw:

*  Parade of nations

*  Olympic flag was brought in and displayed 

*  Olympic anthem was played

*  Olympic Torch was brought in and lit

 The Protocol Lady