Etiquette….the Invisible Skills

 

Using her etiquette or “invisible skills” while looking tidy at her neat desk and politely getting on with her work. Julene, as she normally looks when she transcribes dictation for her boss, Bill Keeley, Sylvania task manager.

Secretaries... Lead Your Field with Invisible Skills

There's no doubt that Julene Casamayou, secretary at Sylvania, is leading a field -at least of MEN- in the accompanying photos.

Too many secretaries fail to realize the importance of office etiquette in dress as well as manners. Happily cooperating with these gag shots were Sylvania officials, including Gary Meeker, a project manager.

This was not what Cabrillo College secretarial instructors Linda Anderson and Nora Wilson, had in mind when they chose “Secretaries, Lead Your Field” as the theme for their Secretarial Workshop next Saturday.

But the instructors and Julene, who completed the two-year Cabrillo secretarial course, agree that too many secretaries fail to realize the importance of office etiquette in dress as well as manners. 

Secretarial “Don’ts” : Julene committed the unpardonable sin of combing her hair AFTER arriving at the office and worked at an untidy desk with a cigarette hanging from her mouth…

To illustrate some of the “Don’ts,” Julene hiked up her skirt, committed the unpardonable sin of combing her hair AFTER arriving at the office, worked at an untidy desk with a cigarette hanging from her mouth and posed for leg art. Happily cooperating with the gag shots were Sylvania officials, including Gary Meeker, below, a project manager.

Julene foregoing good manners, or what people call “soft skills”now. In the 1960’s good manners were called “invisible skills.”

Keynote speaker for the Cabrillo workshop, open to all secretaries and others considering going back to work, will be Dr. Jack Blumenkrantz, associate professor of psychology at San Francisco State College. Speaking on “The Invisible Skills,” he will stress that a job description never contains the words “empathy,” “sensitivity” and “flexibility”-yet these personal attributes are of vital importance in becoming a successful secretary.

Julene leading the wrong way in the office.

In addition to a choice of workshops both in the morning and afternoon, a buffet luncheon and fashion show are planned Saturday. The complete workshop schedule appears on the next page. Registration deadline is February 21. Reservations may be made at the Cabrillo community services office. Fee is $5. – Santa Cruz Sentinel, 1968

🍽Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia