13 Helpful Steps To Brush Up Your Table Manners
1. Always chew with your mouth closed.
2. Don’t talk with food in your mouth.
3. Put your napkin in your lap as soon as you are seated.
4. Wait until everyone has been served before you begin eating.
5. If you are eating a family style meal, pass bowls of food to the right.
6. Don’t make complaints or comments about food you don’t like. Try to eat some of it.
7. Try to avoid making noises (slurping, burping) while you eat.
8. Don’t reach across someone to get more food. Ask them to pass it to you.
9. If you need to leave the table, say “Please excuse me for a moment.”
10. Participate in table conversation. Be sociable and don’t rush to eat and leave the table.
11. Keep your elbows off the table and sit up straight.
12. Don’t pick your teeth at the table.
13. When you are finished eating, compliment the host or the person who prepared the food and thank them.
20 Helpful Steps To Brush Up Your Conversation Manners
1. Make eye contact with the person or people you are talking to.
2. If you are meeting someone for the first time, shake their hand and introduce yourself, looking them in the eye when you do.
3. Don’t monopolize a conversation. Allow others to respond or participate in the subject and listen with an air of interest and attention.
4. Don’t change the subject unless it’s clear the conversation has ended.
5. Participate actively in conversation — don’t give monosyllabic responses to questions.
6. Offer a differing opinion kindly rather than arguing or putting someone down.
7. Don’t interrupt someone who is talking.
8. Pay attention to the body language and non-verbal signals of those you are talking with.
9. Avoid looking at your phone or other distractions when involved in a conversation.
10. Don’t gossip or say unkind things about others.
11. Always introduce others who join the conversation.
12. Yield gracefully and avoid further conversation when disagreements occur.
13. Avoid long diatribes or tedious stories.
14. Don’t swear or make off-color jokes unless you know the other person is OK with that.
15. Be generally modest when you talk.
16. Be prepared with interesting conversation topics.
17. In general, avoid political or religious discussions unless you know the person well and know it won’t be divisive.
18. Never raise your voice or speak in a dictatorial manner.
19. Don’t talk about yourself too much. Show interest in the other person or people.
20. Think before you speak.
