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 June 23, 2005 (Atlanta) - Today's headlines are bubbling over with stories about business executives, journalists, celebrities and political leaders having lapses in credibility and professional and personal behavior. While this may not be new, the trend seems to be on the rise. According to Dr. Beverly Langford, who teaches managerial communications at the J. Mack Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University, this trend stems from a society that since the late sixties and early seventies has considered courtesy and good manners old fashioned and elitist.
In her new book, The Etiquette Edge: The Unspoken Rules for Business Success (AMACOM books, June 2005 release), Langford says failing to recognize how to seize a competitive advantage by leveraging good manners and courtesy in the workplace can undermine even the most promising business executive. "If you aspire to a management or leadership position, treating others with courtesy and respect is critical to building trust and credibility. Knowing how to behave in a variety of workplace situations helps you establish yourself as a socially mature, valuable colleague whom people trust, admire, and want to be around."
In The Etiquette Edge, Langford offers a fun, commonsense approach to making "good behavior" a competitive advantage. Each chapter focuses on a different topic and ends with a recommended action plan. Topics include:
- Credibility: Creating It and Keeping It
- Develop Your Gratitude Attitude: Say Thank You and Mean it
- What the $%#* Is Going On Here? Putting a Leash on Our Language
- Travel Courtesy: DonÕt Leave Home Without It
The book also focuses on general topics of good communication skills, social savvy, and a special section on workplace decorum including getting started on the right foot at a new job, getting along with your manager, and how to handle when your best friend becomes your boss.
Says Langford, "We'll probably never have a Leave it to Beaver World but the alternative doesn't have to be Jerry Springer. Rules of civility aren't intended to make you pompous or uptight and becoming a person who seems to handle any situation with grace and confidence will get you noticed for the right reasons."
Langford is president of LMA Communications, a consulting, training and coaching firm that works with organizations and individuals on strategic communication and message development. She teaches at Georgia State University's Robinson College of Business, one of the nation's top-ranked business schools. She also co-authored Communication Skills and Strategies: Guidelines for Mangers at Work. Langford received her master's degree from Memphis State University and Ph.D. from Georgia State University. She is a member of the Association of Business Communicators and the Association of Professional Writing Consultants.
The J. Mack Robinson College of Business is one of the top-ranked business schools in the nation. The College's Flex (part-time) MBA program has been listed in the top ten by U.S. News for the past ten consecutive years and its undergraduate business program is ranked among the top 50 in the nation. The College's Executive MBA program is listed on The Financial Times list of the world's top-ranked offerings and BusinessWeek magazine ranks it 24th in the world. Georgia State University's Robinson College of Business has an enrollment of more than 7000 students and is located in downtown Atlanta.
For more information, contact:
Tammy DeMel
Associate Director, Communications and External Affairs
J. Mack Robinson College of Business
404/413-7078 (voice)
404/702-9743 | | 
