Dorothea Johnson, the Founder of the Protocol School of Washington, on Business Etiquette in the Modern Age

Although actress Liv Tyler — famed for her memorable turn in Bernardo Bertolucci’s Stealing Beauty, Givenchy ads and rock-star parentage — may be able to call her “Grandma,” if you meet etiquette authority Dorothea Johnson for an interview or lunch, manners dictate that you should, in fact, call her Ms. Johnson.

That was just one of the pointers gleaned from a recent interview with the manners expert, whose newly-released book, Modern Manners: Tools to Take You to the Top, was written in collaboration with her famous granddaughter.  The all-inclusive primer has become an Amazon bestseller and is perfect for today’s tech-savvy, yet time-pressed, professional woman, giving updated tips for business and personal situations.  As Ms. Johnson succinctly pointed out, “If one has good manners, people are going to notice.  And people are going to notice if someone has bad manners.”

The Journey of a Manners Maven

Raised as a true southern lady, Dorothea Johnson grew up in a German household where etiquette was a top priority. She says that while most of her friends spent their free time reading teenage romance novels, she preferred to read etiquette books for pleasure. She eventually became founder of The Protocol School of Washington, and author/co-author of 6 books, proving that hard work, and quite a bit of ingenuity, can lead to an interesting and extremely influential life.

Like many professionals, Ms.  Johnson initially started in a different field of work before pursuing her true passion.  In 1971, she was married to a Marine Corps officer and working in the interior design department at Lord & Taylor in Washington DC.  On Wednesdays, her day off, instead of relaxing, she taught an “Entertaining and Etiquette” class, and later, while her husband was on assignment in Japan, she taught etiquette classes to the military and embassy wives in Japan, which inspired her first book, Entertaining and Etiquette for Today, in 1979.

Ms. Johnson cites a scenario she found over and over again as an impetus for both her book and classes: the fact that business etiquette classes were getting the niceties of social decorum mixed up with standard business protocol. She mentions the instruction she heard in a class that women do not have to rise when a visitor enters the room — which is correct in social circumstances —  but polite business etiquette does indeed demand that a female executive get up from her seat in that situation.  Ms. Johnson says today, “I thought, oh my word, this is terrible. I knew I had to change this faux pas.”

Sensing a need, she was convinced the scenario was a simple case of supply and demand.  Her view was, “There’s a great demand for this, and I can supply it. I basically had more courage than brains!”  Nothing deterred her from her goal; using her energy and ingenuity, she opened the Protocol School of Washington in 1988, the PSOW is now a world leader in business etiquette and international protocol training, having trained and certified more than 3,000 clients from 60 countries with a vision toward becoming “the leading critical resource in protocol, cross-cultural communication, and business etiquette.” It is the standard by which others in the industry are compared.

A Chat with a Well-Mannered Granddaughter

Following on her previous five books, the idea for the current volume, Modern Manners, began when one day Ms. Johnson said to her granddaughter, “Liv, I can’t believe the poor table manners I see,” to which Tyler responded, “Grandma, you wouldn’t believe what I see.” Johnson decided then and there to write a primer on etiquette for the modern age, and asked Tyler to write the foreword and also give her own, thirtysomething perspective on the topic.

In the book, Ms. Johnson discusses a plethora of etiquette skills, with an emphasis on business situations.  Other sections in the book cover job interviews, cover letter and résumé formats, business and casual attire, cellphone use, and even the best way to handle Twitter and YouTube accounts.  The book also gives advice on social scenarios, such as rules for tipping, making a toast, and for anyone going on a trip abroad, there is a section on foreign customs that not only covers using chopsticks, but also gaffes to avoid (who knew that you shouldn’t shake hands over a threshold in Russia, since it is considered bad luck?).

Like any proud grandmother, Ms. Johnson cites her granddaughter’s impeccable manners, speaking about the first time Liv Tyler met actor Tom Hanks on the set of That Thing You Do! and how he was taken aback by how she extended her arm to introduce herself and addressed him by his surname, “Mr. Hanks.”   Sprinkled throughout the book therefore are many sidebars from Tyler, full of anecdotes and advice, giving her take on the page’s contents (“Liv on Standing Up,” “Liv on Eye Contact” etc.).

As seems appropriate, the book has an abundance of charm and easygoing elegance: the contents are often illustrated by colorful, attractive line drawings, and the volume’s slim shape and sturdy, hardback format make it perfect for slipping into your travel bag for that all-important business trip.  Overall, the book, with all the rules, tips, and advice, succeeds because of an overarching factor Ms. Johnson emphasizes, via her tactful tone: that the underpinning of etiquette is kindness and making others feel at ease.  Lacking the intimidating, door-stopper size of many etiquette primers, this is the type of book that may allow you to breathe a sigh of relief — confident that you have acquired helpful information.

A Quick Primer of Ms. Johnson’s Business Etiquette Tips:

Interviews
“Stand, smile, make eye contact and extend you hand in greeting. Never use the interviewer’s first name. Be prepared with research on the company, as well as questions regarding the work you may be hired to do. Research is the key to success! Don’t discuss personal matters, yours or the interviewers. Focus on the job and the role you can play in that company.”

Attire
“Learn the dress code and look like you already work there when going in to do an interview.  Make a professional impression.  And do you know what the new black is?  It’s black.”

Thank You Letters
“Thank you letters are important no matter how they’re done. Both handwritten and e-mail thank you letters are acceptable. A lot of people who are busy don’t want to be bothered with hand- written letters. Pay attention to the culture and formality of the company.”

Business Lunch
“It’s clear the person who invites, pays. Make arrangements ahead of time.”

Social Media
“Always be cautious. There is no privacy. The venue you select enters a world-wide community, and being a part of any community brings with it expectations and responsibilities.”

Ms. Johnson says the biggest mistake she sees young professionals making today is not demonstrating simple kindness, such as saying “hello” and “goodbye” to fellow employees.  As we wrapped up the interview Ms. Johnson stated “I love SharpHeels.  We have to have sharp heels if we’re going to climb the ladder.”  We couldn’t agree  with Ms. Johnson more.