Maitama Sule Street, located off Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, was enveloped in quietness this sunny Tuesday morning. The rays of the sun played a trick on the white walls of the building that houses JSK Etiquette Consortium, venue of our training that morning, as the security men ushered us into the premises.
Just beyond the receptionist desk was an inner room, the training studio. At the door stood Janet Adetu, CEO, JSK Etiquette Consortium and the session facilitator. She was beaming with smile as she warmly welcomed us to the training centre.
It was the first time I would be meeting her and also attending a session on etiquette. Her voice may be familiar to many who listen to her on radio but not her face. She hosts a radio programme -“Etiquette with Janet” on Beat 99.9 FM and Classic FM 97.3. Hence, it was nice when I finally was able to put a face to the voice I have always heard on radio.
Adetu is a chartered accountant, brand analyst, certified corporate image and business etiquette consultant. She was trained and certified by the prestigious Protocol School of Washington, among many other institutions, as a corporate business etiquette and international protocol expert.
As soon as we were settled in the well-arranged training room, she walked in with her husband, Seni Adetu, former managing director, Guinness Nigeria, and chairman, JSK Etiquette Consortium, who welcomed us to the programme – the reason for the training.
“The importance of business etiquette cannot be overemphasised,” he said, “because it helps professionals to reflect confidence, build inter-personal skills, strong relationships and prevent misgivings with important stakeholders. Considering that media practitioners work on the scene of events of local, national and international importance, this training session will enhance their civility, cross cultural sensitivity and professionalism.”
Later, Janet took over as she introduced the class to a small game in a bid to kick start the training. She asked each participant to check out what was written on a laminated paper placed on the table. “Look for the person who has opposite of the word you have,” she said.
And so animatedly, we all moved around searching for our partners. On the papers were written all manner of funny words, like Eba, Egusi, Ewedu, Amala, Night, Day etc. “If you have seen your partner,” she continued, “introduce yourself to each other.” I picked ‘Night’ so I had to introduce my ‘Day’ and so did others.
After the game, the training began in earnest when she talked in detail about executive finesse. According to her, appearance is key when it comes to creating a personal brand. “It is important to wear a professional image. It is extremely important in business. It is good to have professional presence. Do you have professional presence?” she asked rhetorically.
While explaining the definition of etiquette, she said it was good for a media practitioner to know how to mix and mingle, communicate and introduce himself when in business gathering.
“Etiquette is all about rules that govern the way you behave,” she explained, “both in social and business life. It is a powerful tool and profitable tool. Etiquette is like a tool box, you bring out the tool when you need them.”
Furthermore, she also emphasised the importance of body language. According to her, it is important to look people in the eye when talking. “You look people in the eye in order to look credible, trustworthy. Your body language is important. Your handshake is your power play. It says a lot about who you are. It is the highest point in your professional presence.”
In all, the training was not just theoretical; it was practical as she made the teaching experience more real. An instance is the dining etiquette. She had a dinner table well laid out with the plates, cups, knives, spoons, among others. She explained the function of each of the cutleries and emphasised how to use a napkin.
More memorable for me is Adetu’s emphasis on the need to carry a cardholder. According to her, it is nice to place business cards in card holders with handles that can be pull backward easily making it possible to bring out business cards without any hassle or clumsiness.
While explaining the reason for the programme, she said: “We recognise the media as a major stakeholder that supports small, medium-sized and big businesses, ensuring their success. In return, we have decided to support media practitioners to become more successful and distinguished by enhancing their overall understanding of manners, poise, image, style and personal branding. The goal of this training programme is to polish the professionalism of media practitioners, and to enhance their interpersonal skills to make them operate at their personal best.”
FUNKE OSAE-BROWN
