Annual Protocol Check Up: Hope and Healing

Annual Protocol Check Up: Take time to take care … of you! As a protocol officer, you are always taking care of others— THE trusted adviser who plans and orchestrates international VIP visits, meetings, ceremonies and special events for military, government, academia and the business world. You have a multitude of responsibilities and demands with a nonstop job that includes long hours, lack of sleep and constant stress. In honor of all that you do to make everyone else’s life easier, for once, let’s turn the focus back on YOU! It’s time for your Annual Protocol Check-up where you take time to take care of yourself. Follow the protocol doctor’s orders to ensure you stay healthy and in shape throughout the year.

Hope and Healing: No matter how mentally and physically fit we all try to be, there are times when we find ourselves in an unhealthy condition. But there’s hope and healing with these tips!

• Triage: No matter how well you plan, accidents can happen. “The mistakes, they’re always called accidents — they’re never called on-purposes,” said Nicole Krakora, trainer for The Protocol School of Washington. “It’s not really the mistake that you make. It’s how you recover from the mistake.” It could be through an apology or sometimes with a crafty cover-up. Assess the situation and make the call: should it be an apology; fixing the problem; pulling out the red carpet or being a hero?

• Medical Bag -- Do you have your Protocol Bag equipped with all the right supplies to keep your professional experiences happy and healthy? Here are some “must haves” to help you out: [all of which are provided during Protocol Officer Training].

+ Protocol Officer Training Manual is your resource on the foundations of operational protocol including the history of protocol; precedence; seating; titles and forms of address; flags; gifts; international protocol; military; logistics; ceremonies; personal leadership; personal diplomacy; professional development complete with guidelines and checklists.

+ Global Road Warrior is a subscription database packed with photos, maps and information on culture and customs of 175 countries.

+ The Blue Book of Stationery provides all the guidance you need to communicate confidently with others in both personal and professional correspondences.

+ Honor & Respect The Official Guide to Names, Titles, and Forms of Address is the essential reference for everything that relates to names, titles and forms of address whether addressing an official envelope or referring to another person in a conversation, preparing a place card or making a formal introduction.

+ The Little Book of Etiquette is a pocket sized guide for selecting a fork from a fancy place setting, making a toast, hosting a business dinner, or dining on awkward foods.