The Protocol School of Washington's 12th Annual "National Business Etiquette Week" is June 3-9, 2018.

When it comes to courtesy and respect on the open road, it seems like many of us are running on empty. Disrespectful driving is a subject that many of us have lamented about, causing everything from simmering road rage to tragic accidents.

Understanding the fundamentals of business protocol and professional etiquette are more important than ever in our ever-changing multicultural workforce. But there are nuances and subtle shifts in professional behavior that will make your graduates stand out from the competition.

"Protocol and the Olympic Games" won her a complimentary tuition to attend Protocol Officer Training. The 2018 Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang, South Korea highlights examples of protocol successes and illustrates why protocol professionals are needed more than ever. We spoke with Duja on her entry and what the future holds.

During National Protocol Officer Week, we caught up with Andrew Loeb Shoenig, winner of last year’s NPOW contest who captured—on film—a minor protocol breach involving a US flag being gifted to the wrong dignitary and how he was able to reconcile the situation. This year, we catch up with Andrew to get his reflections on his recent PSOW complimentary training, his current plans as well as his thoughts on the importance of protocol in today’s world.

During times of tragedy, we look for answers to help assuage our grief but we also long for a sense of order to help us restore stability in what can feel like a chaotic time. This is when protocol can be instrumental in helping us to properly pay our respects but to also help us regain a sense of normalcy. Nowhere was this truer than the response to the recent pedestrian bridge accident that took place on the campus of Florida International University in Miami.

According to noted author and former presidential speechwriter James Humes, “the art of communication is the language of leadership.” As Humes so eloquently points out, what we say and how we say it truly matters and proper grammar—along with correct pronunciation—are the pillars of effective communication. However, there are some words that prove bedeviling to many and their incorrect usage or pronunciation can quickly derail any conversation. To help keep your professional and personal brand from being tarnished by mispronunciations, we present some of the most commonly misspoken words in the English language.

Now that the holiday season is behind us, the reality of a brand-new year has set in and many of us struggle to keep the new year’s resolutions we made just weeks ago. If you are having trouble making it to the gym, waking up an hour earlier or meeting any of those self-imposed new rules you set for yourself, don’t worry. You’re not alone. In fact, according to U.S. News & World Report, approximately 80 percent of New Year’s resolutions have already failed by the second week of January.

We live in an exciting and challenging world—one in which our globe seems smaller and our business and personal relationships are untethered by the traditional boundaries of oceans, airspace and borders. Modern technology, politics, trade and governmental relations bring people of different cultures together more than ever and we all face the challenges and benefits of creating and maintaining these very powerful professional and personal connections.

It’s been a while since the former Verizon spokesman asked, “Can you hear me now?” But when it comes to the ubiquitous use of cell phones in everyday society, we not only hear you now, we hear everyone else too—nearly everywhere we go. From concerts and movie theaters to restaurants, elevators, restrooms, waiting areas and nearly every place that a phone tower signal can reach, electronic interaction is at an all-time high. But just because we can talk to anyone at any time and at anyplace doesn’t necessarily mean we need to.

As president of The Protocol School of Washington, Pamela Eyring is one busy woman. How does she balance it all (work, wife, mother, daughter, member of several boards) successfully?

As an organization that advocates etiquette, decorum and respect in all levels of communication, we want to talk about the phrase, “No problem.” For some, it’s used as a replacement for the standard “You’re welcome” and for many others, it’s simply a phrase that is absolutely unwelcome.

Contrary to the often-quoted statistic that over half of marriages end in divorce, researchers say the rate of divorce in the U.S. actually peaked at about 40% around 1980 and has been declining ever since. But for those couples that do go their separate ways, here are some things to consider that can make the process easier.

There are tons of things we like about our jobs, but if you ask people what is one of the most dreaded tasks that office workers are asked to do on a regular basis it has to be the mandatory meeting. Office meetings certainly do get a bad rap, and deservedly so because most of them are disorganized and distracted because most people are simply doing them incorrectly. However, when you consider some simple tips, meetings are an important tool for collaboration, getting your team on the same page, and to keep work flow moving smoothly.

We hear a lot about the concept of “mindfulness” these days, with all of us being reminded to be “present” and “aware” in nearly every situation imaginable. Mindfulness defined is the human ability to be fully present, to be aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and to avoid being overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.

“For every generation, there is a gap.” Of course, we are borrowing a mid 1990s slogan of a clothing retailer, but for those who remember the ad—and for those who don’t—communication can be a major hurdle when you are working with people from different age groups. With nearly 20 percent of people over 65 still working—the highest level in at least 5 decades—recent college grads are finding more and more of their colleagues have a lot more gray hair and a lot less tattoos. So, with baby boomers, millennials and Gen Xers sitting side by side in cubicles across America, the challenge of inter-generational differences has become a hot topic—especially when it comes to management.

Anyone in today’s stressful and hectic world can be prone to flying off the handle from time to time. With work, family, finances and all the pressures of a modern world, even the most level-headed of people can lose control of their emotions. But how do we become better at identifying the emotions that cause us to lose control?

Benjamin Franklin, one of the wisest and most quotable pundits in history, once said there are only two things that we can truly be certain of in life: taxes and death. Yes, death is definitely part of everyone’s life and unfortunately, the older we get the more funerals we are expected to attend.

With her entertaining video entry featuring toxic—and nontoxic—rules of office behavior, Alabama’s Tammy West is the 2017 winner of our National Business Etiquette Week Contest. As a business manager and designer with a busy southeastern design firm, Tammy certainly knows a thing or two about making proper presentations and building good interoffice relationships in your professional life. Her experience at several Fortune 500 companies and years in executive management has also taught her how to use good business etiquette to make a more productive and happy workplace. Learn more about Tammy in our blog below and read her advice on how to tame toxic behaviors in today’s workplace.

First, let's start with what NOT to ask in a job interview. THE biggest faux pas one can make is asking: "What does your company do?" If you've not done your homework and researched the company, you don't deserve a seat at the table.