Why Can't We All Just Behave Ourselves?
Time and time again, I am moved to write of the remarkable people who make this industry such an oasis of human kindness and professionalism.
And then... every once in a while, I am moved to write about those "other" people in the industry.
What is it about common sense and appropriate behavior that causes them both to fall by the wayside in so many professional settings? As a member of the "twentysomething" sect, I am weary of bad manners being blamed on my generation. I have seen and heard of plenty of inexcusable behavior on the parts of seasoned members of the industry, and I'm not the only one with whom this subject strikes a chord. I wrote an article on "Meetings Etiquette 101" almost a year ago, and I have never received so many reprint requests for a single article as that one has since garnered.
Do we all really need such reminders about how to behave in business settings? Shouldn't meeting professionals know how to behave at meetings?
Not long ago, I was honored to be a part of a group that was treated to several city and site tours throughout a Latin American destination. Several members of our group brought with them serious business to conduct in the destination in question. A few members of the group, it was clear, were simply enjoying a free vacation. One individual brought her adult son along, all expenses paid by the group hosts, even though it was apparent he did not even have any involvement in the meetings industry (or, for that matter, a comb or a working shower, it seemed). Another individual in the group seemed intent only on eating, drinking, and being merry - for free. A few others were just plain rude and disrespectful to our hosts. Some individuals within our group simply could not be bothered to dress or behave appropriately during our week-long series of hosted appointments and activities, and I many times overheard comments to the effect of "These people make Americans look bad."
At one point, our group was invited by destination representatives to a lunch in an upscale hotel. By pure misfortune, some of our badly-behaved group members ended up seated next to and across from our hosts from the tourism board and from the hotel. Meanwhile, some of those members of our group who actually did have serious business interest in the destination were seated at the far end of the table, where they could not comfortably converse with our hosts. I found myself near the middle, between the two factions, so I was privy to the happenings on both ends of the spectrum.
As our meal commenced, I could hardly take my eyes away from the incredible display of bad manners I saw on the parts of some individuals within our group.
I'm not talking about elbows on the table or licking fingers, although there was plenty of that sort of thing. I'm talking about purely unprofessional behavior all around. I'm talking about childish conversation centered on how to curse in other languages. I'm talking about an individual who reached over, uninvited, and took a drink from our host's beverage. I'm talking about an individual who smelled as if he'd spent the night on the street repeatedly putting his arm around others' shoulders and leaning in close to interrupt conversations that did not concern him.
I'm talking about a few members of a supposed group of professionals who made asses out of themselves and, in turn, the rest of us by association. Our hosts invited us to a lunch to showcase a property's dining, services, and facilities in hopes of attracting interest from a group of industry buyers and media representatives. What they got was a display of disgusting disregard from some members of the group, while those who represented actual meetings and incentives business for the property and for the destination were seated too far away to politely intervene.
In another instance, one of our hosts called the group together for a brief announcement and was publicly insulted by individuals who didn't want to discuss the matter at hand at that particular time. Then there was an individual who showed up, uninvited, to a private dinner and walked out upon realizing the meal would not be paid for. Then there were several members of the group who blew off scheduled activities that were arranged by our hosts because they preferred to go on their own shopping and sightseeing excursions. Then there were the handful of individuals who talked loudly among themselves all the way through a presentation by a high-level tourism executive at a special, invitation-only breakfast meeting arranged just for our group. Then there was the individual who wore shorts and flipflops to every single engagement throughout the week.
All around, I have never seen such blatant disrespect by so many people in such a short period of time. When organizations spend several thousand dollars per person to bring together a group of buyers to showcase a destination, one would think those individuals could at least acknowledge the expense involved and show proper deference to arrangements made on their behalf. One would think those individuals might at least present themselves professionally and allow others with business to conduct the opportunity to connect with the hosts and representatives who want that business. One would think those individuals would just plain know better.
I shudder to think of the impression this group must have left behind in the eyes of the tourism, conventions, and hotel representatives who welcomed us into their destination. Most unfortunate is the fact that the majority of the group members did have serious interest in bringing meetings and incentives to Latin America. I fear, however, that the potential business represented by those individuals might have been overshadowed by the self-centered disregard that was displayed by a few out of the many.
It's not a vacation, folks. It's business. Can't you act like it?
Serenity J. Knutson, Editor in Chief
PlannerWire.com
Serenity@PlannerWire.com
And then... every once in a while, I am moved to write about those "other" people in the industry.
What is it about common sense and appropriate behavior that causes them both to fall by the wayside in so many professional settings? As a member of the "twentysomething" sect, I am weary of bad manners being blamed on my generation. I have seen and heard of plenty of inexcusable behavior on the parts of seasoned members of the industry, and I'm not the only one with whom this subject strikes a chord. I wrote an article on "Meetings Etiquette 101" almost a year ago, and I have never received so many reprint requests for a single article as that one has since garnered.
Do we all really need such reminders about how to behave in business settings? Shouldn't meeting professionals know how to behave at meetings?
Not long ago, I was honored to be a part of a group that was treated to several city and site tours throughout a Latin American destination. Several members of our group brought with them serious business to conduct in the destination in question. A few members of the group, it was clear, were simply enjoying a free vacation. One individual brought her adult son along, all expenses paid by the group hosts, even though it was apparent he did not even have any involvement in the meetings industry (or, for that matter, a comb or a working shower, it seemed). Another individual in the group seemed intent only on eating, drinking, and being merry - for free. A few others were just plain rude and disrespectful to our hosts. Some individuals within our group simply could not be bothered to dress or behave appropriately during our week-long series of hosted appointments and activities, and I many times overheard comments to the effect of "These people make Americans look bad."
At one point, our group was invited by destination representatives to a lunch in an upscale hotel. By pure misfortune, some of our badly-behaved group members ended up seated next to and across from our hosts from the tourism board and from the hotel. Meanwhile, some of those members of our group who actually did have serious business interest in the destination were seated at the far end of the table, where they could not comfortably converse with our hosts. I found myself near the middle, between the two factions, so I was privy to the happenings on both ends of the spectrum.
As our meal commenced, I could hardly take my eyes away from the incredible display of bad manners I saw on the parts of some individuals within our group.
I'm not talking about elbows on the table or licking fingers, although there was plenty of that sort of thing. I'm talking about purely unprofessional behavior all around. I'm talking about childish conversation centered on how to curse in other languages. I'm talking about an individual who reached over, uninvited, and took a drink from our host's beverage. I'm talking about an individual who smelled as if he'd spent the night on the street repeatedly putting his arm around others' shoulders and leaning in close to interrupt conversations that did not concern him.
I'm talking about a few members of a supposed group of professionals who made asses out of themselves and, in turn, the rest of us by association. Our hosts invited us to a lunch to showcase a property's dining, services, and facilities in hopes of attracting interest from a group of industry buyers and media representatives. What they got was a display of disgusting disregard from some members of the group, while those who represented actual meetings and incentives business for the property and for the destination were seated too far away to politely intervene.
In another instance, one of our hosts called the group together for a brief announcement and was publicly insulted by individuals who didn't want to discuss the matter at hand at that particular time. Then there was an individual who showed up, uninvited, to a private dinner and walked out upon realizing the meal would not be paid for. Then there were several members of the group who blew off scheduled activities that were arranged by our hosts because they preferred to go on their own shopping and sightseeing excursions. Then there were the handful of individuals who talked loudly among themselves all the way through a presentation by a high-level tourism executive at a special, invitation-only breakfast meeting arranged just for our group. Then there was the individual who wore shorts and flipflops to every single engagement throughout the week.
All around, I have never seen such blatant disrespect by so many people in such a short period of time. When organizations spend several thousand dollars per person to bring together a group of buyers to showcase a destination, one would think those individuals could at least acknowledge the expense involved and show proper deference to arrangements made on their behalf. One would think those individuals might at least present themselves professionally and allow others with business to conduct the opportunity to connect with the hosts and representatives who want that business. One would think those individuals would just plain know better.
I shudder to think of the impression this group must have left behind in the eyes of the tourism, conventions, and hotel representatives who welcomed us into their destination. Most unfortunate is the fact that the majority of the group members did have serious interest in bringing meetings and incentives to Latin America. I fear, however, that the potential business represented by those individuals might have been overshadowed by the self-centered disregard that was displayed by a few out of the many.
It's not a vacation, folks. It's business. Can't you act like it?
Serenity J. Knutson, Editor in Chief
PlannerWire.com
Serenity@PlannerWire.com
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