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Jul 26, 2023

Listen to Episode 14: Etiquette

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“Etiquette is like a map to the landscape that is society. And as our society becomes more comfortable talking about stuff like mental health, self-care, and setting boundaries, the etiquette shifts around it. That’s why there’s often so much generational dissonance—because it happens over time.”

–Teresa McElroy, Etiquette expert, and co-host of Shmanners podcast

After a few years of remote worklife, we’ve got the basics down. But there’s no fixed guidance for professional etiquette—it’s always changing alongside cultural norms. And it seems like just when we get comfortable, the rules change. 

In the season 2 finale, we reunite with manners experts and Shmanners co-hosts Travis and Teresa McElroy for a hilarious conversation. They share tips on how to model good etiquette in an authentic way, relate to others, and avoid common misunderstandings in remote work.

We’ll talk about:

  • How etiquette helps us navigate modern society
  • The difference between etiquette and virtues
  • The importance of clear expectations 
  • Healthy ways to communicate boundaries
  • Avoiding misunderstandings with our partners
  • What’s really behind “quiet quitting” 

About Teresa

About Travis

More resources:

Takeaways:

  • Remember the Golden Rule. When in doubt, treat people how you’d like to be treated. It never fails. 
  • Lead by example. Don’t meet rudeness with rudeness. Call others “in” by modeling good manners.
  • Make the extra effort. It’s easy to misunderstand someone in remote communication. Be clear, but be kind. 
  • Be explicit. Avoid snags by being clear about what you expect, and what’s expected of you. 

Learn more at remotely-curious.com. 

Special guests

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Travis McElroy

Etiquette expert, podcast host, and actor

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Travis McElroy is a podcaster, actor, producer, humorist, and four-time New York Times–best-selling maker known for The Adventure Zone; My Brother, My Brother and Me; and Shmanners.

An illustrated headshot of Gloria Mark.

Teresa McElroy

Etiquette expert and podcast host

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Teresa McElroy co-hosts Shmanners with her husband, Travis McElroy. She supports the Emily Post school of etiquette, where you lead by example. She's lovely and should be sainted for dealing with all the weird things Travis and his brothers do.

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