Another CDFN Life hack by Chris Stewart
There are a lot of etiquette and protocol suggestions for those of us on post. I’ll try and go over a few, but one of the most simple to follow, yet one that I see broken all of the time is punctuality. It may seem obvious that showing up on time is important, but just as important is to not show up early. Particularly for larger national events or dinners, the organizers might be rushing till the last minute to get everything set up just right and having guests show up early does not help at all. A safe bet is arriving 5 to 10 minutes after the suggested arrival time. Along with that, never be the last one at an event either. Even if the hosts appear to be welcoming and friendly, find a reason to go and don’t be the last.
There are a few things to keep in mind when attending an event. First of all, your hosts are not going to ask you to leave, nor will they scold you if you show up early. Being polite and welcoming is the number one rule of etiquette and protocol and they’re just playing their roles. However, chances are the hosts have been working tirelessly all day (or possibly for several days) on this event, and they’re exhausted. They will never tell you this, but I assure you it’s almost always the case. So while they’re being amazing hosts, be a good guest as well. You don’t have to be the first to leave, but be mindful of the time that the event was scheduled to end and try and leave around that time. If you need more subtle hints, you might notice for large events that senior diplomatic officials (from just about all countries) will suddenly start to leave, follow their lead.
Chris Stewart has been a creative professional for over 20 years: a photographer, video wizard, writer, illustrator, often juggling several hats at once. Chris is also a packing expert! He’s currently in a suitcase transitions after leaving Myanmar, having had adventures in Cambodia, Pakistan, Greece, and Japan. The “CDFN Life Hacks” are designed to provide quick advice for navigating assignment cycles more smoothly.
Oh, and Chris draws all the illustrations for his posts!
