| Brits Confused by the Kissing Conundrum | | | | arts or advertising a kiss may be the way to go, once |
| When to kiss, when not to kiss, how many kisses and | | | | a relationship exists. |
| who to? - the rise of the social kissing culture is getting | | | | 4) Timing is everything - For many a social kiss later in |
| us confused in the workplace and beyond | | | | the day feels more acceptable than in the morning - a |
| 31 January 2007 - How well do you need to know | | | | little like the first beer. Kissing at a 9am team meeting is |
| someone before you greet them with a kiss? Do you | | | | not recommended, but at a staff dinner in the evening |
| give one kiss, two, three or even four? What do you | | | | it may be appropriate, although be aware if you kiss a |
| do in a business meeting? Do you put lips to cheek or | | | | couple of people you may need to keep going with all |
| go simply go 'mwouah' in their ear? | | | | of your colleagues. |
| With Valentine's Day just around the corner, kissing is | | | | 5) Follow Other's Lead - If you're unsure about |
| on everyone's mind, but according to graduate | | | | whether to kiss or not, be prepared that it may happen |
| recruitment company Pareto Law a growing number | | | | and follow what others do. If someone moves in for |
| of Brits are getting increasingly confused by when to | | | | an 'air' kiss or two, don't back away, try to accept it as |
| kiss and when to stick with a polite 'hello' or a formal | | | | naturally as possible. |
| hand shake. | | | | 6) Who to kiss - This can be tricky, but as a general |
| "As a race Brits are generally quite conservative, but | | | | rule, if you've never met the person before don't kiss |
| the kissing culture has taken off over the last few | | | | them, especially if it is a work contact. If you know |
| years and is now causing great confusion in terms of | | | | them reasonably well you may want to give a light kiss |
| when to do it, when not to do it and how often to do | | | | in a social environment. If you know them very well |
| it," says Jonathan Fitchew, MD of Pareto Law. | | | | you can social kiss with ease. |
| "We're in a people business and advise thousands of | | | | 7) How to Kiss - In Britain we tend not to actually |
| graduates every year on areas such as meetings, | | | | touch lips to the other person's cheek - instead we rub |
| interviews and presentations, but the one thing we all | | | | cheeks and kiss the air. While our European neighbours |
| struggle with is the etiquette that now surrounds social | | | | may find this a little strange, in a business environment |
| kissing. Unlike in France where kissing is part of a | | | | it's more acceptable than placing a smacker on the |
| culture built up over centuries we are just starting out | | | | cheek of a business partner or supplier. |
| and quite frankly we are on foreign soil. The following | | | | 8) Be a Consistent Kisser - If you kiss someone on |
| rules are designed to give novice kissers a little | | | | one occasion don't hold back the next time. They may |
| guidance in this social minefield." | | | | think they have offended you or developed some |
| Here are Pareto Law's tips for social kissing | | | | contagious disease. This is complicated by the fact |
| etiquette… | | | | that the first kiss may have been at a dinner party and |
| 1) In a Business Meeting - Stick with the hand shake - | | | | the next time you meet is at the Tesco's checkout, |
| even if you know one of the other people very well, | | | | which may not put you in the same kissing mood. |
| with others present it's better to keep things | | | | 9) Never but Never on the Lips - There is nothing |
| professional and business-like. | | | | more disturbing than a social kiss that turns into a |
| 2) One, two, three, or four? - In the UK it's generally | | | | semi-snog, especially if you are the involuntary |
| one or two kisses, but this causes wide confusion - | | | | "snogee." Make sure the cheek is offered at a more |
| and many knocks to heads and noses. The best | | | | acute angle to avoid such mouth-on-mouth action. |
| advice is to stick with one, although if you're overseas | | | | 10) E-mail Kisses - The rise of the e-mail kiss - and the |
| it's worth knowing the local customs, for example in | | | | smiley face - has been felt by most people who use |
| the Netherlands three kisses are expected, while in | | | | e-mail. In the business environment it's not appropriate |
| Spain it's two kisses, with the right cheek first. | | | | to end an e-mail with a kiss when you're writing to any |
| 3) Company Culture - much of the kissing confusion | | | | business contact. If you know them very well and the |
| comes down to our culture, and in terms of business, | | | | e-mail is of a more personal nature, rather than |
| the corporate culture. More conservative fields such as | | | | professional, kisses can be good. |
| banking or manufacturing tend to be more comfortable | | | | /ends. |
| with a handshake, but in creative fields such as the | | | | |