It’s more than p’s and q’s; it’s being ahead
Nedra Wickremasinghe knows better than most that good manners and personality will take you where even the best of education and titles cannot. She sits across us; ankles gracefully tucked behind and perfectly manicured fingers clasped on her lap. Her trademark coiffure is just so, her make-up is subtle and her speech is eloquent. Nedra has just opened Arden, a school of etiquette and protocol, and behind this institution is a lifetime of experience sharing her good graces with students.
Well planned: Dining area at Arden Institute
“I’ve done this for a long, long time,” she tells us. Nedra began her career with a finishing school of sorts, with focus on personal and career development (the Nedisa Finishing School and Nedisa Corporate Social Interaction). “Corporate training was where I really cut my teeth,” she says. Working closely with a selection of top corporates in the country, Nedra devised a selection of comprehensive programmes and honed these over the years. Her work has seen her travel overseas to conduct programmes for international corporates. “Over the years I think more and more companies have begun to realize the importance of giving their employees-especially front line staff-that extra polish, the ability to handle any client and situation with grace.”
It was at her friends’ and former clients’ prodding that she began musing on the idea for a school for etiquette and protocol. “Finishing schools are an outdated concept now,” she shares, a touch ruefully. “In my day it was a way for young girls to acquire a bit of polish before their formal entrance into society after school.” Nowadays it seems like a slightly archaic institution and more so it’s not just the young girls seeking a little assistance with their social graces. “We’ve had great response from the men,” says Nedra. “I was quite surprised!”
The school is a product of the many requests and ideas that have poured in over the years for Nedra to mentor several young women and men. Increasingly thrust into social situations, especially as career-driven young professionals, it’s important for anyone to know the right protocol to handle any situation. “We have to remember that business, especially, is very international now,” says Nedra. “It’s in the little details that great deals are made.” For example, we’re told, most professionals don’t understand that it’s insensitive, and verging on the downright rude, to ‘talk shop’ at social events. And knowing which wine to order, how to handle the bill and even dance respectably (should the occasion call for it!) are all important aspects of being out and about town. “A bit of bhangra and baila is
Nedra Wickremasinghe at the launch last week. Pic by Mangala Weerasekera
going to get you nowhere dear,” Nedra grins.
But perhaps more significantly, it is the revolution of technology and more specifically social media that Nedra and her team will have to tackle with their courses. “I walk into a restaurant and all I see are people with their heads bent over phones,” she says exasperatedly. “It’s so, so rude!” So this is another thing they’ll be tackling with their programme-when technology is appropriate and when it definitely isn’t.
Arden offers a varied selection of programmes. The institute functions under three main departments; Etiquette and Protocol, Frontier Career Development and Corporate Training. The Etiquette and Protocol Department is modelled along the lines of a traditional finishing school, offering courses designed to develop personality and social skills. Some courses cover areas of entertainment and hospitality, with Nedra poised to bring in industry professionals including celebrity chefs and interior designers to conduct lessons for her clients. She’s already got the perfect setting for these lessons at the official Arden premises in Charles Circus, an area downstairs that has an undoubtedly feminine touch.
But these aren’t your average finishing school modules, mind you. There are lessons in career capital growth (to manage your resources), courses for young adults and college students…the list goes on. Over the years Nedra has discovered that her clients’ needs are many and varied. For example those that seek a little assistance with entertaining guests at home may also need a few pointers with managing their resources. Other courses include dress and personal presentation, table manners and conversation, wine appreciation, public-speaking and interview skills, diplomatic protocol and even advice on home décor and many more. Each course will only accommodate a maximum of 15 persons at a time.
Frontier Career Development will cater to front-line staff in companies, with a special training area designed especially for mock interviews and customer scenarios. Courses are targeted to meet the needs of employers within emerging high-growth sectors such as tourism, aviation, hospitality, hospitals, retail boutiques and services, as well as in the BPO, insurance and banking. The corporate training department draws on Nedra’s substantial experience in the industry to offer a range of courses designed specifically for the rigorous demands and expectations of the corporate world.
Some wise philosopher (or mother, which seems likelier) once said, ‘manners maketh a man’. Nedra agrees wholeheartedly. “It’s not everyone who recognizes the importance of skills and personality development,” she reflects. “But those who do are already on their way to success because first impressions always matter and people will always judge you for how you look, and more importantly for how you speak and behave.”
The Arden Institute is located at No.11, Charles Circus, Colombo 3. For more details contact 011 2575762. or see their website www.ardeninstitute.com