One Minute Manners: Quick Solutions to the Most Awkward Situations You'll Ever Face at Work

What makes the difference between an ordinary professional and an extraordinary one? A mastery of business manners. That’s why Ann Marie Sabath’s pocket-sized guide to business etiquette emergencies is indispensable for new hires and college graduates just starting out, as well as a valuable tool for career veterans looking to add finesse to their workplace repertoire.

Unlike typical business etiquette manuals which run over with irrelevant advice, One Minute Manners is the source for quick solutions to the most awkward situations any professional will ever face at work—as taught by Sabath during her twenty years of domestic and international etiquette consulting for Fortune 500 companies.

In her trademark, easy-to-understand style, Sabath assists professionals in overcoming awkward situations such as:


A bore has latched on to you at a company event. How do you tactfully break away?

You’ve mistakenly forwarded a confidential message to the wrong person. Now what?

You show up for a client meeting only to realize that you’re dressed too casually. What do you do?

You want to introduce a client; however, his name has escaped you. What do you do to get the person to say his name?


Covering everything from how to deal with the fallout of a hasty e-mail to discreetly letting a server know you are picking up the bill for everyone at the table, One Minute Manners minimizes business awkwardness and maximizes your chances for professional success.

ANN MARIE SABATH is president of At Ease, Inc., the corporate etiquette training firm she founded in 1987. Her clients include such prestigious companies as Marriott International, Citigroup, Procter & Gamble, and American Express, among many others, and she’s been profiled everywhere from Forbes to the Wall Street Journal to USA Today. She divides her time between New York and Cincinnati.