"The Art and Management of Social Skills, Diplomatic and Business Protocol"

Background information


Eliska Hasek Coolidge launched her career in 1959 by enrolling in the prestigious Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. Upon graduation cum laude she joined the White House Staff as a Staff Assistant on the Speechwriter´s Staff and subsequently created the Office of Presidential Messages of which she served for 18 years as Director and Special Assistant to the President. In the Reagan-Bush Administration she served for nine years in the U.S. Department of State, first on the personal staff of Secretary of State George Shultz , later as Congressional Liaison Officer for the Inter-American Bureau, subsequently as Assistant Chief of Protocol of the U.S. and finally as U.S. Alternate Delegate to the Organization of American States.
Mrs. Coolidge was born in Prague into the influential family of Frantisek Hasek, Czech banker, Stock Exchange President and Patriot who was assassinated in 1942 by a Nazi firing squad. She escaped from Communist Czechoslovakia in 1949 and spent her entire life in the United States.

Upon her return in the 1990's to the Czech Republic, Mrs. Coolidge set up Coolidge Consulting Services. Since 1998, among other objectives, she has dedicated her efforts primarily to the Art and Management of Social Skills and Diplomatic and Business Protocol.

As the granddaughter, daughter and wife of bankers, Mrs. Coolidge lived what she now teaches. Her etiquette courses reflect her long years of engagement in business and diplomatic circles in Washington, New York, Boston and around the world. Her courses are intended for all who seek to perfect their social and communication skills and business success in an increasingly competitive world.

Her clients include ministers, diplomats, business executives, bankers, lawyers, private citizens and most recently children and teenagers.

In 2003 Mrs. Coolidge was honored as “An Outstanding Czech Woman in the World” by the Czech Senate, the Lord Mayor of Prague and the Rector of Charles University.

In 2005 she published her biography "Five U.S. Presidents my Czech Grandmother and I" which became a best seller in The Czech Republic.

In 2006 she was asked by the ODS Party to run for the Czech Senate. Victorious in the first round, she lost by a narrow margin in the runoffs when Communists joined the Social Democrats to defeat her.


In 2009 under her inspiration and co-authorship, a children´s book on etiquette “Draka je lepší pozdravit” (“It is Best to Say Hello to the Dragon”) was published and in 2010 it became the winner of the highest award in children´s literature.

Mrs. Coolidge serves on the Board of AIPES a part of the Fund for American Studies which organizes courses in economics and political science for university graduates from the former Soviet Block. She is a Member of the Board of AECA (American and European Community Association, CR). She is on the Faculty of the Prague Leadership Institute.

For many years she has been an active member of the American Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the Amcham Truth & Trust and Corporate Social Responsibility Committees.

As Honorary Member of the Board of Etická výchova o.p.s. (The Foundation for Ethical Education,) she is the initiator of the project ASET (Adopt a School for Ethics in our children and Trust in our Society). A joint effort of the American Chamber of Commerce, the Czech Ministry of Education and Etická výchova o.p.s., this program is designed to fund and promote ethical education in Czech elementary schools.

She is also co-founder and member of WIA, the Czech Chapter of the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington D.C.. And she is Patron of “Manuál Úspěšné Ženy” (MUŽ) – an organization devoted to promoting the self-fulfilment of women in all walks of life.

The course

Mrs. Coolidge´s Course is intended for:

• Managers, C.E.O.´s and all those who wish to feel comfortable at every social event

• Those who wish to observe and learn the time-tested rules of etiquette at the highest social level and who wish to make the best impression on their clients and associates around the world

• Those who wish to bring up their children with a deep-rooted respect for both proper manners and sound ethical conduct which form the basis of self-confidence and trust and ultimately serve the good of society

The Course Participant will learn:

• Social Etiquette

• Proper Table Manners

• Diplomatic and Business Protocol skills

• The Role of Body Language in Communication

• The Importance of Personal Image and Style

• The Art of Self Presentation

• The Knowledge of “what is socially correct and when”

The Venue:

• The courses take place at the Hotel Mandarin Oriental Prague, Nebovidská 1, Prague 1or at a venue of a client´s choice (N.B. The Mandarin staff is highly trained to accommodate and accompany Mrs. Coolidge´s instructions. A different venue would require separate staff training)

• The course is in Czech or in English

• Groups of 12 to 16 participants (Courses for children and teenagers require a minimum of 16)

• In a pleasant, elegant but friendly atmosphere Mrs. Coolidge discreetly addresses the individual needs of each participant (Private instruction is also available as is instruction of larger groups of 25 to 30 without a luncheon setting

The Course Content

I.  Communication Style

a.  Telephone Manners

b.  Writing Style

1.  Calling Cards

2.  Writing Paper

3.  Invitations

c.  Personal Encounters

1.  Greetings

2.  Introductions

3.  Handshake

4.  Expressions of Respect

5.  Expressions of Thanks

d.  Proper Behavior at Receptions

1.  Duties of Host

2.  Duties of Guest

3.  Networking

e.  Social Events

f.  Organization and Management of Receptions and Dinners

II.  Correct European Table Manners

III.  Table Setting, Seating Order and Service

a.  At Home

b.  At a Restaurant

c.  With a Caterer

IV.  Personal Image

a.  Body Language

b.  Work-life Balance

c.  Dress

1.  A detailed discussion of colors, fabrics, cut, lengths,

accesories, maintenance

2.  The art and economics of building the perfect

wardrobe (men+women)

d.  The art of knowing what goes “where and when”

e.  The power of positive self-criticism

„Good manners are neither stilted nor artificial. They come from the heart, from

a consideration and respect for others“

Eliška Hašková Coolidge