The most fascinating things about the awards shows (The Golden Globes were on just the other night) besides the clothes and glamour are the acceptance speeches. Viewers tend to hear the good, bad and the ugly which is why the speeches are instructive to listen to.

Hearing them can provide guidelines on how to give a good acceptance speech.

Here is what I have learned:

• Accept graciously instead of saying I can’t believe it

• Thank those who helped you

• Tell a succinct story that will motivate others

• Smile and enjoy the moment

Remember these critical elements and any acceptance speech you give will be joy to hear.

Today you see many folks on television wearing eyewear. They are usually wearing the latest fashion trend which is black eyewear frames. You can tell the frames that work well as well as the ones where you say to yourself – what are you thinking. The key element is that the frame must fit the face and not be too wide or deep.

Black eyewear can make a difference because it can cause the viewer to focus on your eyes. Remember, they must enhance your eyes, not hide them. If they do, your eyes will be an attention grabber.

These are the five critical questions that need to be answered to guarantee you will be a front runner for the position you are interviewing for:

1. What skills do you bring to the position that no one else possesses?

2. What is your expertise and is there a proven record of successful accomplishments?

3. What does the position need?

4. What critical element is required and do you meet that requirement?

5. How can you turn any resume gap into a positive?

Being able to provide answers to these questions will ensure that you will be a front runner for any position you interview for.

The holiday season has just begun and many retailers are hoping holiday neckties will sell through the roof. What makes a holiday tie a good one vs. one in bad taste? A solid holiday color or a small print of holiday items (Christmas holly or candy, etc.) on the tie will look elegant. Cartoon holiday ties that feature a reindeer laughing, Santa saying ho-ho-ho or a large picture of a snow man might be fun in the right business environment. However, it is risky and can be seen as showing poor taste.

Think small prints in Christmas red or green and your holiday elegance will be on full display!

In my lifetime, there are two or three things I recall saying that I really regret. You cannot take those comments back but here’s what you can do:

1. Don’t make the same mistake twice

2. Apologize immediately – verbally and in writing

3. Breathe when you feel anger coming on – take a deep breath in and exhale slowly

4. Stop the dialog and suggest to talk about it another time, if possible

5. If it has to be resolved, come up with a solution quickly

Sometimes it is hard to stay focused in meetings when you are not an active participant or the meetings are back-to-back. Keep eye contact with those around you. Take notes and ask questions when in meetings. Give yourself a quiz afterwards to remember what occurred.

Managers often tell me how they judge those in meetings by how engaged and attentive they are. Having a poker face can be another career killer in a meeting. You give the perception the meeting does not matter. However, in reality they may matter more than you realize.

Should women get a manicure and does there have to be color on the nails? Can I wear a vamp color on my nails? Your nails should always be chip, cuticle and hangnail free. A good buff for men is appropriate. Color for women should be neutral. The visual story you want your hands and nails to display is a fresh, clean and neat look that says I am healthy and youthful.

This issue keeps coming up whenever I am speaking to a group of professional women – to wear hose or not. Again, many companies, especially when it gets warm, have no opinion about whether women should or should not wear hose. Even as the temperature gets cooler they still leave it up to the wearer.

There are still women who like to wear hose no matter what the situation or the climate. And of course, there are women who don’t like to wear hose in any business situation. My opinion is that legs should not appear naked. This means that there are some legs that look great without hose. Others, not so good. So, unless the organization has guidelines about wearing hose, it is up to the wearer.

I do have two rules about hose, though. Never wear white hose unless you are a nurse and sheer black hose can be worn all year round.

It has been only in the past few years that pants for women have become acceptable business attire. In most formal business situations (dependent on the industry and geography) suits with skirts are still the uniform. Business casual made pants for women acceptable. But is the skirt actually replacing pants for women? Sure, wearing a skirt would show you are wearing the current fashion style but does it make you appear more professional?  My opinion is that women are wearing more skirts because the fashion industry has made them easy to wear. Plus, there are more shoe styles available to compliment them. What matters the most is which (pants or skirts) makes you feel more comfortable and how each one makes you feel.

So many folks are graying faster than normal that hair coloring has become a twice a month ritual. Bobbi Brown and many other women have to do this. Gray begins quickly in two areas: in the crown of your head and around the temples. There are two products that work well. One is a spray (root concealer, Rita Hazan) for the crown. For around the temples, an eye brow powder works well. In choosing a color, one shade darker is best.