Rudeness may be routine, but courtesy remains a competitive advantage.

Intelligence, ambition, and skill will start you on the road to success, but without strong communications skills, social savvy, and a sense of appropriate behavior...you won't get far. The Etiquette Edge gives you a crash course on modern business manners.

New advice explains how to navigate sticky situations at work, including digital interactions that are easy to misinterpret-and hard to mend. From interviewing etiquette and dress codes to working in close quarters and communicating upward, you'll master the essentials of making a great impression and building relationships, including how to:

• Be smart about how-and when-you use your smartphone
• Handle difficult conversations with tact and finesse
• Check texts and emails for content and tone
• Create a polished image on social media
• Conduct meetings (in person, online, or over lunch) with poise and confidence
• And more

In our era of entitlement, saying thank-you and giving praise are increasingly rare-but these simple acts are far from empty gestures. They're refreshing reflections of respect. Inconsiderate people and poor conduct may permeate the workplace, but success comes to those who play by a better set of rules.