Modern Etiquette: Dealing with Annoying Co-Workers
Reuters
April 23, 2012
The Know-it-All. Negative Nancy. Larry Loud-Talker. The Over-Sharer. The workplace is filled with all kinds of personalities, each with their own unique (and sometimes annoying) habits.
While you can’t choose your co-workers you can choose how you handle their annoying behavior. Your best approach will largely depend upon your circumstances, and the level of annoyance.
For example, if your co-worker’s habit hampers your ability to do your job you’ll need to take care of the problem even if it means going to your supervisor. However, filing even a ‘verbal’ complaint should always be your last-resort. Meanwhile, you may want to look at your own workplace behavior which, unknowingly, may be offensive to others.
Tips for Resolving Conflict
Remove yourself from the situation: If you find yourself focusing more on your co-worker’s annoyance than the work in front of you, take a break. Even a few minutes in a restroom or break room will clear your head and calm your nerves.
Find an outlet for your frustration: A 20-minute power walk or “vent-session” with a trusted friend is another option. Once you’ve released the built-up tension you’ll find you have a new perspective on the situation.
Find your focus: If deadlines prevent you from removing yourself from the situation, create a place of calm in your own mind. Any technique that helps you create a “clear headspace” will provide a sense of control and calm. Try noise-canceling ear-buds or mentally repeat a mantra, like “focus” in your mind.
Go to the Source: If all your attempts fail and your work is still suffering be respectful and pay your co-worker the courtesy of addressing them directly. Explain the problem (e.g., it’s hard for me to concentrate) and, together, find a solution that works for the both of you.
Last resort: If the problem persists you have no choice but to bring your concern to a supervisor. Who knows, you may not be the only one in the office having a problem with this co-worker.
Taboo Workplace Topics
Even the most friendly workplace conversation can sour when people discuss ‘taboo topics.’ To avoid office friction, don’t brooch the following ‘hot topics;’ and if raised by co-workers opt-out of the conversation.
Salary: Your salary was determined by you and your employer. It’s proprietary information and should stay that way.
Medical Woes: Only you and your family care about your medical problems. Keep your aches and pains to yourself.
Relationship Problems: Failed romances and other relationship issues belong in your personal life, not in your professional life. No exceptions!
Sex, Religion Politics: These ‘big three’ hot button topics are non-negotiable. They are called hot button topics because they are polarizing and run the risk of alienating, even insulting, colleagues. Discussing sex, religion and politics is always off-limits and inappropriate in the workplace.
Examine Your Own Behavior
As you go about your workday pay attention to your interactions with others. Do you interrupt colleagues while they’re working or engaged in conversation with others? Do you discuss business matters with co-workers or do you bring up personal issues, about yourself and others? Do you complain about problems in the workplace but fail to offer any viable solutions?
Remember: It’s always easier to find fault with others than it is to see our own problems.
More Articles on Office Etiquette
8 Workplace Etiquette Tips for Rookies
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The art of giving negative feedback: A 7-step approach
Posted by dcraig in Executive Presence on April 22, 2012
Business Management
March 21 2012
Giving feedback is an important management task but certainly not an easy one—especially when the feedback isn’t all sunshine.
Negative feedback requires a manager to motivate, counsel and criticize in a way that alerts employees to where the problems lie and what must be done to solve them. Fortunately, it’s a skill that can be learned.
Follow this seven-step method whenever giving negative feedback:
1. Tell it like it is. Don’t sidestep the issue; be straightforward and tell the employee exactly what your concerns are.
Example: “I’m troubled by the way you deal with customer complaints.”
2. Give feedback immediately. Feedback is most useful when given at the earliest opportunity after a particular incident. Effective feedback allows the recipient an opportunity to correct behavior right away.
3. Paint a specific picture of how you view the situation. Describe what you see happening by using objective details, not subjective opinions.
Example: “When you get calls from irate customers, you become short with them and you don’t try to hide your own irritation.”
4. Give the lowdown of the outcome. Make sure employees understand the connection between their behavior and the negative results. This lets employees know that they can control the consequences.
Example: “I’ve received letters from customers threatening to stop using our company if they continue to receive such poor treatment.”
5. Give credit where credit is due. That way, employees will know what actions to repeat in the future. Plus, they’ll know that you appreciate the effort to do it right.
Example: “I know it can be frustrating, but I’m pleased to see that after you quickly pinpoint the problem, you immediately make a return call.”
6. Reiterate performance expectations. As a manager, it is important that you try to make employees understand what it takes for job success.
Example: “Understand that good customer service begins with fielding the complaint; it isn’t just the end result of solving the problem. Frustration-management skills are important in this department.”
7. Use feedback as a means of change, not punishment. A positive reaction is a more likely result when you correct negative behavior rather than punish the offender.
Constructive criticism: 4 helpful hints
1. Beware of communicating your frustration and anger. Otherwise, the recipient will likely feel frustrated and angry, too, and therefore, less receptive to your message.
2. Be flexible. Most situations don’t require you to dictate exactly what needs to be done or how. Giving employees room to maneuver and allowing them to make changes on their own reduces resistance to following your feedback.
3. Make your point right away. Otherwise, you risk losing focus on the feedback with too much small talk or overwhelming the employee with too many details.
4. Put the feedback in writing. It helps reduce misunderstandings, allows you to perfect your message before sending it and is a smart legal move in case of a lawsuit.
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The Secret To Successful Networking Is A Four Letter Word
Posted by dcraig in Networking on April 22, 2012
Forbes
Mindy Lockard, April 20 2012
A Harvard University study shows that 15% of the reason a person gets a job, keeps a job, or advances in a job is related to technical skills and job knowledge… 85% has to do with people skills. Due to our current employment rate and downsized companies, working this 85% is never more important than when networking. Whether it’s official business or social, making conversations can make or break how we build a network of people to call on as we make our journey up the professional ladder.
As the old saying goes, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” Likewise, what comes out of your mouth can never taken back. Remember – working a room is work. It’s exhausting, and it can be overwhelming, but with a few conversation skills you can be sure that you’ll be communicating with 100% of your people skills.
Work Your Name: Enunciating your first and last name is the single most important aspect of networking, because if those you’re connecting with don’t know your name…they can’t contact you. When saying your name, say it slowly and clearly. In the world of self-introductions, Mindy easily becomes Cindy, and more difficult names can become nothing more than a mumble… especially in a sea of people working hard to make their names known and remembered.
Work to Remember Names: Ninety percent of the clients I ask say they are terrible at remembering names. But remembering names is the key to creating a strong network. After all, it’s hard to call on “What’s his name” or to engage with “Hey, YOU,” for an entire conversation. A quick tip to remembering names is to make sure you hear it and know it right away by adding it to the conversation, “Nice to meet you, Jim,” or “Tell me about what you do for XYZ bank, Jim.” And if you didn’t catch it the first time, ask again. “Please, tell me your name again,” and this time stop, look at the person in front of you, and truly listen!
Work to Know Others: Creating a solid network of people that you can call on for advancement or professional collaboration comes from getting to know others. Networking conversation works best when you exercise a 30% responding to questions about you and 70% actively try to learn about others. Ask open-ended questions such as “Tell me about how long you’ve been with Bank XYZ?” rather than “How long have you been with Bank XYZ?” Using “Tell me about . . .” actually requires your conversational partner to reply with more than one word. A conversation of one-word answers is, in a word, awkward.
Networking conversation should always be inclusive. A potential business associate should never try to enter your conversation with someone else only to feel the cold shoulder. Bring others in with a warm welcome like, “Mary, so great to see you. We were just discussing Jim’s recent trip to Paris,” or “Hi, my name is Mindy and this is Jim. We were just discussing his recent trip to Paris. Have you been?”
Work to Help Others Connect: Remember that working a room is all about staying in motion. Sometimes, a chatty Cathy corners us and won’t let us go. Prepare for these situations by crafting an exit strategy. You might say, “I really enjoyed meeting you, Cathy! I see my colleague Jennifer has just arrived and I promised to introduced her to our new client.” Or you could introduce your new friend to someone who has something in common with her. “Cathy, I’d like to introduce you to Steve. Steve just moved to the area from your hometown. I’m sure he would love to hear how your transition went.” Thus, you free yourself up to meet new people and help Cathy connect with another potential new friend.
Using your words wisely and truly engaging with people will set you apart from the rest of the room. Not only will you be remembered, but by asking intelligent questions of others, you will build a strong network of people you can call on when researching, fact-finding or pursuing a job or advancement. Remembering that 85% of job success comes from successful people skills, work a room with confidence and you’ll find yourself with a 100% return on every conversation.
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Business Etiquette
5 Rules That Matter Now
5 Rules That Matter Now
Inc.
Eliza Browning
The word “etiquette” gets a bad rap. For one thing, it sounds stodgy and pretentious. And rules that are socially or morally prescribed seem intrusive to our sense of individuality and freedom.
But the concept of etiquette is still essential, especially now—and particularly in business. New communication platforms, like Facebook and Linked In, have blurred the lines of appropriateness and we’re all left wondering how to navigate unchartered social territory.
At Crane & Co., we have been advising people on etiquette for two centuries. We have even published books on the subject—covering social occasions, wedding etiquette and more.
Boil it down and etiquette is really all about making people feel good. It’s not about rules or telling people what to do, or not to do, it’s about ensuring some basic social comforts.
So here are a few business etiquette rules that matter now—whatever you want to call them.
1. Send a Thank You Note
I work at a paper company that manufactures stationery and I’m shocked at how infrequently people send thank you notes after interviewing with me. If you’re not sending a follow-up thank you note to Crane, you’re not sending it anywhere.
But the art of the thank you note should never die. If you have a job interview, or if you’re visiting clients or meeting new business partners—especially if you want the job, or the contract or deal—take the time to write a note. You’ll differentiate yourself by doing so and it will reflect well on your company too.
2. Know the Names
It’s just as important to know your peers or employees as it is to develop relationships with clients, vendors or management. Reach out to people in your company, regardless of their roles, and acknowledge what they do.
My great-grandfather ran a large manufacturing plant. He would take his daughter (my grandmother) through the plant; she recalled that he knew everyone’s name—his deputy, his workers, and the man who took out the trash.
We spend too much of our time these days looking up – impressing senior management. But it’s worth stepping back and acknowledging and getting to know all of the integral people who work hard to make your business run.
3. Observe the ‘Elevator Rule’
When meeting with clients or potential business partners off-site, don’t discuss your impressions of the meeting with your colleagues until the elevator has reached the bottom floor and you’re walking out of the building. That’s true even if you’re the only ones in the elevator.
Call it superstitious or call it polite—but either way, don’t risk damaging your reputation by rehashing the conversation as soon as you walk away.
4. Focus on the Face, Not the Screen
It’s hard not to be distracted these days. We have a plethora of devices to keep us occupied; emails and phone calls come through at all hours; and we all think we have to multitask to feel efficient and productive.
But that’s not true: When you’re in a meeting or listening to someone speak, turn off the phone. Don’t check your email. Pay attention and be present.
When I worked in news, everyone was attached to a BlackBerry, constantly checking the influx of alerts. But my executive producer rarely used hers—and for this reason, she stood out. She was present and was never distracted in editorial meetings or discussions with the staff. And it didn’t make her any less of a success.
5. Don’t Judge
We all have our vices—and we all have room for improvement. One of the most important parts of modern-day etiquette is not to criticize others.
You may disagree with how another person handles a specific situation, but rise above and recognize that everyone is trying their best. It’s not your duty to judge others based on what you feel is right. You are only responsible for yourself.
We live in a world where both people and businesses are concerned about brand awareness. Individuals want to stand out and be liked and accepted by their peers–both socially and professionally.
The digital landscape has made it even more difficult to know whether or not you’re crossing a line, but I think it’s simple. Etiquette is positive. It’s a way of being—not a set of rules or dos and don’ts.
So before you create that hashtag, post on someone’s Facebook page or text someone mid-meeting, remember the fundamentals: Will this make someone feel good?
And remember the elemental act of putting pen to paper and writing a note. You’ll make a lasting impression that a shout-out on Twitter or a Facebook wall mention can’t even touch.
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Drink Too Much At Your Office Happy Hour? Here’s How To Fix It
Posted by dcraig in Networking on April 22, 2012
Business Insider
Laura Marie Given, March 27 2012
There was an open bar, a round (or five) of drinks with your co-workers, and things got a little out of hand — now what? If you go a little overboard at the office happy hour, you should deal with the aftermath in a smart, professional way to avoid any extra drama. Save face and keep your reputation intact by following these five tips:
- Don’t draw any extra attention to the situation. If people aren’t talking about it, don’t bring it up. There’s no reason to dish on last night’s shenanigans with all your co-workers, so skip the “What was I thinking?” small talk and bring up job-related topics instead.
- Apologize and accept responsibility. Accidentally offend someone with your behavior? Own up to your actions and say you’re sorry. It’s better to step up and deal with it than to push it aside, because ignoring the problem may build unnecessary resentment.
- Redeem yourself. Should any issues arise, address them with honesty and humility. What you said or did under the influence may have reflected poorly on your character, so this is your chance to demonstrate a bit of integrity.
- Steer conversations elsewhere. If the incident continues to come up, do what you can to redirect the dialogue. Laugh off any light jabs, then let it go. The only way other people will move on is if you do, too.
- Try to learn from your mistake. Actions speak louder than words, so back up your apologies with sensible, office-appropriate behavior. Prove yourself by sticking to one or two drinks next time and remember that what you do outside the office still reflects on your professional reputation.
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Executive meeting etiquette: Tips to help you shine
Posted by dcraig in Networking on April 15, 2012
Business Management Daily
Elizabeth Hall, April 11 2012
It’s a snowball effect: The more poised and confident you are, the more people will like and admire you, which in turn will boost your confidence even more. It’s evident that business professionals who appear poised and at ease shine during meetings.
“It really is all about how you present yourself,” says Business Management Daily’s Senior Web Editor Elizabeth Hall. “Self-promotion is key in moving up the business ladder, and manners never go out of style.”
Are you in need of meeting etiquette and protocol tips? Here are guidelines to help you excel during that important meeting:
1. Respond: If you’ve been invited to a meeting or a function, don’t wait until the last minute to let organizers know whether you’re attending. If you have to cancel at the last minute, call and apologize.
2. Prepare: Always have an agenda ready. Do your homework. Who will be there? What will be discussed? What items might you need for the meeting? Bring your own daily planner so you know your availability, if necessary. If this meeting is outside your office, pack plenty of business cards, arrive ahead of time and bring your client’s phone number in case you’re delayed.
3. Meet hand-to-hand and eye-to-eye: Give a firm handshake regardless if you’re being introduced to male or female colleagues. In addition, maintain eye contact now and during the meeting. When someone is speaking directly to you, looking away is considered rude. If writing notes, glance up often to show your interest and respect.
4. Get down: Make sure you sit someplace where you’ll be noticed and easily recognized. Now would be the time to present those extra business cards you packed. You can place them directly in front of you, or hand them out. If someone reciprocates, do not put his or her card immediately into your pocket. Give the person the courtesy of looking it over.
5. Get up: If you’re being introduced to a newcomer to the meeting, or someone who had been at the other end of the room, stand back up, shake the person’s hand, smile and give him or her direct eye contact.
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12 Ways To Spot A Liar At Work
Forbes
April 11 2012
Your boss tells you that “this change is for the best,” but as she speaks, you notice her stiff body posture and forced smile. Is she being honest with you?
Your co-worker says he’d be happy to help you with your project, but he seems to pause a long time before answering – and while talking, his eyes stay focused on his computer monitor. Can you trust what he says?
“You can count on my support.”
“It wasn’t my fault.”
“You’re next in line for a promotion.”
Really?
Wouldn’t it be great to know when we’re being lied to? And, wouldn’t it be nice if exposing falsehoods were as easy as it is portrayed on television shows like “Lie to Me” and “The Mentalist?” But of course, those are entertaining fantasies. In real life, human beings are more complex than that. And, as commonplace as deception is, deception detection remains an inexact science.
For the vast majority of the individuals you work with, the act of lying triggers a heightened stress response. And these signs of stress and anxiety are obvious, if you know where to look. Basically, what we’re finding is that the mind has to work a lot harder to generate a false response. One theory – posed by Daniel Langleben, a psychiatrist at the University of Pennsylvania – is that, in order to tell a lie, the brain first has to stop itself from telling the truth and then create the deception, and then deal with the accompanying emotions of guilt, anxiety, and the fear of being caught.
Spotting deception begins with observing a person’s baseline behavior under relaxed or generally stress-free conditions so that you can detect meaningful deviations. One of the strategies that experienced police interrogators use is to ask a series of non-threatening questions while observing how the subject behaves when there is no reason to lie. Then, when the more difficult issues get addressed, the officers watch for changes in nonverbal behavior that indicate deception around key points.
In business dealings, the best way to understand someone’s baseline behavior is to observe her over an extended period of time. Note her speech tone, gestures, blinking patterns, etc. Once you’ve assessed what is “normal” for a co-worker, you will be able to detect shifts, when her body language is “out of character.” Just remember (and this is key), that the atypical signals you detect may be signs of lying — or a state of heightened anxiety caused by many other factors.
One of the biggest body language myths about liars is that they avoid eye contact. In fact, many liars, especial the most brazen, may actually overcompensate (to prove that they are not lying) by making too much eye contact and holding it too long.
My best advice is not to rely on any one signal. You’ll be more successful if you look for clusters of behaviors (three or four body language cues that reinforce one another). To increase your chances of spotting a falsehood, watch for a cluster of body language cues that include:
1. A fake smile. It’s hard for liars to give a real smile while seeking to deceive. (Real smiles crinkle the corners of the eyes and change the entire face. Faked smiles involve the mouth only.)
2. Unusual response time. When the lie is planned (and rehearsed), deceivers start their answers more quickly than truth-tellers. If taken by surprise, however, the liar takes longer to respond – as the process of inhibiting the truth and creating a lie takes extra time.
3. Verbal cues. When lying, a person’s vocal tone will rise to a higher pitch. Other verbal cues include rambling, selective wording (in which one avoids answering the question exactly as asked), stammering, and the use of qualifiers (“To the best of my knowledge.” “I could be wrong . . . “). It’s also been noted that liars use fewer contractions: “I did not have sex with that woman . . .” rather than “I didn’t . . . ”
4. Under or over production of saliva. Watch for sudden swallowing in gulps or the increased need to drink water or moisten lips.
5. Pupil dilation. One nonverbal signal that is almost impossible to fake is pupil dilation. The larger pupil size that most people experience when telling a lie can be attributed to an increased amount of tension and concentration.
6. Change in blink rate. A person’s blink rate slows down as she decides to lie and stays low through the lie. Then it increases rapidly (sometimes up to eight times normal rate) after the lie.
7. Foot movements. When lying, people will often display nervousness and anxiety through increased foot movements. Feet will fidget, shuffle and wind around each other or around the furniture. They will stretch and curl to relieve tension, or even kick out in a miniaturized attempt to run away.
8. Face touching. A person’s nose may not grow when he tells a lie, but watch closely and you’ll notice that when someone is about to lie or make an outrageous statement, he’ll often unconsciously rub his nose. (This is most likely because a rush of adrenaline opens the capillaries and makes his nose itch.) Mouth covering is another common gesture of people who are being untruthful, as is covering the eyes.
9. Incongruence. When a person believes what she is saying her gestures and expressions are in alignment with her words. When you see a mismatch — where gestures contradict words – such as a side-to-side head shake while saying “yes” or a person frowning and staring at the ground while telling you she is happy, it’s a sign of deceit or at least an inner conflict between what that person is thinking and saying.
10. Changes in gestures. Often times, in the effort not to let their gestures “give away” the lie, deceivers will hold their bodies unnaturally still. At other times, especially after being asked a searching question, you may notice liars accelerate pacifying gestures — biting their lips, rubbing their hands together, fidgeting with jewelry, touching their hair.
11. Micro-expressions. Difficult to catch, but if you ever spot a fleeting expression that contradicts a verbal statement, believe what you see and not what you hear.
12. The quick-check glance. This may follow a less-than-truthful response: Liars will immediately look down and away, then back at you again in a brief glimpse to see if you bought the falsehood.
One final caveat: If a person really believes the lie, there is no way that can detect that falsehood. But, unless you are dealing with a pathological liar or a superb actor, I know you can become better at spotting those who try to deceive you!
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Mixing Textures and Patterns
Corporette
October 19 2011
Question
With all of the new tweed, boucle, flannel/textured skirts in my fall closet thanks to early sales…can one wear a textured or patterned jacket on top? In other words, are the skirts treated as solids or patterns? I see so much mixing of patterns on the runways and in ads, but for the office? If a solid jacket, could the jacket and the top/blouse/sweater underneath be an entirely different color or should the top portion be tonal?
Answer
What a great question, particularly since I’ve been wanting to talk about mixing patterns with patterns for a long time on Corporette and just haven’t had a chance. First, I think textures shouldn’t be thought of so much as a “pattern,” but thought of in terms of volume. For example — if you’re trying to pair a thick tweed skirt (let’s say, for now, in a solid color), your consideration for the top should probably be a much lighter knit — think a close-fitting silk sweater, or even a tucked-in or fitted blouse. Similarly, if you’re wearing a boucle sweater, you might want to pair it with a slender pant, or a pencil skirt. IMHO, it seems like it’s a very rare outfit where a voluminous top works with a voluminous bottom — or vice versa, where a close-fitting sweater truly looks great with a pencil skirt.
Now — can you mix patterns with patterns? For my $.02, this is something that every fashionista should aspire to. If you think about it, men do it all the time — how many pinstriped suits paired with printed ties do you see on a daily basis? For women it can be trickier, and I’ve kind of been compiling examples of times I thought it worked well –for example, The Sartorialist shot a woman (detail shot above) wearing a plaid jacket, a dotted sweater, and a ribbed sweater, and I thought overall it looked amazing. Similarly, here’s another Sartorialist link to a woman wearing two graphic prints together. Similarly, here’s a shot Perez Hilton posted of Victoria Beckham wearing a plaid with pinstripes… While it can be tricky, I think these are some helpful guidelines…
- Stay in the same color family. For example, try pairing a black and gray houndstooth skirt with black tights with a vertical ribbing.
- Have the second pattern be only a small component, proportionally, of your outfit — try layering a floral blouse beneath a solid-colored sweater vest, topped with a pinstriped blazer.
- Balance the size of the prints — this comes back to volume. Two huge prints, worn together, are going to be a dramatic look — if one print is bigger (a wider floral, or a large swoopy abstract) it may be better paired with a smaller, tighter pattern (a houndstooth, a windowpane, even some animal prints).
- Ask yourself if it would work in a tie/suit combo for a man. This works particularly well with preppier patterns — try pairing a patterned grosgrain belt with a skirt or dress in a suiting material.
More Articles on Dressing For Success
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How do you start wearing prints?
Posted by dcraig in Fashion, Female Focused Content, Image on April 15, 2012
Corporette
April 10 2012
Question
I’m wondering if you can do a post on incorporating prints into one’s wardrobe. I looked at my closet the other day and realized that about 90% of the clothes I wear are solid colors. I seem to always gravitate toward very saturated bold colors, but never to prints. I guess I sometimes feel that wearing prints looks loud” or will make me stand out too much at work. I know how to use prints with accessories (shoes, scarves) but I’d like to specifically see a post on buying clothes with prints.
Answer
1) Start with the stuff men wear — small, even, repeating patterns in pastel colors. Look at a site like Brooks Brothers or Thomas Pink and you’ll see that it is absolutely filled with patterns and prints. Windowpanes, houndstooth, check, stripes, gingham… men wear those to conservative offices all the time. So, step one: buy a blouse with an even, repeating pattern on it (probably in a pastel color), and start wearing that with one of your solid suits. As you get more confident and comfortable wearing those small patterns, add color to your outfits. Start with complimentary colors first — if you’re wearing a light blue checkered blouse, pair it with a dark blue cardigan.
2) Start to have fun with smaller, bolder punches of pattern. Back to men’s clothes — look at ties and you’ll see things like paisley, polka dots, more stripes, and even small embroidered animals. Proportionally, the tie is a really small component of the man’s outfit — but remember that it’s up front and center where you can see it, so it certainly isn’t hidden. For women, I think the corollary is scarves, belts, and even entire blouses layered beneath sweaters or blazers so not a lot is sticking out. Again I’d start with small patterns, but be bold — look again to prints that men wear, and see what strikes your fancy. As you start to get more confident wearing these small punches of pattern, pick a color in the pattern to highlight — e.g., the light blue in this paisley would be complimented by a blue cardigan.
3) Move to more feminine prints. There are some prints that are primarily worn by women such as florals, animal prints, and more. Even though women’s prints go through more of a trend cycle than the other prints we’ve mentioned above, these are still classic prints, and you shouldn’t be shy about investing in some of the pieces of you like them — a leopard blouse or belt will certainly be worn numerous times over the course of your career. Depending on your confidence level here, I’d start small — leave the print a small proportion of your outfit, and look for smaller, tighter patterns as opposed to very large patterns. (For example, your blouse could have 3 flowers on it, or 300.)
4) Get bolder, proportionally, with prints. If you’ve successfully experimented with all of the above, it’s time to get even bolder still. If you’ve been hiding your patterns beneath blazers or cardigans to keep them proportionally small, go big — wear the blouse on its own. Then, look for a bigger piece to purchase that will make pattern an even bigger part of your outfit, such as a patterned dress, skirt, or blazer. If a striped blazer feels too crazy and loud, consider buying a piece where stripes are created by texture (e.g., corduroy) rather than the printed fabric. If a leaf-printed blouse seems too crazy, try wearing a blouse with a burnout pattern so it’s color-on-color. As your better determine what prints you like, which are flattering on you, and how you like to wear them, branch into larger prints.
You know you’ve graduated when you’re wondering how to mix prints!
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The New Rules on Dressing for Success
CBS News
Tom Searcy, November 8 2011
I have a number of super-successful Silicon Valley clients who dress in ripped denim, Vans shoes and t-shirts. They are worth hundreds of millions, even more, but it’s a status symbol to dress like you’re homeless to attend board meetings.Conversely, I have worked with trash-hauling company executives who dress in suits and ties every day of the week. And this contrast shows the dramatic shift that has occurred in business attire in recent years, as each industry has developed its own rules.
So how do you learn the rules? Back in the early 1990s, as a young exec, I read Dress for Success by John T. Molloy. It gave me a clear understanding of how to dress to impress. But the “business casual” dress movement has turned all of that book’s ideas into quaint nostalgia. But fair or not, dress still has an impact on how you’re seen. For sales people, especially, first impressions matter.
My daughters will confirm that I am not a fashion plate, but I do have some simple rules for successful dressing if you are in sales.
Know your prospect’s uniform.
Before you meet with a prospect, you should know that company’s dress code. “Business casual” has a lot of meanings. Call the front desk at the company and ask what the company’s dress code is and what the men and women wear. Or ask your contact. The point is, part of your responsibility is to understand that company’s culture, including its dress code. Ask for examples, especially of the senior most person who will be in your meeting.
Dress one step up.
If your prospect is in denim, you wear khaki. They wear sport coats without ties; you are in suits without ties. The point is that you always dress one step further up the clothing ladder than your prospect, but not two. One step says that you respect and value them. Two steps can send a loaded message.
It’s not just what you wear–but how you wear it.
Polished shoes, pressed shirts and well-fitted pants always. At this point, some of you are thinking, “Does he really have to say this to people?” while others are saying, “Why do I have to tuck in my shirt?” But when your clothes are pressed, buttoned down and well-fitted, you convey that you are a person who pays attention to the details and are professional
Grooming trumps style.
Even if you’re wearing a great suit, if you’ve got a terrible haircut, you’ll give a bad impression. As crazy as it sounds, everything on the grooming punch lists – fingernails, facial hair, haircuts and oral hygiene–matter.
Know your company’s uniform.
One of my clients makes sure that when his sales reps are making their sales calls, they wear a very specific uniform. (His company’s clients accept this because they see it as an extension of the brand; the company sells safety products.) It doesn’t matter if the reps are presenting in a board room or on a manufacturing plant floor, they wear the sample simple uniform. Obviously, if you work at this company, you follow this dress code in order to fit in.
Remember, you can dress in a way where your attire is the only message people remember, or you can dress in a way that takes nothing away from the message of value your company brings to them.
More Articles on Dressing For Success
Professional Clothes for Women: What You Can Learn From Michelle Obama and Samantha Cameron
Sparkle and Shine: Dressing for the Office Holiday Party
Staying Business-Ready in Unpredictable Weather
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