My 'Networking for Success' workshop students frequently have a problem with this quotation:
"Have your physical and verbal presentation represent who you are and what you do, always."
What is their struggle? They have 'off days' or 'casual Fridays' when they can't look their best...then there are the weekends. I'll be the first to admit that I don't always look completely together on a Sat. morning trip to the nursery, but I'm not presented in a manner that would prove embarrassing if I run into a colleague or client.
As D.A. Benton puts it in Executive Charisma: "You don't just interview for a job once, you interview for it every day. People are always watching, noticing, reevaluating. Most executives don't get fired for incompetence. They get fired because they are not liked." It's easier to like someone who has pleasant verbal and physical presentation.
This is not being said to make you paranoid. The point is made simply to increase your awareness. I have a friend who used to wear thousand dollar suites in his previous real estate broker role. I was surprised to see him at a Chamber of Commerce function wearing a t-shirt and jeans. Was this dramatic change appropriate for this setting? Yes, as it turned he now owns a sports equipment store and his oversized logo on his t-shirt told the story.
Here are some of the questions I typically receive. They may help you in deciding how you want to continue to present yourself:
"What about casual Fridays? I'm the boss and want to blend in with my team." If you are the boss then you want to dress one step above your crew to show authority. Perhaps you wear denim, but it is stylish and matched with a tailored shirt, not t-shirt.
"Everyone in my division dresses casually; however, they dress more formally in the area to which I hope to evolve.If you've got promotion in the background of your thinking, you'll want to dress up one level from your current position to show seriousness about your career. You'll get noticed.
"OK, I'm not going to my son's baseball game in a suit.It's not necessary to be formal in a suit; It's important to always be aware of your presentation especially if you've got customers around. This is especially true verbally. Even the savviest of us forget our manners when our child is involved in a sport.
"What about jokes?" Know your audience and know who might overhear your joke. Racial jokes are rarely if ever accepted. Always choose the most suitable words for your environment and don't ever presupose. If in doubt, keep it clean or don't joke at all. Very few of us pull off jokes that are universally appealing.
"How do I tell an associate that her dress or language is inappropriate?What is your relationship with him or her. If you are a close friend, take them to lunch and ask for feedback on your dress or language first. Then ask if they are open to feedback. If you are not close yet it is affecting your company image, let your manager know ,and then drop it. Don't assume your manager is aware. I find that they quite often are not.
"What if I don't know how my/our image is perceived?" Great question. Solicit outside opinions from clients, friends, spouses, associates who will tell you the truth. Invite an image consultant to speak to your group regarding current trends annually. This can be both fun and educational.
Have a little fun with this concept of walking your talk this week. You say you are an executive, a leader, a powerhouse. Make sure you are presenting both physically and verbally to support this? Have a wonderful week and enjoy your discoveries.
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