Monday, October 13, 2014

Be Taken Seriously at Work by Dressing Like a Boss

Hello beauties! Today I have a guest on the blog - one of my awesome  sponsors, TK Dennis of Everything I Did. Everything I Did is an expression of the solutions TK has found in life. Its a compilation of his experiences and wisdom gained by learning about life the hard way, in hopes that you won't have to. Today he is here talking about how to be taken seriously at work, by how you dress! There is also a giveaway that can be found at the end of this post. Please show him a warm welcome. ♥
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Men and women, boys and girls, I would like to present to you a simple yet effective way to be taken more seriously at work. While no one thing alone can make people revere you over night, dressing better can make a huge difference. I need to warn you though. Everything about this post is politically incorrect. Actually, embracing politically incorrect concepts can often put you way ahead, contrary to popular belief. Just because it's politically incorrect doesn't mean it's wrong.

Which brings me to my first point, the way you look is really important
The bomb is dropped. I repeat, the bomb is dropped. The way you look is really important. If you want to be taken seriously at work, you need to agree with that statement. If you don't agree with this statement, leave a comment down below so I can ignore it and enjoy the benefits of having a larger commenting audience. If this concept makes sense to you, or even if you're on the edge, keep reading.

The Starbucks experiment
Let me tell you about the Starbucks experiment. It's a little personal study I did back in 2009. I decided to test my theory as to whether or not appearance really changes people's perspective of you in a meaningful way. So on multiple occasions I ordered a beverage at Starbucks wearing one of two outfit types. I recorded my findings, and the results were quite conclusive. One of the outfit types was a casual jeans and button up shirt outfit with a pair of semi-casual shoes. The other a shirt and tie combo with polished dress shoes. I spiked my hair up with my casual outfit, and neatly combed my hair with my dress outfit.

Good Idea

Each time I visited Starbucks, I ordered a drink and took note of the way the barista interacted with me. Every single time I was dressed casually, the barista interacted with me in a casual way. My casual style elicited jokes and banter, as well as casual designations like "bro" or "dude." When I was dressed up with a tie, I was referred to as "sir" every single time. I wasn't a more serious person just because I look different, but I was perceived as a more serious person. Therefore, I was treated seriously and more respectfully. The way you look and dress matters a lot.

Dress like a boss, and you shall become the boss
In Rank Up, my total job coaching series, I tell the story of my early days working in an office environment. I was only a teenager, and I was being treated like a teenager. This is when I first realized how important the way I dressed at work was. So I classed up my act, cleaned up twice as much, groomed more intentionally, and pressed my ties and shirts like a dry cleaners. The results were nearly immediate. I was spoken to differently by clients, co-workers, and even my boss within days!


If you work in an office environment, make sure the following things are true about your appearance:

-     Don't stink. Literally. A lot of people in the corporate world have B-O. Anyone who works for me with B-O is finding themselves working in archives like Lucius Fox from Batman Begins.

-     Shave. Often. If you're a man, this statement is obvious. If you're a woman that wears dresses and skirts, this statement should be obvious as well. Facial hair is fine for men, but keep yourself well groomed on a daily basis.

-     Brush your teeth. Please. You're drinking coffee and tea all the time because work can get fairly boring at times and you need to stay awake. Brushing, and even whitening, regularly can keep your breath in check and make your smile sparkle. Why does this matter? Positive people smile a lot. If you're not positive and don't find yourself smiling at all, appearance is the last of your concerns. 

-     Don't take smoke breaks. Yeah. I'm meddling here. I'm not saying you don't have the right to smoke. I'm just saying that smokers are perceived as dirty to those who do not engage in that same activity. I'm one of those people who have that immediate perception every time. My brain knows it isn't true, but my instincts say otherwise. Not only is it unhealthy and expensive, but it can hurt your career for plenty of reasons, appearance included.

-     Iron your clothes. I have worked side by side with guys that literally wear wrinkled suits every day. Why even have a suit? Those guys didn't make it very long in the corporate world, and their inability to maintain a professional appearance is obviously a large contributing factor.

-     Bring a tide stick. You can get them on Amazon for just a few bucks. They are amazing. I spill stuff on my clothes all the time. It just happens. I never get too concerned though, because I have never met a stain that this little guy cannot immediately remove on the fly. I have been saved from a lot of embarrassing moments thanks to this incredible invention.

- Don't be boring with your attire. Dressing well doesn't mean you lose all individuality. Spice things up a bit. There are countless combinations of ties and shirts a guy can wear, let alone knots that you can tie. For the ladies out there, being a unique individual and dressing nice is even easier. Don't be afraid to express yourself through your appearance. This isn't about conformity, it's about excellence.

If you work in a uniform required workplace like a retail store, or other non corporate workplace,  make sure the following things are true about your appearance:

- Don't stink. Yeah, this isn't just for corporate folks. I don't want my waiter serving me food with a side of body odor. This means a smaller tip for him or her. Take a hint here, and keep things smelling delightfully fresh.

Bad Idea
- Shave. Shaving is actually even more important in the non-corporate world. Let me tell you why. There are far looser dress codes in the non-corporate world, so if you decide to raise the bar on your appearance, you can get recognized as a "go getter" really fast.

-     Brush your teeth. Yep. You too.

   -     Iron your clothes. Even t-shirts and uniforms need to be ironed if they're for work.

- Bring a tide stick. Accidents and food that doesn't make it all the way to your mouth warrant having one of these guys around. You can get them on Amazon for just a few bucks.

what's the most ridiculous thing you have ever seen someone wear to work before?

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Much Love & Hugs,
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