As a leadership coach, I am constantly quizzed on why appearance matters in becoming influential or to grow as a leader. The din gets louder particularly in information technology companies where it is ‘cool’ to dress down which, at times, is a bare minimum with shorts, tees and flip-flops!
The other argument made is ‘..our work should matter, not how we look!’ Not to stereotype, but the general attitude shown by executives in India, towards dressing presentably, is one of indifference.
Appearance does matter as it is one of the most important optics that creates our impression of people around us. The other attributes that build perceptions are, your actions (walk the talk), your body language and your ways of conversing.
Enhancing your appearance doesn’t require you to wear expensive or branded clothes and accessories. It simply means ‘dressing well’ as in –
Dress well, as often as possible, particularly when you must influence the situation.
With unending Webinars and Zoom calls these days, do not disregard your audience with unkempt looks or a messy room in the backdrop! In the absence of salons and salonists, do your best to keep your facial hair and crest trimmed or groomed. Wear solid, and preferably dark, colour clothing as your top; the bottom isn’t visible anyway!
When addressing your audience, deliver the message in a clear, concise and confident manner with the right body language and voice. Yes, your audience can sense your confidence in your voice even if they cannot see you visually!
Dressing well boosts your presence and leaves a better impression on your audience, in an immeasurable way. I often ask leaders, “Why can’t every day be an Interview day? After all, don’t we naturally spend more time and effort dressing up prior to an interview?!”
Pay attention to your appearance if you want others to pay attention to you. Dress well, as often as possible, particularly when you must influence the situation.
- The writer is a global leadership coach and mentor, based in Mumbai. He believes in passionately inspiring CXOs to build their Gravitas. He has a decade’s experience coaching diverse leaders across industries and geographies and spent 20 years in leadership roles in investment banking, private equity, consulting and strategy.
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of www.economictimes.com.)
Speaking clearly and with specific examples helps the employees see the validity of your feedback. Including a discussion of the next steps and offering support to help them improve is much better than just saying, “You're not good enough,” without offering a solution.
They may not say hello to you in the morning, avoid eye contact with you, or walk past your desk without acknowledging you. They criticize your work or micromanage you. They may find fault with everything you do, even if it's minor, or they may constantly check up on you to make sure you're doing things their way.
Hypercritical Behavior: If your boss suddenly becomes overly critical of your mistakes, it might signal a problem. Micromanagement: Constant scrutiny and a lack of trust can hamper your performance and morale. Work Assignments Dwindle: When your boss stops assigning work, it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
There are a number of signs that could potentially point out poor employee fit, but some of the most common include; performance issues and lack of improvement, the inability to align with company values and culture, a noticeable negative impact on team dynamics/morale, and a sense of unhappiness during work.
“If you find yourself being excluded from important meetings, left out of key projects or kept away from internal stakeholders, it may suggest your employer is no longer investing effort into positioning you as a critical member of the team,” Liu said. This is a strong sign your employer may want you to quit.
Another sign your manager wants you to quit your position is if you detect a steady decline in the projects or new responsibilities you receive. This may indicate that your manager doesn't trust you to take on new duties, or it may be a tactic to diminish your confidence so that you quit on your own.
Quiet firing is when management creates non-ideal work conditions to make an underperforming employee quit. Examples of these tactics include pushing off promotions and isolating employees.
Words that trigger negative emotions – These would include words such as “accused”, “aggravated”, “blamed”, “unimportant”, “unhappy”. Leadership IQ found that poorly-rated job candidates used 92% more of these words than highly-rated candidates.
The general rule is don't bring your everyday complaints to HR. They're not there to make your job better or easier and they might fire you simply because they don't want to hear it. ...
Discrimination. ...
Medical needs. ...
Pay issues. ...
Cooperate with HR if asked, but be smart about it.
If you suspect your employer is pushing you to quit, it is recommended to document incidents and seek advice from trusted mentors, colleagues, or even an employment lawyer to understand your options and protect your rights.
Sometimes, being overlooked at work is due to a perception of poor performance, but this should be something that's open and talked about rather than hidden behind management actions against you - no matter how well-intentioned.
Encourage the person by pointing out their strengths and complimenting them, even if they are struggling with other things. For example, you could say, "I know you're having a hard time getting used to the computer system, but you did a great job interacting with the customers today."
As awkward as it may be, people with low EQs need feedback, and even in real-time, if possible. And you should always give it with a calm demeanor, because they are more likely to mirror that behavior back.
Introduction: My name is Barbera Armstrong, I am a lovely, delightful, cooperative, funny, enchanting, vivacious, tender person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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