UBS, the swiss financial services firm, has recently made headlines with a dress code. Today it's merely a five-office pilot program, but might be rolled out to all Switzerland if successful. If you would like to read more, check out Huffington Post, Third Age, The Wall Street Journal, Styleite, or Clusterstock (a personal favorite).
The guide is consistent with UBS culture and brand, and many make sense for anyone wishing to present themselves well to others. Here are a few paraphrased tips from the guide:
Showing posts with label dress. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dress. Show all posts
Friday, December 17, 2010
Friday, September 10, 2010
Just Like Me
Are we really all the same?
There is a great deal of interest in behavioral research over the past several years, and the energy around the topic hasn't waned. From pop psychology books to academic studies of leadership, there is renewed interest in what makes people behave the way they do. To research these differences, large samples are often taken from across several companies and disciplines – this ensures the data is statistically relevant to a larger population.
This practice alone surfaces an implicit assumption that shared behavioral traits exist within certain functions and organizations.
During a guided visit to a busy trading floor, the people there were described as pampered, very hardworking, and compensation driven. A recent stop at a financial advisory office struck me because every person dressed alike, and had shared vocal intonations, mannerisms, and gait. At a recent nonprofit gathering, the similarities in personality were absolutely striking. At a funeral I attended a few years ago, someone looked at my pin-striped suit, cuff-links, and polished shoes and said “oh, you must be a banker” - which I was.
Every day we are able to function more efficiently by thin-slicing parts of our world (nod to Gladwell's book Blink), ascribing characteristics to particular people and things based on our prior experiences with similar people and things. We know that, generally speaking, similar people have similar traits.
Think about these statements, one by one. Likely an image will form in your mind as to characteristics of the people.
Is it valid to think this way?
There is a great deal of interest in behavioral research over the past several years, and the energy around the topic hasn't waned. From pop psychology books to academic studies of leadership, there is renewed interest in what makes people behave the way they do. To research these differences, large samples are often taken from across several companies and disciplines – this ensures the data is statistically relevant to a larger population.
This practice alone surfaces an implicit assumption that shared behavioral traits exist within certain functions and organizations.
During a guided visit to a busy trading floor, the people there were described as pampered, very hardworking, and compensation driven. A recent stop at a financial advisory office struck me because every person dressed alike, and had shared vocal intonations, mannerisms, and gait. At a recent nonprofit gathering, the similarities in personality were absolutely striking. At a funeral I attended a few years ago, someone looked at my pin-striped suit, cuff-links, and polished shoes and said “oh, you must be a banker” - which I was.
Every day we are able to function more efficiently by thin-slicing parts of our world (nod to Gladwell's book Blink), ascribing characteristics to particular people and things based on our prior experiences with similar people and things. We know that, generally speaking, similar people have similar traits.
Think about these statements, one by one. Likely an image will form in your mind as to characteristics of the people.
- He's a boxer
- She's a ballerina
- He's an administrative assistant
- She's a president
Is it valid to think this way?
Friday, October 30, 2009
Personal Presentation: Crisp, Conservative, Consistent
Recently I visited a fellow speaker, meeting in person for the first time. We met at his place of business, had coffee, and talked about his work in the community and with a local business organization. It was my only in person meeting of the day.
Near the end of our conversation, he asked if I wore a suit every day. I shared that I do wear a suit every day, as it's easier to take off a jacket & tie than to find yourself under-dressed and in need of a more professional look. Sometimes it makes people wonder, "who's the guy in the suit?" - and I have a chance to shape their perception from a good starting point. We even had a short conversation about a very colorful tie I had chosen to wear that day, something that would be appropriate for Easter Sunday.
Near the end of our conversation, he asked if I wore a suit every day. I shared that I do wear a suit every day, as it's easier to take off a jacket & tie than to find yourself under-dressed and in need of a more professional look. Sometimes it makes people wonder, "who's the guy in the suit?" - and I have a chance to shape their perception from a good starting point. We even had a short conversation about a very colorful tie I had chosen to wear that day, something that would be appropriate for Easter Sunday.
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