Image and Power
Posted by
One of the best things you can do for your graduates, high potentials and Board aspirants is to provide an Image & Power session for them with a consultant who really knows their stuff. Why?
Graduates are at sea among the complex dress codes of business. They haven’t figured out their personal style, and they don’t know how to do ‘smart casual’ or ‘dress down Friday’ without losing credibility. Most graduates play it safe, with a sea of black and grey camouflage.
The whole point of investing in hiring excellent young talent is to have a group of people capable of fast-tracking to responsible positions where they can make a big contribution. Like any fast tracker, they are always likely to be the youngest applicant with the least years of experience for the positions they apply for. The way they dress and the body language of confidence is vital to securing the bigger jobs they are capable of. And if you want to retain them, you should do anything in your power to ensure that the outside image they project portrays their full potential right from the moment they walk in the door.
The same applies to your high potential groups – but here there is an added emphasis on individual style that underlines your career brand. If you have built a reputation for creativity and flair, dressing in a very bland or conventional way will send confusing messages. If a man’s brand is meticulous project management and attention to detail – having the collar button behind his tie undone because the collar is slightly too tight – will also send mixed messages.
One of our clients started their graduate induction with a day on image and body language. They gave graduates a golden hello of £1000, and they said ‘don’t buy your work clothes until after induction!’ They also gave these Leadership graduates access to very senior people – everyone had a Director as a mentor. The result? All the Directors commented to the Graduate Manager “This new bunch of graduates are extremely professional, we’ve recruited an excellent group this year.” So it can be seen as a very important way of building the reputation of your graduate scheme and retaining commitment to it at a senior level.
At Board aspirant level, people are being assessed for their immediate impact. This is important because Directors are highly visible leaders inside the organisation, and it’s crucial that they send clear simple messages. And how you dress and present yourself can reinforce that. Equally important is that Directors are ambassadors of the organisation to the external world. This world – the City, TV viewers – are highly discerning. Directors need to move in a world where brand is everything, and where your credibility can directly depend on your understanding of how to present every aspect of your work and message. Directors also need to know how to dress down, to be approachable when ‘walking the floor,’ and how to dress and present for power, when talking with the City or in key negotiations.
Take Away
Like it or not, our initial impact is key to career and organisational success. Your body language and how you dress is key to this. If you have put together a great look, then it will keep on working for you in the background, quietly signalling your brand and competence. Possibly the best 15-minute investment of your day.
T&P’s image and power consultant is Sarah Setterfield, who brings her previous experience as a Marketing Director and 10 years of working with TV presenters, surgeons, politicians, sales people and others to provide the best possible advice on how you personally market yourself.