CHAPTER 5

Everything Counts

YOU CAN NEVER NOT LEAD. Everything you do, and everything you don’t do, has an effect. You lead by acts of commission, and you lead by acts of omission. You are always leading and influencing.
—KENNETH AND LINDA SCHATZ

Ahhh, the galaxy of stars … rock, pop, country, movie, TV, sports, and others in the great celestial realm. They tan. They pierce things. They tattoo up. They have “people.” These appearance people style their hair, caulk on their makeup, stretch normal skin silly tight, install gleaming white teeth, and dress them in clothes not found on racks where you shop. The “stars” also have special coaches. These coaches teach them what to say and how to project an appropriate iconic image. Images that may be good … wearing white hats and representing seemingly wholesome morals. Or images intentionally crafted to be bad … a lone wolf, on the edge, dangerous, capable and willing to do anything, anytime to anyone. Most often, these publicly altered “imaged and handled” individuals are famous, rich, and deeply worried their fame may be fleeting. So they have business agents to keep them on the cover of magazines and gossip shows.

And you want to be like them. You may think that under that right set of circumstances and given the opportunity, you could be one of them.

Those “superstars” are illusions. They play a role. They act a part. They are selling. They have sold you, and you have bought. You are their fans. They say they “love you” during the award shows. They wink at you and blow you kisses. You watch and buy their posters, movies, and songs. You try to dress like them, tan like them, tattoo up like them, walk like them, and match their attitude.

But there are no cameras, no fans, and you don’t have any “people.” You’re in a cubicle or behind a counter. What’s the deal?

Consider your favorite rock star, movie queen, or TV tough guy on a day off camera. Do you think Mr. Jagger prances on a stage at home? Do you think Ms. Gaga is costumed up (or down) for breakfast? Do you think Mr. Eastwood stops real criminals carrying real guns with a tough-guy quote and a quick sucker punch? Nope. They have a day off, and they are not selling to you. Get it? Their images at work likely do not match their images away from their “work.” But when the cameras are on, the image of what “their people” want you to see is displayed. They sell this image to investors, producers, talent scouts, tabloids, and you. It is what they do. It is their job. A great deal of money and resources are spent to build an image, set trends, and create their personal brand. And you fall for it. You are sold. Nothing you see is by accident. Their appearance, attitude, actions, and image are all planned, practiced, and presented.

Now, if it is indeed your hope and goal, you may one day “make it” into that celestial realm. When you do, someone will be there to assist you in creating your image, and your fans will model you. That is … when you make it. Today, now, in the interim, you have to create your image for those you encounter daily in what you do.

If you want to be successful in your job, you have to look successful for the job you have now. A safe way to portray success is to look and dress like those who are the most successful in your organization. Match your image to succeed at your current position. Should your star status change, you will have time to alter your style and appearance. Remember, everything counts: what you wear, how you act, your attitude, smile, hairstyle, hair color, facial hair, piercings, tattoos, overall tidiness, weight, height, eyewear, makeup, and how you use them all. Everything matters.

The harsh reality is that most organizations are often slow to embrace leading-edge culture. Perhaps it is because corporate leaders may not be a part of such modern culture practices. Perhaps it is because they seek to serve the interests of the majority of their potential customers. Perhaps it is because it is better to err on the side of caution. An organization may have a brand image it has created and has paid dearly to publicize, and it desires to protect it. It is likely an image the organization expects its employees to represent.

Careerbuilder.com reported a survey of 2,878 employers.¹ The goal was to find out if personal hygiene affected promotion decisions. What personal traits would keep an employee from advancing within the particular company? Here are the findings and percentages:

Certainly there are exceptions. If you work at Zappos.com, it is completely different from working at IBM. The reality is that your appearance and actions are selling you—positive or negative. Is it fair? Perhaps not, but …

Life is not fair.
—DAD

Organization leaders want people who reflect themselves positively and consistently to their customers. In like manner, you need to reflect positively to your “customers.” Who are your “customers”? How about the managers where you are employed? How about the managers where you want to be employed? How about everyone who sees you and forms an opinion? You are always interviewing … everything counts.

Although you may believe you have a right to be “you” at work, you are likely not protected by the First Amendment on the personal hygiene points previously listed. Sure you have the right to demonstrate your uniqueness however you desire, but the organization that employs you may also have the right to react to your statement of individuality. Successful organizations may have spent millions developing their brand and reputation. They will invest their resources to seek those who best represent their brand and message.

Let’s suppose you have $100,000 to invest in the stock market. It is all the money you have, and you want the best advice, so you interview financial advisors. Let’s say the three you interview all went to the exact same prestigious university, received the same grades, and graduated with the same degree:

Advisor 1: Rock star hair, country star blue jeans, movie star tattoos, beer attitude

Advisor 2: Tough-guy disposition, lone wolf, TV dude facial stubble, dark sunglasses

Advisor 3: $1,000 suit, shined shoes, expensive watch, fancy pen

You have one minute to decide. You know nothing else about them. Whom do you choose?

You may be different from most people, but most would choose Advisor 3, who broadcasts a financial image.

Now, let’s suppose that you plan to open a club on the trendy side of town. You want to project a cool image to attract young clientele who hang out late and spend money. You interview three people for the club manager opening:

Manager 1: Rock star hair, country star blue jeans, movie star tattoos, beer attitude

Manager 2: Tough-guy disposition, lone wolf, TV dude facial stubble, dark sunglasses

Manager 3: $1,000 suit, shined shoes, expensive watch, fancy pen

Whom would you choose? Your answer would be different from the first scenario.

What is your current employment position? With whom do you compete for better circumstances, position, and pay? How do successful people in your venue appear? Model them.

You are not competing with the personalities in the “great celestial realm.” They compete with each other for public attention, adoration, and funding. Don’t spend your energy attempting to look the part of those whom you never encounter. Don’t give your adoration to people who would call the police if you knocked on their front door.

Too often hero status is given to people who do not warrant such reverence. Before you alter your appearance to match someone’s persona and brand, stop and truly consider the results. Is it the image that allows you to compete with those around you? Before you make any permanent additions, alterations, and or statements with your physical appearance, understand that you may be compromising your opportunity to become Indispensable!

Model the successful people around you. Don’t care? Not how you roll? That’s your choice, but it is really good news for those who are competing against you for the next opportunity or promotion.

The bottom line is this: successful people understand that generally people like people like them. Get it? Read it again. People like people like them. More grammatically correct, people like people who share similar interests. This does not mean that successful people do not like diversity. On the contrary, successful people embrace diversity in people who protect their organizations’ images. There is comfort, there is trust, and there is a bond. Find common ground, find similar interests, and seek rapport. Model the successful people in your business planning and opportunities. This does not distract from your individuality. Rather, it makes you accomplished. Playing a piano well does not make the musician a piano. Excelling at diagnosing auto engine problems does not make the mechanic a car. Understanding and interacting with people at their interest level will increase your skill set.

If you are absolutely sure that you want to have a certain visual edge that is unique and rather obvious, then look for businesses that cater to customers who are drawn to such a look. A company is likely to promote those who represent the company’s brand rather than contradict it.

The goal of any organization is to achieve success. Promoting the organization’s image is of value to it. Not promoting the organization’s image is detrimental to its brand and its success. You may think that you are so far down the chain of command no one will notice or pay attention, but you would not be correct. The fact is that people are paying attention. Whether you are aware of it or not, everything you do counts. You are selling yourself, and indeed you will reinforce that you are exactly where you belong: trapped down at the bottom or indispensable and ready to move to the top.

DRESS LIKE YOU MEAN BUSINESS

Clothes make the man. Naked people have
little or no influence on society.
—MARK TWAIN

If you want to be successful, you have to look successful. Two things that immediately influence other people are the expression on your face and the clothes you wear. Even if you don’t think you have the money to spend on expensive clothes, buy the best you can afford. Think of the clothes you wear as an investment in your success.

In competitive situations, the candidate who looks healthy, happy, and energetic has a better chance of being promoted. You don’t have to be an Adonis to win a promotion, but it is definitely to your advantage to take care of each aspect of your life—physical, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual—and apply a dab of shoe polish. Making sure that the shirt you plan to wear tomorrow is clean and pressed helps too. Take a look around. The people you admire and respect are usually those who look and act like people worthy of admiration and respect.

Looking successful is a choice. If you feel unattractive, have a makeover. If you want to wear a smaller size, exercise and lose the weight. If you want to feel more energized, take a brisk walk every morning before work. It’s amazing how those endorphins you create with exercise will make you feel. Choose to do something for yourself.

There are plenty of books written about which clothes to wear, how to look taller, how to look thinner, or how to do just about anything you want to improve your appearance. You can easily research and learn what hairstyle, clothing strategy, eyeglass frames, shoes, and other accessories create your best appearance. Following the advice of books or stylists does not guarantee that you will look like a model on a magazine displayed at the grocery store. But unless your goal is to be a model on the front cover of a magazine at the grocery store, it does not matter. Your goal is to appear successful in your employment position. The appearance of success tells others you are successful and builds your own confidence.

Beware of fads, extremes, and clothes that are not right for business. Beware of clothes that strain or lose dominion over your skin. Beware of clothes you wore in high school, even if they still fit or if they once turned heads. If you find you are sharing clothes with any of your children, stop. There is the right time and place for your comfortable clothing, edgy attire, and your wild side … but not when you need to be the Indispensable person for a promotion.

So, what about casual day? You know, that day when the company says wear those clothes you have been so anxious to show your fellow workers? Well, forget them. Change your perception to “less formal day.” Casual day is a trap. The average person abuses casual day. The company envisioned one view when HR first suggested the day, but as time has progressed, the general workforce has pushed the original boundaries. Now the business population is showing up for work in holey jeans, T-shirts, and flip-flops. What a perfect situation for you! Certainly you can partake in casual day, but make sure your casual is more becoming than the general population. Always look better than what is expected. Not excessively better, not “in your face” better, not “holier than thou” better … respectfully better.

A polished appearance communicates success, projects confidence, and encourages respect. Want to be treated casually? Dress casually. Look successful and polished, and you will gain confidence. People will notice your professional appearance. They will react to you differently.

Do you wear a uniform, smock, or some required attire? You still have an opportunity to look more successful than those around you. You control your neatness, attitude, actions, and ethics. You can stand out where you are. Many times people relax and succumb, displaying poor clothing habits in compliance with those around them rather than keeping a refined look. They apply for a position looking successful, but then they relax once hired. If appearance was important as a first impression, then it is important for all impressions thereafter. Why not continue to “apply” for greater opportunities by continuing to set an appearance example?

Take time to make sure your whole appearance is groomed well, whatever you are in control of … hair, facial hair, body hair, eyebrows, teeth, nails, and so on. You notice and know when others are extreme in color, cut, style, or overall grooming. Just because it is on you does not change the real message sent.

Now shoulders back. Head high. Shoes shined. Workspace organized. E-mails answered. Give the appearance that you control your surroundings. Clothing better than expected, general grooming accomplished.

You are setting the standard. You are communicating that you aspire to more. You are becoming Indispensable!

Take Action

Study successful people in your profession. What choices have they made to help them reach their level of success? How do they act? Are they conservative? Are they formal? How do they dress? Find someone you admire in your actual field of work. Model that person’s attitudes and style.

Determine what you can do to enhance your overall appearance. Check out some books on personal style and the best colors for your appearance. Phase out clothing that does not promote a professional image. Invest the time to project the appearance of a person whose life is under control, organized, and uncluttered.

Below are 10 Tips on Everything Counts:

1. Knowledge breeds confidence. Educate yourself on the rules of etiquette. Eliminate as many of etiquette’s unknowns as possible.

2. One simple rule about office parties and business festivities: no matter what the occasion, it’s still business, and moderation works best.

3. Don’t eat at your desk. Eat food over a table, not the phone.

4. Save terms of endearment for those who are dear:

“Honey” is something you spread on toast.

A “Hun” is a warrior who followed Attila.

A “deer” is an animal in the forest.

A “girl” is any female under age 12. A secretary or assistant is not a “girl.”

None of those terms should be used in business.

5. To demonstrate character—don’t be one.

6. Interrupting people’s sentences is as rude as stepping on their toes.

7. Want to be the boss? Dress like one.

8. Speak on the phone the way you would speak to another person in the room. Use the same volume, and speak clearly and slowly enough for the other person to understand what you’re saying. Never speak louder on your cell phone than you do on your landline. Speaking too loudly on your cell phone is tasteless and unnecessary.

9. Do not carry on a business conversation and read e-mails at the same time. When communicating, focus on one task at a time.

10. To learn what people are really like, ask three questions:

What makes them laugh?

What makes them angry?

What makes them excited?²

Indispensable people have their act together.