Why I Wear A Shirt And Tie
I wrote this ‘How to dress and present yourself for work’ article after hearing of an experience from Aaron, who was living in Perth at the time. He has since moved to Melbourne where the same high standards for dress apply, if not more. The point is not so much about the tie, it’s the high standard.
Here’s what he told me.
Recently I stopped in the city to get some lunch. As I was walking to the restaurant, a group of smart mouths ribbed me, “Hey mate, where’s your ambulance?“ They were teasing me for looking like a doctor!
I thought this was very funny. We engaged in a bit of joking banter until one of the group started getting too foul-mouthed. I took that as my cue to leave.”
The encounter got me thinking.
How we present ourselves is very important. It’s why I wear a shirt and tie. If I am at a business meeting and someone turns up in messy or dirty clothes, looking like they’ve just gotten out of bed or come from the beach, I get the feeling they don’t care. If they present themselves in such a sloppy manner, the rest of their business, including their service, is likely to be sloppy and disorganized also. And I get that same feeling if there is too much swearing or rough language.
To quote Harv. T Ecker: “How you do anything is how you do everything.”
Nido Queben, President of Highpoint University in America, emphasized the importance of presentation when he decided to put a restaurant on the University Campus as a way to teach students presentation skills, manners and social skills. He realized that an essential part of a solid education is how to dress and conduct yourself at a business dinner or lunch meeting. According to surveys, presentation and communication are the most important skills employers look for when interviewing applicants for a position.
A while ago I decided to set a higher standard for myself and my team. It includes not just the things we do, but how we communicate, dress and present ourselves to others. Differentiation in how companies deliver services comes not only from the tools they use or the price. What counts is the way you prepare, package and deliver your services.
By the way, this is a great website: www.realmenrealstyle.com
