Back in 1988, author John T. Molloy
put out the popular book, Dress for
Success. At that time people worked
at looking their best for business.
Since that book came out, our business "dress code" has become
more and more slack. First, the idea of wearing a tie to work was
put aside. After that, we entered “casual Fridays". Today, a person can dress any way they feel like
for most businesses. Rather than
dressing up, we have focused on dressing
down.
Let
me start by saying that I am not pushing the idea that everyone wears a suit to
work each day. However, I do believe
that our lack of care to how we look has caused an effect on the quality of
work we do. When you do not see the
value in yourself to look good, you do not see the value to do good work.
“Show me a poorly uniformed troop and I'll show you a poorly uniformed leader.”
– Robert Baden-Powell
(1857-1941)
Founder of the Boy Scouts
It
does not take a research team or a government-funded
study to see that along with the casual attitude people have with the dress, comes a casual attitude with the
appearance of our workplace, and the quality of our products. When one does not care how they look, they do
not care how they perform. That attitude
of, "This is my life and I can do what I want" penetrates every area
of our work and personal life.
In
Scouting, we have two kinds of uniform.
They are called our Class A and Class B. Class A is the full Scout uniform
complete with neck scarf, Scout shirt
(along with proper patches) and that shirt is tucked in. Class B is less formal.
It has a T-shirt, usually with the Troop on it or some Scouting logo. This is
for working or games and other activities.
The
uniform does several things for a Scout. One is to give that feeling of
belonging. When a Scout is in their Class A, people know they are a Scout. It
also shows the importance of looking right for the occasion. When you are Scouting, look like a Scout. Take pride in
your appearance. This will carry on into adulthood and the workplace.
People
work better, feel better and care more when they take pride in how they look
and act. I work from home most of the
time. Yet, every day I make sure I am
clean and dressed for work before I start to write. No, I do not wear my bow tie every day, but I
do make sure that I look presentable for the workplace. The idea that those who work from home can
sit at their computer in their underwear only says that they really do not care
about the quality of work that they produce.
I
know that many will not fully agree with this view, that is okay. But I do challenge you to try a little
experiment. For one month, dress your best every day. See if you do not feel more confident,
positive, work harder and do better. I
bet you will find that just dressing up a bit; taking pride in how you look
will change your attitude to the better and therefore your work to the better.
You matter! You matter to the world and to yourself. Remember to be your best, love God, have good
manners, achieve the unknown and change your world.
Scouting Out of Uniform
is a personal blog based on the lessons learned from Scouting that relate to
personal development and success principles and is not an official site of The
Boy Scouts of America. John Patrick Hickey does not represent or speak for the
Scouting program; however, he does completely support and encourages Scouting
for both young and old. John Patrick Hickey is an author, speaker, Personal
Development Coach and proud Scouter. To read more from John Patrick Hickey or
to get his books, training and book him to speak to your church, business or
group, visit our website at www.johnpatrickhickey.com. © 2018 John Patrick Hickey
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