High Heels, Flat Shoes and Other Trivial Choices We Have To Make At Work

Like most people I really don’t make the best decisions on the first try. I tend to fumble and then find my feet. No I’m not talking about decisions on world economy or anything like that. I am talking about work culture decisions. I know this is a light matter when you look at it on the surface. But if you look again you will soon realise it isn’t light all. So let’s take a short list of some of these DECISIONS

1.       What to wear.

If you work five days a week for 11 months a year, you functionally spent about 61% of your year at work. Trust me, I know some people who do as much as 80%. If this is the case, there is no excuse to hold back on your work wardrobe.

 My case is even very critical because I am always working with clients, resuming and closing at their offices for months. Not just clients, well-paid, nice-looking and sometimes C-level executives. What then will be my story be if I fail to dress to impress. However, you do not even need to dress to impress.

Studies have shown that the way we dress affects our confidence and mood and also either improves or reduces our willingness to partake in social interactions. Do you still think dressing is trivial?

So tomorrow chose well, heels or flats, pocket square or no pocket square?

“Heels or flats, pocket square or no pocket square?”

2.       What social circles to engage with.

Like it or not, man is a social animal who, beyond his control and discipline, is very likely to be attracted to one or more social groups and may eventually become an active participant or even decision maker in such groups. Transpose this to work; it is what we call cliques.

Being a part of a clique is not and has never been a bad thing. It is what clique you are a part of and what you do in your clique that matters.

When you gossip it is predominantly identified as a clique. When you are the movers and shakers at work, your clique is called a network.

“When you gossip it is predominantly identified as a clique. When you are the movers and shakers at work, your clique is called a network”.

Not being in a clique on the other hand is risky business. This makes you an outlier. Although I have no personal problem with outliers, the thing is I personally do not trust outliers and I am sure most people will not either.

Even when an “established outlier” turns a new leaf and decides to join a clique, most cliques get suspicious of such membership requests and they end up unsuccessful.

But being in a clique is a science and an art. You have to know exactly which you want to be a part of by yourself.

Asking around might be helpful but that will not get much as the person you ask will definitely be biased.

But a quick word of advice before I move on, even though you are fundamentally a part of one network, spread your tentacles, socialise, make other friends; even with the outliers, they usually have the ‘key to the kingdom’ and the sociable ones are sometimes noise makers.

“Make other friends; even with the outliers, they usually have the ‘key to the kingdom’ and the sociable ones are sometimes noise makers”.

3.       So the list goes on and on (usually what people say when they have actually run out of things to add to the list). 

But actually this list does go on and on. How to speak,  what accent to adopt; British or American? What to do about lunch time; bonding time or alone time? What impression to create; I’ll stay back after 5 or I’ll work efficiently and at 5 you’ll only see my behind?  

Decisions!  Decisions! Whichever one you make, ensure you have serious reasons for it and stay true to your personal strengths and ability while developing your weaknesses.

Take them with great importance, because these trivial little decisions here and there form your persona at work and in life in general because when you think about it, you give the best years of your life to work.