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How to Approach an Underdressed Employee |Dodging Landmines

People judge us by how we look, whether we like it or not. Starla Sireno, executive coach at Fearlessness Inc., says that as a manager it is your job to have this difficult conversation. Explain how dressing better can help with a raise or promotion. It may be more difficult for male managers to offer this advise to female employees, so tread lightly.

Speaker: Starla Sireno, Trainer and Executive Coach, Fearlessness Inc.

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Tags: Recruitment & Selection, Human Resources, Workforce Management, Dressed, Dodging Landmines, employee, manager, clothing

 
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    1

    sjbenoit

    04/15/09 | Report as spam

    RE: How to Approach an Underdressed Employee |Dodging Landmines

    There is a really good podcast on this topic at manager-tools.com: How to Give Feedback About Attire 03/30/2008

  •  
    2

    kkoenigs

    04/15/09 | Report as spam

    RE: How to Approach an Underdressed Employee |Dodging Landmines

    This seems key to closing the first and following perception gap in the workplace between the different generations of workers. Making sure the what's in it for me is clearly expressed to the worker is key!

  •  
    3

    Summerdog

    04/27/09 | Report as spam

    RE: How to Approach an Underdressed Employee |Dodging Landmines

    If she is particularly hot I approach from the back and smack her on the rear. If I approach from the front I will ogle her rack. Works for me... any other suggestions?

  •  
    4

    Fungus

    07/30/09 | Report as spam

    RE: How to Approach an Underdressed Employee |Dodging Landmines

    Feedback should be on results, not on dressing codes.
    Feedback should never be followed by manipulation.

    Our job as managers is to help our people grow, not to make them conform to senseless beauty contest rules.

    Fungus

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How to Approach an Underdressed Employee |Dodging Landmines

People judge us by how we look, whether we like it or not. Starla Sireno, executive coach at Fearlessness Inc., says that as a manager it is your job to have this difficult conversation. Explain how dressing better can help with a raise or promotion. It may be more difficult for male managers to offer this advise to female employees, so tread lightly.

Music

Speaker: Let's say I'm a manager, and I have a team member who always seems to show up at these really important meetings like -- like a slob. I mean in ratty jeans and t-shirts, and I want to talk to him about it, but it's -- it's kind of personal. They're maybe making a statement. The fact is that people judge us by the way that we dress, and by the way we look. Now, this guy may be completely clueless. Maybe he come from a very different corporate culture, where how he dressed was acceptable there. As his manager, it's your job to help him. And there's an art to giving feedback. What you do is you start out by telling him what is he doing right? What is he doing well in his job? And then you tell him why changing how he dresses will be in his best interest. Maybe he'll get greater respect. Maybe he'll get a raise. Maybe he'll get a promotion. The key here is about making it in his best interest.

Speaker: So what type of response should expect if you bring up this type of issue?

Speaker: You're gonna get a gamut of responses. You could get the person who comes in and is completely defensive and denies it all, maybe angry. You could get the person who ignores it completely, like you never had the conversation, or best case is the person is really clueless and really wants your help, asks questions, and changes their behavior.

Speaker: Is it any different for men versus women?

Speaker: Absolutely. With women, the way you dress, there's such a range of ways that women can dress. Everything from how short a skirt is to how tight something is. And these kinds of discussion are difficult enough, let alone, imagine if you have a male manager who has to give feedback to a female employee about how low cut their top is. So there's a definite difference in men versus women.

Speaker: In summary?

Speaker: In summary, it's your job as a manager to help develop your people, and as difficult as this conversation is, remember there's an art to giving feedback. Focus on the positive, and then tell the person why this in their best interest to change.

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