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Month: December 2021

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Culture Growth Health and Wellness Women In Business

What’s fair about a chocolate bar?

All people must be treated equally—including children. But when you’re dealing with kids of different ages, interests, and personalities; it can be difficult to make decisions without having one (or all) of them storm off yelling, “But it’s not fair!”

Let’s take the example of “The Chocolate Bar.”

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Suppose two kids are given a chocolate bar. As a parent/caregiver wanting to teach fairness, the smart thing is to split the chocolate in half. Right? But wait—what if only one child likes chocolate? Is it still fair? Or would it be better to give the whole bar to the child who enjoys it?

Fairness is about getting everybody’s needs met. If each person’s needs were identical, then splitting the chocolate bar in half would work perfectly 100% of the time. But we know all too well that our children are more nuanced than that.

This principle doesn’t just apply between siblings either. There’s also the question of what’s fair between parent and child. While a fancy steak dinner might feel like a treat for you, it might feel like a punishment to your kid. They may respond with one of the three R’s (rebellion, resistance, or retaliation), and you may respond by calling them spoiled or ungrateful. Things spin out of control quickly, all because you expected your child to have a certain reaction to a steak dinner they never wanted to begin with!

So, how do you make decisions regarding vacations, leisure time, food, and more that are truly fair for your children?

  • Get to know your kid. What does your child truly enjoy? Would they rather eat yogurt than chocolate? Would one prefer reading over watching a movie during leisure time? Finding out what each child likes will help inform the decisions you make for the entire family.
  • Practice consideration. We can’t always get what we want when we want it. To teach children to give and take, Marshall Rosenberg suggests an interesting form of educational play. Designate one sibling as captain for the day, and give them authority to make all decisions for the group. The curveball: they have to give their “powers” over to another sibling the next day. This activity helps children learn to be considerate of each other’s needs by treating each other the way they want to be treated.
  • Loop them into decision-making. One of the fathers I work with told me a story of how he once planned a big holiday trip to France for his family. He ended up being sorely disappointed because when he finally revealed his plan, his children told him they wanted to visit their friends in California instead. Make your life easier by involving your kids in family decisions every step of the way. Getting your children’s opinion not only sharpens your kid’s collaborative skills, but it also makes the entire family more harmonious.

Fairness is not about “one for you, one for me.” Being truly fair is everyone’s needs are met (which isn’t everyone’s wants are met) it’s about being able to take everyone’s needs into consideration and as you show what it looks and feels like your kids know how and reciprocate with the same consideration back to you.  This way everyone’s unique preferences are recognized and everyone feels so seen, known, and loved just the way they are.  From this point family problem solving that is bringing everyone one’s voice into the space will bring about outcomes that are preventing future disappointments.

P.S. Want to continue the conversation about what’s fair? Join our Facebook group to ask a question or share a challenge.

Categories
Growth Health and Wellness Human Resources

There is Hope for HealthCare

There’s Hope for HealthCare

“Hope springs eternal in the human breast,” according to the English poet Alexander Pope over 300 years ago. For most of us, hope doesn’t seem to be springing much these days. The healthcare staffing shortage crisis resulting from the pandemic can make it seem allusive.

As one chief nursing officer stated, “We have been drowning during Covid. Now we are finally poking our head above water and assessing the damage done and realize it was to our staff.”

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 426,000 workers left jobs in health care in September 2020 and another 589,000 quit this September. Ninety-eight percent of hospital nurses reported their work is mentally and physically demanding. Eighty-five percent admit their jobs make them fatigued. Sixty-three percent report burnout. Forty-seven percent admit work was negatively affecting their health and well-being.

But there is hope. One benefit from the pandemic is that hospital leadership has realized that caring for their caregivers is paramount in the retention and recruitment of staff. They expect them to deliver comprehensive, compassionate patient care to improve outcomes, satisfaction and engagement scores, and reimbursements yet, wise leaders know that caregivers cannot meet those expectations if they are physically, mentally, or spiritually exhausted.

Organizations have learned they must provide specific tools and strategies for selfcare. Hospitals that have implemented the year-long Selfcare for HealthCare® program have noted not only a 13% increase in retention, but 16% decrease in sick days, a 20% increase in engagement, 39% decrease in those considering leaving their positions, and 42% increase in agreeing their leadership cares about them. Employees whose managers check in to see how they are doing personally and professionally were 40% less likely to quit.

The duty of healthcare leaders is to be proactive, rather than reactive, to the stress they are facing. When staff support services were proactive and prioritized, staff health, wellbeing, and performance were enhanced, patient care improved, staff retention was higher, and sickness absence was lower. Leaders are fundamental to creating a workplace climate that enhances staff wellbeing and delivers quality patient care.

When staff participate together in wellness programs, engagement increases. Employees who feel they are personally cared for by their organization and that managers have higher levels of commitment, are more conscious about responsibilities, have greater involvement in the organization, and are more innovative.

Healthcare leaders who implement selfcare programs have hope. Hope is the belief that the future will be better than the present and that you will have the power to make it so. We have the power to make it so by offering programs to care for our benevolent caregivers.

 

LeAnn Thieman, LPN, CSP, CPAE is author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul for Nurses series and President and Founder of SelfCare for HealthCare. www.SelfCareforHealthCare.com. She can be reached at LeAnn@LeAnnThieman.com

Categories
Growth Leadership Personal Development

The Gordian Knot: The New Frontier 2022

THE GORDIAN KNOT: Business is Emerging – The New Frontier

The emergence of Covid-19 has been and continues to be the catalyst for the “great re-set” across all facets of life, and business is no exception.  Many of the tenets that we have taken for granted are now being challenged and re-evaluated across the globe. Business “as usual”, what is “usual & customary”, and “common assumptions and beliefs about business” are up for grabs.

The Gordian Knot is the perfect analogy for our current environment. Cutting the Gordian Knot to create a solution for seemingly unsolvable problems confronts many businesses today. Lockdowns, supply chain disruption, inflation, the great resignation, retaining talent, and employee re-evaluation that drives the business forward require meaningful work aligned with each employee’s purpose. The balance of power is shifting from employer to employee. The hierarchal model of “one up – one down” as the preferred management style is dead. For many business leaders, this will be the new frontier not lived from their previous experiences. New ways of thinking, organizing and aligning stakeholder interests will require leaders to engage in their own personal transformation. For many leaders, this will test their integrity, morality, ethics, and true ability to step into their leadership in new ways not previously known. This is the Gordian Knot.

So, what is leadership? What will be required to lead the enterprise into this new frontier?

“It is a space in which being itself can come to be more fully, show itself more wholly,

and become more present in the world. This disclosure of the authentic self always

Involves a “clearing away” process that creates a clearing-for-action in which the leader

Is free to act, rather than being constrained by conventional notions about what it is to be

a leader and what it is to exercise leadership effectively.           -Werner Erhard et AL., 2011

Globalization, technology acceleration, speed-to-market, digitalization, shortened life cycles, and customer experience are already a being considered by many enterprises. New thinking, new business models, new understanding of the customer are essential to thrive moving forward. And now, much of the previous foundation built will need to be excavated and replaced. The status quo is no longer an option. Building a new foundation will require new ways of operating both internally and externally. It will require a new pact with all stakeholders, especially the organization and its employees. Titles, situational leadership, and even management will no longer inspire your workers or lead to desired results. Freeing and empowering your employees to step into their genius – the reason you hired them in the first place – is mandatory. What do you think is the new modus operandi? Critical thinking is required to get this right.

To thrive in the great re-set, there will be a plethora of strategic initiatives foundational to excelling:

  1. A robust strategic intent around sustainability
  2. Mastering transformation from the enterprise to the cloud – exponential growth
  3. Empower & develop your talent – internal and external
  4. Speed-to-market is essential for impact
  5. Align your purpose, vision, and values to how you operate

While these strategic initiatives are a roadmap in the new frontier, they are about the business. What are your strategic initiatives around all stakeholders? To thrive in the new frontier, building an “ecosystem” is mission-critical.

 

In conclusion, those who are willing to think exponentially, deploy technology exponentially, and set exponential goals are the enterprises that will thrive. In the new frontier, it is the enterprise where leaders recognize that to achieve sustainable scale and growth, people demand meaning in their lives and work, people need to know they are valued as a lived experience, and the purpose of the enterprise in some way must meet the purpose of each individual employee. Bottom line, if leaders don’t grow their leadership in leading others, the workers will cut the Gordian Knot. They will decide the enterprise is insurmountable to their lives and will search out an enterprise that will align with their purpose and values. It is a choice.  What say you?

 

Categories
Growth Leadership Personal Development

Exploring Oneness and Togetherness in the Changing World of 2022

In 2022 the strength and power of building the connections and relationships with those we disagree with will become more and more essential. Difficult discussions will have to be navigated with power and grace.
Regardless of the situation at home with family, in business, or in social situations, we are all looking to be seen and heard for our uniqueness and accepted into the tribe we work with and live with.

The past 21 months have fractured plans and lives in many ways. Some people and businesses have managed to move forward with change and thrive. Others are still looking for any form of normalcy they knew in hopes it would return. Many are still hanging on to a thin thread wondering what’s next to knock them off their feet and asking, “how do I even survive?”

When is the last time you felt at peace with yourself, the life choices you’ve made, and know you were seen for who you are in a meeting, or maybe even at a family gathering? For some, it is the one thing missing in our lives. What we long for more than anything is to be seen and accepted for who we are uniquely.

 

We all have the need to belong and yet wonder if we are seen, heard, or recognized in many conversations. Knowing who we are and learning how to succeed with fast-moving technology requires looking at the big picture with logic as well as heart to be in connection to a group, business, and even the world.

As we approach the beginning of any year, we frequently look for clues of what to expect and what influences the world around us has in store for us. Looking at it from a different perspective can prove interesting.

Let’s begin with the numerology for 2022.  Numerology is the study of numbers in your life. You can uncover information about the world and each individual person by using Numerology. Numerology is seen as a universal language of numbers. The number 2 shows up in 3 times in 2022. When we reduce 2022 by adding the digits together to a single number, we get 6.

At its very core, the 2 in numerology represents partnerships — the coming together or balancing of two individual people, concepts, or things. A feminine force with power and grace.  The power of 2022 is learning how to stay calm in any situation. The number 6 signifies domestic happiness, harmony, and stability and comes with huge responsibilities such as family obligations, children, and the home.

Part of developing harmony and stability and happiness is emotional intelligence and one of its key components is empathy. Empathy is the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within their frame of reference, that is, the capacity to place oneself in another’s position. In the family, if we start with our children.  We can learn how to teach empathy to kids when they are young and help them translate empathy into action and avoid and/or disrupt the trauma we see today in schools and neighborhoods.

The one constant in today’s world is change. As fear and uncertainty increase, we look to minimize risk. Instead, we must explore new ways to engage with empathy and understanding of others. Emotional Intelligence is outpacing IQ in importance for being able to fit in or stand out in work and play. For business, it helps define and create the culture and improve the dynamics between employees and management. Even sites like Indeed now include benefits of emotional intelligence for applicants and companies to explore.

 

The balance between being part of a tribe and still your own person is learning to use emotional intelligence with other intelligences to manage yourself and engage with others with respect and understanding of their values and how you present yourself in social situations. Exploring how we make the most of life in 2022 will prove interesting.

Author – Susan K Younger, Architect of Relationship Engaging Humanity in the Workplace and Life
Certified B.A.N.K. IOS Coach and Certified and Licensed Trainer for Codebreaker Technologies |NAKB
You can reach out to susan@skyounger.com and to learn more about how to use the B.A.N.K. IOS to clarify your purpose, vision and equip yourself to make the most of 2022. Begin by cracking your BANKCODE.

 

Categories
Growth Health and Wellness Leadership

The Great Realization: All Sleep Is NOT Created Equally

THE GREAT REALIZATION

Forget The Great Resignation. Forget The Great Reshuffle. This year, focus on The Great Realization—your key to consistent high performance in how you live, love, and lead. 

What is The Great Realization of 2022? 

All sleep is NOT created equally. 

This has been proven repeatedly. Technology has demonstrated that you can get “enough” sleep and still have sleep performance problems. In fact, 50% of men and 25% of women get low-performance sleep.1

And while you can seek out state-of-the-art technology to measure your sleep performance, we have a far more reliable indicator hidden in plain sight:  our daytime performance.

When it comes to daytime performance, the most important KPI is this:

Do you maintain consistent energy throughout the day?

For far too many in our modern world, the answer is a resounding no.

Instead of maintaining consistent energy, they compensate for energy dips during the day. Compensations such as:

  • making daily pilgrimages to the altar of Keurig in search of caffeine-filled, performance-enhancing mugs;
  • ducking into quiet conference rooms for power naps and vowing to move to a company that has nap pods—if not the Silicon Valley companies, then Proctor & Gamble or even PricewaterhouseCoopers; and
  • prioritizing, above all else, the daily exercise routine—and believing that training for that Tough Mudder is just about the team building.

There are two problems with these compensations:

  1. The first problem lies in what they represent: energy dips where our performance slips–and we live, love, and lead at a level lower than our optimum. We can easily see this played out with our smartphones.  When we remember to put the phone on the charger overnight, we start the day with a fully charged battery. That gives us consistent access to the full capacity of the phone. But when do we forget to charge it? Soon that phone is in low power mode—the capacity is there, but it’s just not available.
  2. The second and larger problem with these compensations is this: we’ve come to accept the need for caffeine, naps, and adrenaline as a normal part of modern life.

As a result, we do not recognize the signs of low-performance sleep, and therefore, we do not realize there are solutions.

And the costs are huge.

In the short term, it’s the cost of lost opportunities because of presenteeism related to things like chronic sinus infections, IBS, and even anxiety. 

In the long term, it’s the erosion of our overall functioning. Low-performance sleep is implicated in Alzheimer’s Disease. And that’s only if other known comorbidities like cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, and type 2 diabetes don’t curtail your performance first. 

Unavoidably, those costs impact the bottom line:

  • decreased productivity
  • increased workplace accidents
  • higher health care costs
  • retention problems that dry up the leadership pipeline

So what can you do? Follow these simple steps:

  1. Realize that all sleep is not created equally. Sleep performance is not a numbers game. Get the recommended 8 hours, and watch for daytime signs of low sleep performance.
  2. Realize energy dips are a sign of low-performance sleep. Caffeine, naps, and adrenaline are compensations for low sleep performance.
  3. Realize you can achieve High-Performance Sleep™ for consistently high performance in how you live, love and lead. It starts with determining your sleep performance profile. Take the Sleep Performance Assessment.

Begin 2022 by honoring The Great Realization: All sleep is NOT created equally. When you do acquire the key to consistent high performance in how you live, love, and lead.

Take the Sleep Performance Assessment.

***************

1 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272296734_Prevalence_of_sleep-disordered_breathing_in_the_general_population_THE_HypnoLaus_study

Categories
Best Practices Body Language Culture Health and Wellness Human Resources Management Skills Women In Business

Important and Urgent

Right before the pandemic hit, I was speaking to a highly-regarded CEO about how I help business leaders up-level their game as it pertains to stress management. She was intrigued, but ultimately said, “You know, what you do is important, but not urgent (referring to the Eisenhower Matrix, a simple decision-making tool that helps you prioritize tasks).”

Almost two years to the day, managing stress and the consequences of not managing it well, have finally captured our attention. Mental health, wellness, work-life balance, burnout, depression, anxiety, and sadly suicide have become all too common in our everyday lives. Here in the US, we’ve plummeted down the world rankings for happiness.

But what does that mean for employers in the coming year? If you haven’t heard the term “The Great Resignation,” it’s important you do.

According to the Harvard Business Review, more than 9 million global employees quit their jobs in July 2021. And of them, the largest share went to the 30-to-45-year-old bracket. Unsurprising as this average age of new managers, carrying a large amount of stress and usually the least equipped to deal with it.

There are many complicating reasons for this exodus, but according to the study: “many of these workers may have simply reached a breaking point after months and months of high workloads, hiring freezes, and other pressures, causing them to rethink their work and life goals(https://hbr.org/2021/09/who-is-driving-the-great-resignation).”

In my 38 years as a mental health professional, my most engaged clients have been those between the ages of 30 and 45. They’ve lived past their 20’s when they thought they knew everything. And haven’t yet reached their 50’s where again, they will think they know everything.

It’s a time of growth when the existential meaning of life is most compelling. This generation, in particular, is hungry to learn, purpose-driven, and doesn’t want to wait until retirement to start enjoying what the world has to offer.

Given that we are living in unprecedented times, we must all pay attention to the underlying forces at play and the real costs of ignoring them. These issues are complicated and not easy to solve. Yet, if we don’t address them, our continued spiral towards an unhappy society will rage on.

To be very specific, when stress hormones flood the body and the brain, a person’s executive functioning goes “offline.” The desire may be there, but the capacity is not. Much has been said and written about focusing on the “whole person.” But what does that look like from an employer’s perspective?

1. Good mental health is not intuitive – it’s learned. Stress relief apps, office yoga, massage gift cards, etc. They are helpful, but not sufficient in building the kind of internal resiliency needed to cope with our current stressors. Picture bringing a plastic fork to a gunfight. Management teams need real skills and proven methods for managing staff happiness.

2. Peak Performance is predictable and repeatable. Again, one needs to understand how both the body and mind work to achieve these highly productive states. To achieve a sustainable workflow while operating in high-stress environments, one needs to be properly equipped.

3. Mind, Body, Spirit, and Emotion. These four pillars comprise a whole system and thus, a whole person. Pay attention to them and your team will notice. I can’t guarantee these methods will make you their favorite boss, but I can guarantee that you will be setting them up for success both inside your organization and for life.

The last few years have provided us with great challenges and even greater opportunities. It would be a shame to let this time of introspection pass by without making genuine change for the better. When the calendar rolls around to 2022, do you want to find yourself repeating negative thought patterns? Neither does your team.

Categories
Growth Leadership Personal Development

Mentoring from our intrinsic selves in 2022

Who am I? This question is fueling the trends we are witnessing going into the new year. The underlying question is, how do we find the answer and more so, how do we help our kids avoid the pitfalls of an extrinsic society?

As we came out of 2020, we discovered how many people actually began doing intrinsic healing for themselves in search of the answer to this seemingly simple question. The business world was the first to see the results of this deep healing. You’ve heard of the “Great Resignation”, right? As people woke up to the fact they actually have choices in their lives, one of the first choices they made was cutting out what was contributing to their stress. That was quite the wake-up for employers and businesses worldwide.   

Now, as we roll into 2022, the focus on teens and young adults is growing. We discovered throughout the pandemic how much the young generations were actually struggling and how much we tended to blow off as just “typical” teenage behavior. As we uncover and rediscover who we are, reigniting our passions and adjusting our lives, we need to keep in mind that the younger generations are watching us. Not to criticize us or rebel against us, as it has been assumed they do. Teens watch and mimic us as they grow into adults. They look to us for guidance, and the guidance they look for is truly in our actions and daily behaviors. 

If you’re thinking, “Great. On top of navigating all this other stuff, now I need to worry about being watched by my teenager?”, there is no need to worry, my friend. Teens really just want to learn, be a part of something, and inviting them on your journey of self-exploration is one many of them are willing to take with you. 

As a highly trusted youth mentor, the level of trust that exists between myself and each teen I mentor was built on my willingness to be authentic, vulnerable, and non-judgemental. This has allowed for an environment of safety to develop. Every human being wants to feel safe, regardless of age. In return for creating an environment where they can safely practice being themselves, I also gain an environment where I am able to continually put into action being authentically me. This is a win-win situation.

I have found there are 5 ways to build a trusting, genuine relationship that allows both parties to grow and flourish:

 

  • Avoid trying to impress others
    • Knowledge, experience, and achievements are great, however, who we know, how much we make, and what awards we have really aren’t as impressive to those around us as we’d like to believe. More times than not, others want to know how we handled ourselves when it wasn’t all rosy and ideal.

 

  • Keep agreements 
    • This is a real trust builder. Making promises we don’t keep teaches others they don’t need to keep promises either and it is hard to trust someone you can’t depend on. 

 

  • Be vulnerable
    • This takes courage. Admit failures, wrong decisions, and setbacks. Everyone knows humans aren’t perfect. Big lessons can be learned when we share our struggles along with what success came from those struggles. 

 

  • Listen without judgement
    • Genuinely listen and allow others an opportunity to talk through their own struggles, more times than not, the answer will be discovered without ever having to say anything. We don’t always need to provide the answer, just the space for the answer to be discovered. 

 

  • Walk the talk
    • It is easy to tell others what to do, it is much more challenging to lead by example. When those around us see us doing what we are saying, we build even more trust, reliability, and credibility. 

 

Even if you aren’t mentoring young adults, as we implement these into our lives, everyone we come in contact with will benefit. It just takes one person to have the courage to be brave, and to put these into practice. As we all work to create change, let’s make sure we are starting with ourselves in 2022 and be the change in the world. We never know who is watching.

Categories
Growth Personal Development Women In Business

How the Dress Code Affects Your Bottom Line

I predict 2022 will be the bridge year from traditional business wear and strict dress codes to multi-purpose attire that exudes individual expression that impacts both corporate and personal brands. Dressing to express will far outweigh dressing to impress.

 

The office dress code died in 2016. But many organizations still hold firm onto the belief that for you to be seen as professional and for you to be productive, that it must be done in business attire. The pandemic proved that many people – although not everyone – can be just as productive, and maybe even more so, while working in sweats and athleisure.

 

I tell all my clients there are consequences to everything you do, say, and wear. Our overall appearance expresses how formal we are to how casual we are. It can portray bold, artistic, individualistic, nurturing, or even careless personas and even says something about our decision-making skills. Clothing also affects us internally. It affects our mood and our mindset. This will come through in how you interact with others that day and how you approach the tasks at hand. Clothing also affects your money. You could be leaving money on the table with how you are showing up.

 

Some people are very formal and traditional by nature. They feel better and are more productive in traditional business clothing. Some people are more casual and laid back. They feel better in looser silhouettes that are comfortable. They are more effective and at home in this type of clothing. If you put either group in the opposite’s clothing style, you will find they simply will not perform at their optimum level.

 

As mentioned, being productive in casual clothing didn’t hold true for everyone during the pandemic. I, for one, still dressed up every day. Doing so made me feel better. I found I was more productive. But who I am at my core is someone who enjoys expressing themselves through colorful and creative clothing. I enjoy dressing up. Understand that clothing is used by others as visual data to gain insights into who you are as a person, what type of company or industry we represent, and how we will approach the day’s tasks.

 

So, where does that leave us? Do we really need a dress code for our organization to be successful? Does a dress code limit productivity and throw functionality out the window? Human Resource professionals and CEOs are grappling to figure out what to do about a dress code to bring people back into the office. Dress codes used to be a way to create harmony in how an organization portrayed itself. Most often, though, organizations have dress codes just to have dress codes.

 

The organization’s human side is just as important as the data and financials. In fact, it is more important because that is what brings in business and who does the work. Investing in human capital will produce a more significant ROI than what you might expect. Productivity increases when people are given the flexibility to dress for the day. Culture is affected positively. Allowing employees the freedom to express themselves increases creativity.

 

As organizations look for ways to stand out in their industry, one of the top concerns is attracting and retaining talent. Your office dress code will undoubtedly be part of their decision, especially during the Great Resignation. Flexibility and freedom to express are top motivators.

 

Businesses will need to weigh their dress codes’ effect on culture and brand. Some will adhere to the dress code of the past at the risk of being seen as archaic. Other companies will embrace leniency in their dress code, entrusting their employees to make smart choices for their workday. The risk is losing authority. There is never a one-size-fits-all. An organization must ask itself when deciding on an office dress code whether what the employees wear strengthens or weakens the perception of the company’s brand; in turn, the same holds true for those individuals’ personal brands. Because in the end, I believe personal brands are a large part of what makes a solid corporate brand.

 

Want to your personal image or your company’s dress standards to meet the value of your brand, contact me at sheila@imagepowerplay.com or 605.310.7166 to schedule a 30-minute call to discuss how we can work together to grow your influence through my return on image® services. To learn more, visit: www.imagepowerplay.com. 

Categories
Culture Entrepreneurship Personal Development Women In Business

How COVID is Changing the Fashion Industry

The pandemic taught us that we could live with a lot less. The overindulgence of items we surrounded ourselves with seemed frivolous and more like a form of gluttony from mindless purchasing. Many of our closets looked like a smorgasbord where we got our money’s worth from an all-you-can-eat buffet.   

 

We found ourselves cleaning out every nook and cranny we could find in our homes, including our often-overstuffed closets. Second-hand clothing stores had a tough time keeping up with the inundation of items coming into their stores. However, this robust inventory was a Godsend to those who felt financially crushed by the pandemic. The added stock was also the perfect storm for those who are ever so mindful of conserving resources and their role in social responsibility.    

   

Enter 2022. The office dress code is dead. Or dead in the way we once knew it.  

   

Gone are the days of having a work wardrobe and a casual wardrobe. The lines are now blurred. According to LinkedIn’s newsletter 29 Big Ideas That Will Change Our World in 2022, the 4-day workweek is ramping up. This shorter workweek gives us less time to wear our more formal business attire. The hybrid workplace is also here to stay.  

  

What we will see in 2022 will be multi-functional clothing—the demand for a practical, sustainable, and flexible wardrobe. The consumer will insist on attire that can take them from dropping off their kids at school, heading to the office – whether work-from-home or otherwise, lunch with a friend or business associate, back to work, running errands, or off to an event and back home. 

   

As such, fabric suppliers will see an increased demand for quality fabrics that are durable and comfortable, as noted on page 13 of The State of Fashion 2022 by The Business of Fashion and The McKinsey & Company. Capsule wardrobes, coined in the 1970s by Susie Faux and made popular by Donna Karan in 1985, will gain momentum as we embrace living the less is more lifestyle.  

 

In 2019 and 2020, we found ourselves looking for comfort, and we sought this through the fabrication of our clothing. The comfortable clothing we wore seemed to act as a soothing blanket in which we wrapped ourselves. While we were heading toward the casualization of wardrobe before the pandemic, what may surprise you is that many are ready for a restart. After living 9+ months in athleisure, many are craving something new. Liken it to nine months of wearing maternity clothes. There is joy in putting on regular clothing once again. The State of Fashion 2022 report found workwear such as blouses and suits now on the rise. Occasion dressing is also on the rise as we step back into attending events such as weddings, ceremonies, and galas.   

 

Businesses will need to weigh their dress codes’ effect on culture and brand. Some will adhere to the dress code of the past. According to the State of Fashion 2022 report, “… a growing number of consumers are likely to allocate more of their wallet share to investment pieces and versatile items, even as inexpensive items and impulse purchases remain an important part of the wardrobe mix for many in 2022.” Other businesses will embrace leniency in their dress code, entrusting their employees to make smart choices for their workday. There is never a one-size-fits-all.  

 

Sustainability will stay top of mind for both the consumer and fashion brands. Brands must find ways to ensure consumers’ items are environmentally safe and produced in ethical working conditions. Using technology such as QR codes on tags that allow the consumer to learn more about the sustainability of an item is already rising in popularity.   

 

Many people turned to thrift stores during the pandemic for financial reasons and explored rental clothing companies. I predict shopping thrift stores and renting clothing will gain significant market share.   

 

From Burberry to Banana Republic, fashion brands are racing to the rental market by creating subscription models. There is a significant opportunity for entrepreneurs in this market segment. For example, newcomer Preserve brings South Asian fashion to consumers through its rental model.   

 

People crave community and realize just how important it is to them now. We will see a return of boutique shops where locals will support the community that took care of them during the pandemic. Local shopping also offers a way to get items immediately. Small businesses will need to focus on creating experiences such as live video chats, in-store or online personal shopping, and same-day delivery and returns to and from your front door.   

 

Boutiques offer a sense of atypical clothing that consumers now crave. Like a butterfly coming out of a cocoon, we are rebirthing our wardrobes with fun and colorful items. A wardrobe that stimulates us and brings a sense of inspiration. As seen with the rise in awareness of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, self-expression is making its way to the forefront. We long for ways to express ourselves honestly. One way to do this is through our appearance.   

 

Shopping online will also continue to rise. With this, the demand for innovative technology experiences will come into play, such as virtual try-ons using AI.   

 

I predict 2022 will be the bridge year from traditional business wear and strict dress codes to multi-purpose attire that exudes individual expression. When we consider purchasing new clothing, we will ask ourselves three questions: is it sustainable, multi-functional, and expressive. Dressing to express will far outweigh dressing to impress. 

 

Want to your personal image or your company’s dress standards to meet the value of your brand, contact me at sheila@imagepowerplay.com or 605.310.7166 to schedule a 30-minute call to discuss how we can work together to grow your influence through my return on image® services. To learn more, visit: www.imagepowerplay.com.  

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Best Practices Growth Personal Development

Twelve Changes You Can Make in About an Hour to Improve Your LinkedIn Profile

Twelve Changes You Can Make in About an Hour to Improve Your LinkedIn Profile

Generally, I write and speak about the importance of putting your essence – your purpose, principles, and business passions – into your LinkedIn profile, so people will discover the authentic YOU when they encounter your profile. That change requires heavy lifting: introspection by the individual and high quality writing (either by that person or someone like me who specializes in writing superlative customized LinkedIn profiles). But here, as my holiday gift to you, I offer 12 simple changes you can make to improve your profile from a mechanical standpoint. Each of these is easy to make and the references I provide can help. You may be able to make all these changes in about a hour, or if you are so inclined, you could do one a day during each of the 12 days of Christmas!

 

  1. Customize your profile’s URL
    Why? Because the URL assigned to you by LinkedIn ends with a long string of random numbers and letters that make it hard for you (and others) to memorize or type. Your default URL doesn’t fit nicely on a business card or your signature block on your email and it is cumbersome when you have to look it up to post it in the Zoom chat with the customized URLs of others. Also, using the default URL signals that you are not in the know. To the right of your profile, you’ll find Edit Public Profile and URL.
  2. Check to see that your photo and all your sections are visible to the public
    The longer you have been on LinkedIn, the more likely you are to have this kind of settings problems because we were all so skittish about showing our photo online years ago. Now, having your photo not show on your profile is equivalent to having no photo of a house listed for sale. I see the “no photo showing” problem quite often among senior-level leaders. Of course they are generally unaware that people who are not connected see their profile without their photo. There are other sections of your profile that may not be visible. To make them visible, you’ll find those in the in the Edit Public Profile and URL noted in #1.
  3. Change the setting “Viewers of This Profile Also Viewed” to NO
    Why? This default setting allows 10 people to appear to the right of your profile (or 20 in the phone app) who were viewed by someone who viewed your profile also. Recruiters sometimes refer to these people as your competition; recruiters are delighted to use this feature to help them source candidates for positions they are trying to fill. Giving others a free ride on your LinkedIn profile is not to your advantage. Change this setting to No. You’ll find this setting in a drop-down menu under your avatar (the small photo of you on your toolbar) in the Site Preferences section.
  4. Add your email address
    Actually, add it in two places: under the Contact info button and at the end of your About section. Why? Your connections expect to be able to access your email in your Contact info section, but people who are not connected with you cannot see your email under your Contact section.
  5. Check out the other info under the Contact info button
    For example, add your current company’s website if it is not already there and make sure that websites from former positions are not still linked with your account. Also, take a look at anything else you might want to add or subtract. For example, if you dislike having prospective vendors and people you don’t know well wish you a happy birthday, take your birth date off. If on your special day you crave attention, make sure your birthday is listed.
  6. Attempt to correct the issue of any missing logos in your Experience section and Education section
    Logos are an important credibility builder. For my instructions on how to get logos that exist within the LinkedIn database to show up, and how to get logos for a company you control to be entered in the LinkedIn database, see my article, A Small Omission That Undermines Your Credibility on LinkedIn.
  7. Add the Name pronouncer widget
    Is yours is a name that people find challenging to pronounce? If so, rejoice! Help is on the way. On the LinkedIn mobile app (only), you can now record your name so that people will know how to pronounce it. You’ll find instructions here. Once recorded via the mobile app, people can listen to your recording from any device.
  8. Add a Featured section
    Populate it with posts you’ve made about your team, articles you’ve written, logos of professional associations to which you belong, etc. Read more about the Featured section in my article Are You Missing Out On LinkedIn’s New Brand-Building Features?
  9. Make sure your education listings are in the order you prefer
    To make a change, go to your education section and you’ll see to the right of the word Education caret symbols (up and down) and a plus sign. Click on the carets which takes you to a “Reorder” window from which you can change the order of your schools using the slider icons.
  10. Check out the Optional sections such as licenses and certifications, honors and awards, volunteer experience. Add any that apply.
  11. Make sure that the top three skills that show on your profile are really your most important skills
    If they are not, demote the skills currently listed in the top three slots by clicking the pushpin icons and add the pushpin icons to your three most important skills.
  12. Customize your LinkedIn headline
    LinkedIn auto-fills your headline with your current job title and company, but you have 220 characters to customize it. Think of your headline as your marketing tagline and add some additional text. For example, you could add the value your clients or customers receive from your services.

 

If you are a C-suite executive or senior leader who would like to improve your LinkedIn profile and presence, I can make it easy for you. I have a track record of working effectively with C-suite executives and senior leaders to create LinkedIn profiles and other executive-branded materials that help them show up as authentically and powerfully online as they do in person. This way, they can attract the talent they want to hire, increase their visibility and influence, and control their career. I also mentor clients on LinkedIn etiquette and effective posting strategies to ensure their success. Let me help you use this essential business tool effectively. Contact me through my website: www.carolkaemmerer.com or profile: www.linkedin.com/in/carolkaemmerer. 

 

Carol KaemmererOther resources:

Book me to speak either virtually or in-person on the topic of personal branding via LinkedIn. I am a member of the National Speakers Association, a Certified Virtual Presenter, and an Advisor to the C-Suite Network.

Cover of LinkedIn for the Savvy Executive: Second Edition by Carol Kaemmerer

 

My NEW book Second Edition: LinkedIn for the Savvy Executive: Promote Your Brand with Authenticity, Tact and Power is available through online booksellers. For your author-inscribed and signed book or quantity discounts, order: https://carolkaemmerer.com/books

 

For DIY instruction on improving your LinkedIn profile, register for my self-paced, online course: How to be Found on LinkedIn: Key Strategies for Attracting Ideal-for-You Opportunities, https://carolkaemmerer.com/onlinecourse

 

To receive my monthly articles in your email inbox, sign up for my monthly emailing here.

 

Articles by Carol Kaemmerer

Why Is My LinkedIn Profile Getting So Few Views?

How Can LinkedIn Be Part of Your Company’s Strategy for Responding to the Great Resignation?

Is Your LinkedIn Profile Missing the Mark?

Comfortable in Your Job? Uncomfortable Life Lessons to Safeguard Your Career

How to Be Found on LinkedIn: Ten Top Strategies to Rank Well on a LinkedIn Keyword Search

Why Are You Playing Small on LinkedIn?

If You’re Not “Writing to the Margins” on LinkedIn, You’re Missing Out

Don’t Be Hooked Through a Big Phish: Recognize and Avoid Phishing Scams on LinkedIn

A Small Omission That Undermines Your Credibility on LinkedIn

“Tell Me More…” — On LinkedIn

What is Your Poor LinkedIn Profile Costing You?

C-Suite Executives: Stop Hiding Online