by Solange Lopes | Jan 16, 2014 | Career
Got Style – thefeministwire.com
So as you may or may not have noticed, we love fashion and style here at the Corporate Sister! And we think that as a corporate sister and a successful professional, you should always try to look your best as you perform your best…We wrote an earlier post about whether it’s ok or not to sport bright colors at work (please chime in, the crickets are taking over), and in line with that, we thought we’d explore how style may cost you in the workplace. In our opinion, not only does great (and work-appropriate) fashion motivate you and help your day started right (nothing worse than starting the day wrong and looking the (wrong) part), it also has this lil’ something something that just makes you stand up straighter as you’re getting ready to make that epic sales presentation….
However, being a corporate fashionista can have its downsides, especially when it comes to the way you are being perceived at the office. While paying attention to your appearance and the way you present yourself can work in your advantage in certain professions, such as in sales-related fields when you are called to meet clients and close deals, in other fields, the perception can be totally different. In some very conservative fields such as Accounting and even Finance, especially in older, patriarchal institutions, veering off a conservative, somber wardrobe is not always well perceived. Being fashionable, especially when you dress better than your boss, can give the impression of being too much into yourself, and maybe not enough into your work….Ouch!
I’ve personally had to face this situation with a lady manager who did not admire my fashion sense, to say the least. I was working at the time in what I will call a Big Accounting Firm, and my main client was a very conservative institutions. While I tried to downplay my wardrobe, it became obvious that as a young associate my crisp suits, impeccable shoes and other great sample sales finds were not going to be my best allies here. And while it took me some time to figure this out, it also helped me garner a few grains of wisdom as I moved on to better (and more fashionable) pastures:
- Not everyone will welcome your sense of style! Of course, when dressing for work, you should always keep in mind the type of environment you are working in, as well as the types of people you are working with. However, I don’t believe one should sacrifice their sense of style entirely, you cans still be stylish and professional! Yet bear in mind that part of the competition in the workplace is not just professional; it’s also around other mundane attributes, like…style and presentation! So be prepared for some sideways looks and snide comments, as it’s part of your professional experience…
- Remember that the focus is on your work! As fashionable as I may be through all facets of life (and work is part of life, so why separate the two, right?), at work, my focus is on…WORK! It may seem easy enough of a concept to grasp, yet keep in mind that many distractions can interfere with your work performance. As you keep your sense of style, and pride in who you are, up, remember that the best way yet to present yourself is through outstanding professional results! And the fashion can only complement that….
- Last but not least, when in doubt, bring it down a notch! Having worked in ultra-conservative professional environments, I’ve learned along the years that Coco Chanel could not be more on point when she recommends that “before going out, take out one piece of jewelry!” And that’s been my fashion mantra ever since I could slip my toddler feet into my mom’s stilettos…When in doubt as to whether your fashion is a tad much for work or just enough, bring it down just a notch. You don’t have to compromise entirely on your entire sense of style, and your hard-earned wardrobe, but the key is to adjust! Lunch meeting with the uber-conservative CEO? You may thin of trading that bright orange jacket for a stylish grey suit, and for your colorful touch, you can always jazz it up with an orange camisole under your suit jacket: this way, you get to protect your style and make a great impression! On the other hand, you may very well be meeting with a prospective marketing client in the fashion industry who happens to be very fashion-forward: well, it may be time to dig out that asymmetrical jacket in bright orange!
Have you encountered any difficulties in the workplace because of your fashion sense? Please sound off…
The Corporate Sister.
by Solange Lopes | Jan 14, 2014 | Career
timecommunications.biz
We wrote earlier about professional meetings and how to make ourselves (professionally) shine during these. Now there is another breed of non-face-to-face meetings that tend to happen more and more in the workplace, and that are not talked about as much: the conference calls. With the advent of online meeting tools such as Webex and other forms of more economical, long-distance means of communication, along with the expansion of businesses across the world, conference calls have become more the norm than the exception. And as simple, informal and easy as these may seem, they can actually be crucial when determining what kind of impression you leave your colleagues, superiors and clients with…And you may not always be able to blame an ineffective, poorly managed conference call on the lack of connectivity or poor static…Instead, there are some basic rules that should be followed in order for any conference call, even the most awkward phone meet-and-great, to leave everyone thinking how professional and effective you are:
- Coordinate, coordinate, coordinate! Whether you are the call organizer or just an attendee, make sure that you’ve got all the details of the call down-packed. Easy stuff like the call time, place, and number. Especially for international conference calls, it is important to ensure that everyone is on the same page, when it comes to who is calling whom, when and where. Believe it or not, I’ve participated in one too many calls that started with a disruptive and unprofessional snafu about who was supposed to be calling whom, why the number is not working and so on and so forth…Also make sure to arrange a quiet place for the call, as the other parties really do not need to hear all about your neighbor’s spirited conversation with IT about why their monitor is refusing to turn on…And if you are to schedule a call in a conference room whose equipment you’ve never tried before, make sure you stop by and ask how to operate the phone (you may need it!)…And if all of this coordination business got your head spinning, just do a dry run the day before, to ensure that the number is working, and make sure to confirm with all parties involved the logistical details. And as elementary as all this coordination business may sound, you’ll be sorry you didn’t do it when you start fumbling for the right dial-in number, as your boss gives you the evil eye across the table…Just sayin’…
- Be Courteous! As in many other professional areas, the rules of courtesy may be unwritten (I’ve actually witnessed some corporate environments where basic phone courtesy rules actually had to be plastered onto the walls to avoid professional blunders), but they certainly are real. Stuff like calling the person or other parties yourself if you happen to be the one making a request or asking a question. Or scheduling the call for the appropriate amount of time out of respect for others’ schedules, instead of just randomly increasing the duration by 30 minute-increments.Or if it looks like you will be running late for the call, offer the other person or other parties involved the courtesy of an email ahead of time to warn them and if necessary, reschedule the call. And believe me, a bit of courtesy will go a long way and make you remembered in a positive light…
- Keep Track! It’s not just about organizing all this business call madness or even making sure you are courteous enough to the other parties involved. The point, after all, is to do business; and during an informal call with many parties, many personalities and egos, it may be challenging to distinguish business from other aspects of the conversation. Make sure you keep track of the call, and all the related business aspects. If you or someone else has set an agenda to the meeting, or put together a presentation to frame the meeting, it may be easier to keep track of the conversation. For these, I would recommend screen sharing services such as GoToMeeting for instance, or ScreenLeap (please ensure that these are coordinated with the start and end times of the call). A good practice that a great big corporate sister of mine has taught me, is to also send a follow-up email at the conclusion of each important business conference call, asking for the other parties’ inputs as well: this way, the call is documented and archived right away!
Any other tips for business calls!
The Corporate Sister.
by Solange Lopes | Jan 12, 2014 | Career
essence.com
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Last week was the first full week back at work this year, and it was…rough! But we kept it up, and even could fit in one or two great news articles…This is what we were, and are still reading, this week…
- One big, HUGE celebration for all working Black women out there this week, SNL (Finally!) hires first black female cast member in 5 years, and the Daily Beast tells us all about it!
- Another big piece of news for Black women, the 138-year-old comedy magazine Harvard Lampoon elected Alexis Wilkinson, the first Black woman to ever run the “overwhelmingly white, male” comedy magazine, as so well reported by the NY Mag in “122 minutes with Alexis Wilkinson”. It’s a must-read!
- And while we’re talking about Black women on fire, Huff Post Black Voices is telling us what we all already knew, and that is actress Lupita Nyong’o is on and popping everywhere! She’ll be featured in the Miu Miu 2014 Spring campaign, and we love it!
- And Huff Post Women features another young Black woman who is making waves as the first African-American woman correspondent of the “Daily Show with John Stewart”. Jessica Williams is only 24, and also stars in Lena Dunham’s iconic HBO show “Girls”. Way to go!
- As reported by the Daily Beast in their Fashion section, “Monday evening, Intel Corp. announced a wearable technology collaboration with major fashion industry leaders, including the CFDA, Barneys New York, and Opening Ceremony. Opening Ceremony will design a smart bracelet with Intel (exact design details and a launch date are still unknown) that will be available at Barneys, while the CFDA will work with Intel to develop new products. “Wearables are an area that we are pursuing,” said Ayse Ildeniz, Intel’s vice president of business development and strategy. “Most of it comes from technology companies, and we see these as very personal things. We thought the fashion industry should be in the driver’s seat.” [WWD]”. Not to mention our First Lady of Fashion Michelle Obama’s Lookbook in the Fashion section as well.
- Pop Sugar tips us off on how to update our winter style, all under $20!
- The Brazen Life tells us about 4 organizational job hunting tricks we haven’t tried yet, and also shares with us four ways to prove ourselves to the boss and invest in our careers;
- The Corporate Sister (yes, us) got featured on the awesome Black Girl Nerds blog, discussing being Black and Geeky in Corporate America!
- POPSugar points us to signs we should not take the job, while honestly telling us why we are constantly late (oh my, I needed that one);
- For all the SATC fans out there, yes! SJP is launching her own shoe line (and we can’t wait for it to hit the stores), and She Finds is wondering if she had Manolos in mind when designing it (of course, she did!);
- WSJ (finally) reveals to us what we did not want to believe, that the boss is happier than us and why; and maybe we’d be happier if we just knew when it’s OK to love someone at work;
- Last but not least, our own The Corporate Sister is telling you how to keep your mind on your money and your money on your mind this week; and also offers our own (brilliant) review of BET show Mary Jane and the fashion in it here and, also here! And if you were wondering what to wear to work on week-ends, we have a few options!
Happy reading!
The Corporate Sister.
by Solange Lopes | Jan 5, 2014 | Career |
Photo: sodahead.com
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For our weekly media pow-wow, we’ve scoured our favorite publications for articles that inspire us, make us smile, think, and get better…This week, this is what we’re reading:
Any other article you’d like to share? Please email us at corporate@thecorporatesister.com!
The Corporate Sister.
by Solange Lopes | Jan 2, 2014 | Career
Black woman networking – Photo: madamenoire.com
Our dear reader “The Girl” asked us about networking tips for the corporate sister, and in response to her question and just in time for a new year hopefully filled with great networking prospects, we’ve concocted our very own 360 degree approach to networking for the corporate sister. As corporate sisters faced with some unique challenges we encounter on a day-to-day basis, we’ve found that we also do need a tailored approach to networking. Not that the general networking wisdom is not enough, but we do believe that a little twist to conventional wisdom does not hurt…If anything, it might actually give us a competitive advantage by helping us capitalize on what makes us unique and building effective, long-lasting connections with our network:
- Every opportunity is a network opportunity! This is one of the most valuable lessons taught to us by many a corporate sister out there. Don’t wait for the right time, opportunity or setting to network. While the corporate jungle may be a hostile setting at times, it also rewards those who seize the moment! Stuck in an elevator with the big boss? Accidentally bumped into the CEO at the office holiday party? Or even in the process of washing your hands in the ladies’ room alongside the District Manager? Seize the opportunity and introduce yourself, right then and there. Forget about hierarchy, “political correctedness” or the fact that you’re having a not-so-good hair day. You don’t know when such an opportunity to network with someone who could potentially be influential to your career will present itself again, so just go for it!
- Every person is a networking opportunity! Gone are the days when you tried to get close to the bosses to work your way up the corporate ladder. In the era of lateral moves, corporate reorganizations and non-traditional careers (even within corporations), an increasing number of people within the organization may prove to be influential in your career. While these may certainly include your direct supervisors and managers, they also can (and should) include people in lateral departments of the organization who can provide information on other career avenues, place a word in for us, or even be informal mentors to our careers. Even outside of the organization, giant networks such as Linked In for instance also offer the opportunity to connect with a wide array of professionals in a wide array of fields and disciplines, each of which could possibly be an invaluable resource in our careers.
- What makes you YOU? I once asked a dear big corporate sister of mine what the REAL secret of successful networking is. When she responded “YOU”, I smiled and asked again “Seriously, what is it?”. Turns out, she was correct…Through our years in corporate, we start learning that cultivating yourself and your own unique talents is really what sets us apart from the crowd. It’s our competitive advantage! Whether it’s your ability to provide solutions to existing problems, or your talents at managing projects under pressure, or even the precious gift of bringing people and ideas together, one of the first questions to ask yourself when ready to network is this: “What makes me ME?”, and capitalize on your strengths to build strong connections.
- Reach out and build a connection! As we found out through our careers, professional networking is not easy! Neither is it for the faint of hearts. As profitable and even enjoyable as the process may turn out to be, it also requires quite a bit of time, investment and willingness to reach out and build our own networks. You will find that as some connections occur naturally throughout your career, others have to be initiated, worked on, and maintained with a certain amount of effort and consistency. And it’s up to us to reach across the table many a times, find some common ground and build up from there.
- Run with it! Last but not least, successful networking requires ongoing upkeep. It’s one thing to build a solid network, it’s another one to maintain it. Networks such as Linked In allow us to do so by being connected most of the time. Other more informal, traditional networks require more follow-up effort, and a genuine commitment to cultivate professional relationships in and outside of the corporate environment. So whether it is through a yearly holiday card, an occasional check-in email, or even just frequently updating your Linked In profile, once you’ve put out the time and effort to build these professional connections, run with it and keep them for life! You never know when you might receive a call for a great position or opportunity just because your holiday card reminded someone of how great a professional you are…
What are you thoughts on networking?
The Corporate Sister.
