Clothing that Speaks

Have you ever watched a fashion show, either live or on a television screen? Have you seen how the people watching the show are so tuned in to the clothing being modelled? That is how powerful the effect of clothing is. Clothing communicates a strong nonverbal message. We look at someone and often the first thing that we notice about them is the way that they are dressed.

Ours is a visual culture, and clothing is right at the top of the hierarchy of visual ranking.

I am sure that most of us know, or know of someone, who will not think twice of arriving at work or appointments wearingan unironed shirt or sporting untidy hair. As an administrative assistant, you are the ‘company representative’ and you convey the company image to all whom you come into contact with during the working day. Needless to say, it is important to look good at all times. Someone who comes to work looking poorly dressed and in need of a dab of lipstick is sending a message. A message that says “I don’t really mind about the way I look”. This is very often interpreted by colleagues or bosses as “She/he does not really care about the quality of work that they do”. If your job involves dressing down, it’s different. But as an assistant, you always have to look good.

You don’t have to wear the latest fashions, or spend a small fortune on buying clothing. No one notices whether your shoes cost R1000 or R100, but if those shoes are unpolished and have broken heels, everyone will notice. At College, I once had a speaking assignment. I chose my clothing carefully and coordinated my outfit well. And yet, no-one noticed. Why? Because - unbeknownst to me - my brand new trousers (which I had spent a week’s wages on, by the way!) had ripped at a rather awkward place. Did anyone notice that my trousers were worth a small fortune to me? No. Did they notice that I looked rather inappropriate? Yes!
It’s not about how much you spend on an item of clothing, but the manner in which you wear that item of clothing that counts.
It’s all about your appearance and the message that you send when you step into the office.

Before you leave for work in the morning, look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself, “What message am I sending today?” Is that message “neat, tidy, organised, well-groomed” or is that message “disheveled, untidy, less than perfect”. Our dress code in the office is an important part of how others perceive us.

If you want to send the non-verbal message that you are neat and organised, then start with your dress code. It’s a powerful method of communication.

Winter

Summer is saying it's final goodbyes as the Winter season makes a grand entrance in all it's icy glory. Now a sliver of sunshine peeeking out from beneath a heavy grey cloud is all that is left of the abundant sunshine that graced our shores just weeks ago.
I love Winter. I love the cold, rainy evenings and the misty, dark mornings. I love donning my warm tweed jackets and my leather boots and braving the crisp Wintry air.
Long has it been said that: Summer in one's life is seen as a time of singing, dancing, laughing and being merry. Winter in one's life is seen as being a time of reflection, understanding of self and others, quiet thought and appreciation of all that is, was and is to be.
And so it is with all things in our wonderful lives. There will always be Summer and there will always be Winter. There will always be days when it never seems to rain, but to pour, and when it seems that you can't see through the clouded sky. But rest assured that Summer is on it's way, and the sunshine might surprise you with it's presence, if only to remind you that it is still there.

For when we look up at the sky and see only clouds, the sunshine is there, behind the grey clouds, just waiting for us to look a little longer. And before we know it, sunshine warm and bright shines upon us.

And when we ask ourselves why the rains will not subside, remember that rain is necessary for growth. We cannot have lovely Summer fruit without Winter rains. We cannot have sunshine without the storms.

But rest assured that the storms of Winter will pass, and after it comes the warmth of the Summer glow.

May your Winter be filled with new hope, growth, renewal and blessings.

The importance of Proof Reading

I believe in making the effort to check all office correspondence before sending it out. Not checking correspondence leaves room for error. And error can lead to major embarrassment.

These are examples of correspondence that I received.
Yes, this is real. These letters/e-mails were actually sent like this!

Payments can be maid at the following places . .
We have now located the sauce of the problem . . .
.. . let us know if you are gonna be attending. . .
Please accept our apologise for the inconvenience. . .

Some tips on avoiding the pitfalls of poorly worded correspondence:

• Rule Number One: Proof read it!
• Make use of the spellcheck on your computer
• Ask someone else to proofread it for you (provided that it is not confidential or sensitive information)
• Keep a dictionary at your desk, and use it. There are excellent dictionaries available online for free
• If it does not sound right, it probably isn’t right
• Use only words that you know the meanings of
• Avoid the pitfall of using important sounding words that do not fit
• Refrain from making use of ‘sms language’- words such as ‘gonna’, ‘tks’, ‘2’ (instead of ‘to’) have no place in professional correspondence
• And again... proof read!

What Messages are you sending?

We are so used to sending messages: we send e-mail, sms’s, voicemails and telemessages. But what about the unspoken messages that we a send? The subtle, nonverbal means of communication that we send all day long, every day. Our manner of walking, way of dressing, our voice and the way that we speak, our hand gestures or facial expressions - these are all discreet messages that are being sent loud and clear.
Because these nonverbal messages or ‘signals’ are interpreted by others, we have no control over the way that they perceive these messages. But we do have control over what we send.

Dress Code
Dress well. Always look neat and well groomed. You do not have to wear the latest fashions to look good. Little things make the difference, like ensuring that clothing is always well ironed, collars are neat, hems are intact and that clothes are not too small or too big for you.

Eye Contact
Make eye contact, but do not ‘stare down’ the person to whom you are talking. Don’t look around while talking or while they are talking to you. Be attentive and appear interested.

Body Language
Do not slump whilst sitting or stoop when walking. Never lean against walls or desks – or anything else, for that matter.
Walk with meaning and with a steady foot. Don’t wiggle, either – save that for when you’re on the catwalk.

Facial Expressions
Frown only when it is appropriate. Do not roll your eyes when someone is talking to you. Look at the person to who you are talking to, or when they are talking to you.

You know your “irritated” look? Don’t use it around the office.

General Demeanor
If you have to yawn, do so behind your hand. Sneeze into a tissue, and not over anything else. Try not to cross your arms – it might be perceived as defensiveness. Appear awake and interested.

And smile. It really does make you look pretty!