Creating an image at work that scripts your success story

Very often we do know how to dress, but how a particular place demands for us to dress is something we go wrong with. Office attire, etiquettes, and behaviour is something that is distinguished between crossing the thin line to go overboard or just understated. The quickest tip most of the fashion experts would give is, a right mix of well-fitted clothes, neutral make-up, and minimal accessories are the key to smart dressing in an office. However, that doesn’t help an individual who is puzzled by the idea of making an overall impact at an office.

To begin with making an impression that has a positive effect on subordinates and superiors, you can never overlook your office attire, being pleasant, keeping an organised desk and polishing your social skills. Yes, work speaks for itself and if you are dedicated to your work, success is bound to follow. However, to rise professionally and make a lasting impression that portrays authority, respect and leadership, you need to create an image that holds great value too.

Five basic rules that can be easily incorporated into your day to day work routine, will simply be game changers for you at your professional front. The way you talk, the way you dress, how well you express yourself, who you associate with, and how you conduct yourself are your work mantras for success.

Talk the talk

Keep a note of the language you use, verbally or in the form of mails you share with your colleagues. When they say you need to earn respect, well it often does come your way if you know how to choose your words. Language is one thing that we often do not tend to pay much attention towards, but it does hold immense importance. Being good at communicating, having a pleasant way of talking, avoiding swears and cussing entirely from your dictionary should ideally be your goal. One can express really well through words, it’s all about knowing which ones to use where. Thank you’s should be a part of most of your work, appreciating someone is a good thing to do.

Get your wardrobe right

It is essential you take a good look at your work attire and choose the right things to wear at work. You need to dress to impress, but certainly not look as if you were going for a Christmas ball. Always wear well-fitted clothes that are neither too tight nor too loose or baggy. A good colour palette to keep for office wear should include greys, blacks, navy blues, mustards, and browns. You can team them up with other colours if you find it way too dull, however, hot pinks, yellows, purples are too bright for an office. Also, avoid big prints and patterns along with animal prints. You can incorporate sarees and suits if you are comfortable in Indian attire, make sure your necks are not too deep and the outfit not revealing. Minimal jewellery and basic nude makeup work best, red lipsticks shout for attention, doubt you would want that in a workplace. Try wearing flats or platform shoes, high heels or stilettos will tire you out by the end of the day.

Express yourself

When talked about expressing ourselves, it is not just limited to the words that come out of the mouth, but also the gestures and facial expressions that you choose to use. For instance, if you are not happy with someones work and you cringe your nose, when not interested in someones talk you roll your eyes, when joking with someone you wink at them, all these ways of expressing certainly leave a bad taste for a fellow worker or even your senior officials. The way you use your facial expressions and hand gestures, body language, it makes your position stronger in the company. If you sit up straight in a business meeting, give verbal nods to show that you are listening, give a firm handshake while greeting and smile often and make eye contact, these little changes will reap fruitful results.

Association matters

Lastly, who you associate with describes you best. So, in order to learn, rise and grow in an organisation, spend time with successful people. No one expects you to butter them up, but simply learn things from their experience and pave your own way to success. You are bound to learn a lot, get to hear about experiences, know what is good and differentiate between the bad.

These little efforts that you make to transform yourself, undoubtedly are bound to lead you to finding not just success, but also turning out to be an asset to your company. Take steps towards becoming a better leader and find triumph following you each and everywhere you go. Projecting the right image at work is not entirely about changing your wardrobe, but enhancing your overall personality.