The Tribune

By Ian Ferguson

Much talk has surrounded professional image and the personal branding of each employee as an extension of the company’s brand. We create grooming policies to encourage team members to adhere to basic guidelines regarding dress and hygiene.

In white collar, professional settings it had become common place to see business suits, neck ties, heels, pumps, designer jackets and sweaters worn by everyone assigned to the office (even basic clerical, filing and messenger staff). Needless to say, with the influx of new generations of employees, this trend has been shifting gradually, with larger numbers of persons opting to ‘dress down’ and present a more casual look in the office.

Our discussion begins to explore the positive and negative impact of this shift, and attempts to suggest a ‘happy medium’ for the dissenting voices on the matter. Let us begin our dialogue with the apparent advantages of a ‘dress down’ work culture:

* People love to be casual. If people are more casual and comfortable, then it stands to reason that they will be happier and might be enthused to produce more.

* It places less of a financial burden on the employee to dress down. Large sums of money are spent in offices, sometimes by junior staff, to ‘keep up with the Joneses’.

Often, employees live well beyond their means trying to maintain a corporate image that has been inadvertently created by the generation that preceded them. A casual look can be more easily maintained.

* The relaxed environment created as a result of the casual dress of employees has resulted in improved worker morale and greater open communication between managers and employees. People seem less tense, egotistical and haughty when they are more casually dressed. This serves well for improving human relations in the work place.

* Fine dress and designer clothes can prove quite distracting if not managed. We have all been to offices in the Bahamas where everyone seems to have stepped straight out of a fashion magazine, but they do not possess even the basic professional or customer service skills. The focus clearly has shifted from ‘how I serve’’ to ‘how I look’.

On the other hand, research and general observation shows that there are some harmful points to consider when opting to trade the suit and tie for khakis and a polo shirt. Here are two of them:

* Accountants, lawyers, teachers and many other professionals are not taken seriously when they present themselves in attire that is socially categorised as ‘casual’.

Clients, parents and customers would much rather entrust their money, children and products to the care of individuals who ‘look the part of consummate professionals’.

* In many instances, the casual look made room for a casual attitude towards work assignments. Employers who elected for a more casual dress approach to the office soon realised that work standards started to deteriorate, punctuality became an issue for otherwise good employees, and lines of respect between leader and team member became blurred.

We end simply by saying that whether or not the dress is casual, the work environment must be managed and measured by clearly articulated and communicated standards of performance, where every team member understands the critical role they play in the organisation’s success.

• NB: Ian R. Ferguson is a talent management and organisational development consultant, having completed graduate studies with regional and international universities. He has served organsations, both locally and globally, providing relevant solutions to their business growth and development issues. He may be contacted at tcconsultants@coralwave.com.