For women executives, your wardrobes speak for you.
More than nine in ten executives say a person's style of dress either "somewhat" or "significantly" affects that individual's chances of being promoted, according to a survey conducted by OfficeTeam, a staffing company based in Menlo Park, CA. Only seven percent of the 150 senior executives questioned say work apparel has no influence on chances of promotion.
In an age where the rules of professional dressing are constantly shifting, and women have much more freedom than in decades past, there is still one area where there are more unspoken rules than ever: leadership.
While their male counterparts may sport "business casual" khakis, many women feel they must toe a careful and conservative line. They often feel obliged to dress up in order to command authority. These women still struggle not to be defined by traditionally feminine pastimes, like dressing well.
The result: They don't talk about fashion openly, for fear of appearing frivolous. Several women flatly decline to discuss what they wear to work. For example, casual events often call for chinos and an Izod for men. But women who arrive in golf clothes are likely to strike the wrong note.
Such caution is understandable. After all, the fashion industry failed women leaders for decades. Remember the "ladies ties" of the 1980s: silk neck bows that were a feminine interpretation of the men's cravat? In the 90s, women in a range of fields were able to move beyond that, ditching the awkward briefcases, donning pants. By the turn of the millennium, women leaders have selected a staple of pant suits for board meetings, sweaters and jackets for client meetings.
If the women in your organization are feeling some insight would be helpful to advance their careers, they are not alone. At a time when 50.3% of all managers and professionals are female, women still comprise fewer than 2% of Fortune 1,000 CEOs and just 7.9% of Fortune 500 top earners. The Glass Ceiling (www.GlassCeilingTips.com) remains unbroken.
Perhaps, you know of women managers, where you work or within your personal network, that are ready to start doing things slightly different in order to achieve the success they deserve.
If so, join Barb McEwen, certified master executive coach, and me every Wednesday for a teleclass series on the subject of Same Workplace, Different Realities. More information at: www.ExecutiveWoman.info
Source: The Wall Street Journal, March 22, 2007
