“How did it go?” my friend Courtney asked after a big job interview I had nearly a decade ago.
“Good,” I said. “I got a really good vibe from the people there. And the woman who interviewed me was wearing sneakers!”
“You must’ve loved that,” she said, laughing.
She was right. I was thrilled when I noticed the casual attire of the people I spoke with. In fact, I saw it as a huge selling point.
Many years later, I agree with that reasoning (which, let’s face it, doesn’t always happen when we look at decisions made earlier in our careers). And that tells me two things.
1. People really like being able to dress casually. This one applies more to some individuals — and workplaces, for that matter — than others, and obviously can’t be applied across the board. But it shows how much value is placed on certain privileges.
Something as simple as relaxing a bit on the dress code or assigning days when the staff can go a bit more casual can go a long way. And it isn’t just about comfort; I believe that a company that lets employees make decisions on what to wear is more likely to give latitude in other areas, and bet I’m not the only one who feels that way.
2. People recognize that culture starts at the top. The woman who interviewed me — and eventually became my boss and mentor — did wear sneakers, but that was the norm at the office, which was in a loft in the Flat Iron district of New York. If you asked anyone about Susan, I guarantee you her attire wouldn’t even come up in the conversation. They’d probably tell you she was a tough, smart manager who did excellent work and commanded the respect of her team. She pushed us to do our best while we were on the clock, but also encouraged us to have a life outside of the office. That was the culture she promoted.
At every place I’ve worked, it’s been the same thing. Leadership sets the tone and dictates what the culture will be. This, of course, can be a good thing, or a very bad thing. A few years before taking the job with Susan, I worked at a company where the atmosphere was casual, but in a very different way. My manager was crass, to put it mildly. It wasn’t at all unusual for him to comment on the appearance of a female coworker, tell inappropriate jokes, or wax poetic about why a woman should never wear an engagement ring to a job interview. (The answer, in case you were curious, is that she’ll want be too distracted with her wedding to work, and the next thing you know, she’s taking maternity leave. I kid you not.)
This guy was like Michael Scott, Steve Carell’s notoriously politically incorrect boss on the Office, but without the warmth and humor.
What’s truly unfortunate is that at one point, it became clear that his attitude had started to rub off on others. When a friend of mine was promoted to managing editor, she had several awkward encounters with male colleagues who either didn’t take her seriously, or worse, didn’t listen when she spoke. And although they should have known better, the truth is that they were merely mirroring their leader’s bad behavior.
Eventually, my friend moved on to bigger and better things, as did most of the editorial staff. But I can’t help but wonder what could have happened if the team had remained together; if our leader hadn’t poisoned the culture.
The message is pretty clear. Whether you realize it or not, your staff is going to follow in your footsteps. As a leader, it’s your job to make sure you’re leaving a footprint you can be proud of — no matter what kind of shoes you’re wearing.
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