Power Dress for Fun!

Kyra writes her Notes from The Cube about an old bugaboo of hers, dressed up in new duds . . .

Here's an idea for the upcoming week: Power Dress.

Maybe it's not a good idea to out-dress your boss - certainly it's not a solid, long-term, career-advancement strategy for a woman with a woman boss - but it can be Fun!

And it doesn't have to be limited to women. I think it even works better for men!

Here's what you do:

Pick a Wednesday or Thursday, about that time when everyone is starting to get run-down by the week (but before Friday when casual relief we're-almost-there takes over).

Choose the day when there will be a cross-departmental meeting, preferably one where the Upper Ranks are present.

Dress well.

Not evening clothes. Not your most expensive outfit. But dress as if YOU own the company.

Then don't comment on it.

Don't solicit compliments. Don't get shy about it. And don't make a Big Deal about it.

You don't have to: Others will notice, comment and talk about it.

All you have to do is act as if this is Normal. Someone says, "You're looking dressed up today?" Answer with a simple, of-course-attituded "Yes." They will ask you "What's the occasion?" Answer: "None" - and look at the questioner with eyes that say "Do I need an 'occasion' to display my natural class?" And so on. You are the Owner of this company - in your mind.

The effect will be electric.

People are so easily impressed by externals.

[The Cube comments: "...by externals" - what Kyra's talking about here is also internal. 'Sounds like fun, but be sure you can pull it off. If you think like a drone, it might be hard to pull off the Queen Bee act simply by wearing a jeweled crown. 'Just a side thought. The Cube has the feeling that Kyra won't be in the cubes with us for long: she's either gonna be promoted or out on her ear. Either way, she's not a drone.]