The conventional wisdom says we all need a dress code in white-collardom. It keeps employees presentable and garners respect for the organization. Supposedly.
Really, it’s instituted to maintain order and conformity among minions. It diminishes expression, reflects a lack of trust and is a remnant of a bygone era.
Yesterday and Monday, I wore my typical button-down (or polo) under a sweater. Atypically, I didn’t tuck in said button-down. Wandering the maze of cubes, fully un-tucked, I wanted someone to complain. Just so I could outline my indifference.
Here’s my dress code for all walks of life:
When meeting or mingling with the people of your given status or of a status to which you strive, dress in reflection of that status.
Too simple? Exactly my point. To assign attire to different strata is just as ridiculous. If you can’t trust an employee to dress appropriately, why hire him/her? They’re obviously incompetent (and likely have issue feeding themselves).
It’s a new world. Some workers were raised Online. Working from home can provide the same (or better) access as a soul-sucking cubicle. More programs come out daily to make such things easier. Aren’t top-down policies somewhat tired?
Gary Hamel‘s blog post from yesterday, for the Wall Street Journal, outlines some of these changes. He, correctly, feels things have changed and management will soon have to reflect that. I encourage reading the entire post but here are a few of my favorites:
Contribution counts for more than credentials.
When you post a video to YouTube, no one asks you if you went to film school. When you write a blog, no one cares whether you have a journalism degree. Position, title, and academic degrees—none of the usual status differentiators carry much weight online…Hierarchies are natural, not proscribed.
In any Web forum there are some individuals who command more respect and attention than others—and have more influence as a consequence. Critically, though, these individuals haven’t been appointed by some superior authority…Power comes from sharing information, not hoarding it.
The Web is also a gift economy. To gain influence and status, you have to give away your expertise and content…Opinions compound and decisions are peer-reviewed.
On the Internet, truly smart ideas rapidly gain a following no matter how disruptive they may be. The Web is a near-perfect medium for aggregating the wisdom of the crowd…Hackers are heroes.
Large organizations tend to make life uncomfortable for activists and rabble-rousers—however constructive they may be. In contrast, online communities frequently embrace those with strong anti-authoritarian views…
In short (after long), if you’re going to institute a dress code (or other top-down useless), no matter how lax, you’re fostering the same discontent and casual indifference that you’re desperately trying to avoid.
Tags: corporations, social tools