Women, for the love of all that's holy - wear a suit!

Christine Lagarde

 I recently sat in a training course for new managers and something struck my eye. The guys were all wearing formal shirts and trousers but the women were wearing a wide range of things including including some of them in very casual and obviously worn clothing.

This has also bugged me about women politicians. Why oh why do they match themselves up against guys in suits by wearing a shapeless blouse?

My plea is this - we know that males are already likely to be taken more seriously as authority figures, promoted more, paid more... why let them have the advantage of looking smart and appropriate too?

Actually, I'm not really insisting that women wear suits as such, 'cos I certainly don't (except for job interviews) I'm just pleading that we dress like grown up, professional, appropriately formally presented people.

Julia Gillard, ex-Prime Minister of Australia

I know that self-presentation is only a tiny factor in success at work and that there are many who are very successful while looking like they were dragged through a hedge but still, I think we women should take any advantage we can get. Presenting ourselves as authority figures by using garments that traditionally signal authority is an easy and relatively painless exercise.

Wearing reasonably formal clothing to work does not need to cost any more or take any more time. So why not?

Helen Clark and Condoleezza Rice

I believe that how you present yourself is important, whether that's in writing, on social media, in how you speak, the things you say, how you dress.  I think it's especially important for those who have been promoted to manage their peers. A level of formality in dress and behaviour signals 'I'm your boss now - our relationship has changed'. How you present yourself affects how you get treated.

So, what do you think? Wear what you want and damn the torpedoes? 

Secret smugness

Confession time - I like myself pretty well. However, a less savoury side of my character is that I have a few traits that I'm a bit smug about even though they're totally unearned.

I know, being smug is infuriating and usually I keep it to myself, but I thought I'd share in the hope that I'm not the only one being being unreasonably proud of things I did nothing to deserve.

Secret smugness no. 1 - Good eyesight
Even though I'm basically monocular, using both eyes together I can read small text from across the room and see animals in the distance as well as being able to do close up things like thread a needle. My party trick is closing my good eye and showing what a huge difference there is in what I can see (my right eye is extremely short sighted).

I haven't had an eye test in donkey's years and I'm thinking I probably should as I may be starting to struggle more with glare while driving at night. So maybe my source of smugness is on the decline?

Secret smugness no. 2 - Not being clumsy
It seems like everyone bemoans their clumsiness and complains about tripping over or dropping things all the time. Not me! It's not like I glide about with the grace of a swan, but I'm more likely to move a vase into a safe place than knock it over or step over a loose cobblestone instead of twisting my ankle. Don't ask me why I've got this tendency, but it's a handy one to have. 

Secret smugness no. 3 - Colour sense
Again, it seems like quite a few people struggle with colours, whether it's choosing colours that suit their skin tone, working out which colours go together or remembering colours to match with new stuff when shopping.  Somehow I seem to have a little switch in my head that clicks over to 'yes' when a colour suits me and flashes red for 'no' when it doesn't. I'm also pretty good at remembering colours to be able to match new clothes, accessories and home wares. And I'm quite confident mixing and matching colours in outfits or home decorating. This isn't something that I've earned in any way, it just is... but again, it's handy.

So, do you hate my smug self now? Do you have your own secret smugnesses? (Please tell me you do and make me feel better about mine!)

The spirit of envy...

London mayor Boris Johnson has made waves this week with a speech at the Centre for Policy Studies (a right wing think tank set up by Margaret Thatcher). Among other things, he said “I don’t believe that economic equality is possible; indeed, some measure of inequality is essential for the spirit of envy and keeping up with the Joneses and so on that it is a valuable spur to economic activity.”

There are a lot of angles that I could explore on this concept, for example I totally disagree with his final phrase, but I'll stick to one angle for this post.

Boris's concept of the "spirit of envy and keeping up the Jonses" really struck me - first of all as something that I expect some churches would pray for as a demon to be cast out of people! But also, it struck me as the ultimate recipe for misery.

Hinduism, Islam, and Buddhism all speak against envy. Buddha said "Do not overate what you have received or envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind".

In the Bible it says "A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones." Proverbs 14:30. The Bible talks throughout the Old and New Testaments about envy being destructive.

Boris Johnson claims to be heir apparent of Margaret Thatcher but even she once said "The spirit of envy can destroy; it can never build".

I firmly believe in (and attempt to practise) the art of counting my blessings, feeling gratitude for what I have and who I am. I try very hard to remember people who are less fortunate that me and compare myself to them - not in a gloating way but just to realise how very lucky I am. I also try to help out people who are less fortunate in whatever small ways I can. I'm no saint of course, I could do a lot more.

Another point that I try to remember is that looking at others, we only see the outside. Comparing our insides to other people's outsides is a fools' game as you never know what's really going on with them. People can look all glossy and fantastic then you find out that they're in an abusive marriage or they actually feel like an impostor in their job or all their wealth is built on an unstable stack of debt and exploitation.

Henry Coffin said, "Envy is the art of counting another fellow's blessings instead of your own". It's around Thanksgiving or Harvest festival in many parts of the world now. I think as we come up to the great consumer melt-down that is Christmas, it's a great time to count our blessings and rest from the endless stress of trying to keep up with these mythical Joneses. 

As a moth gnaws a garment, so doth envy consume a man.

CHRYSOSTOM,

Read more at http://www.notable-quotes.com/e/envy_quotes.html#GkU6itmEjgGq5Juz.99

As a moth gnaws a garment, so doth envy consume a man.

CHRYSOSTOM,

Read more at http://www.notable-quotes.com/e/envy_quotes.html#GkU6itmEjgGq5Juz.99

As a moth gnaws a garment, so doth envy consume a man.

CHRYSOSTOM,

Read more at http://www.notable-quotes.com/e/envy_quotes.html#GkU6itmEjgGq5Juz.99

Do not overrate what you have received, nor envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind.

Buddha

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/b/buddha118038.html#PFX4ftRiorPllO1H.99

Do not overrate what you have received, nor envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind.

Buddha

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/b/buddha118038.html#PFX4ftRiorPllO1H.99

Do not overrate what you have received, nor envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind.

Buddha

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/b/buddha118038.html#PFX4ftRiorPllO1H.99

Social class - what defines it?

Today in the office, we got to talking about social class. Don't ask me how, it's normally a fairly touchy subject but me and two English girls had a good chat ranging from what we call the room with the TV in it (in New Zealand it's always the lounge - in England it seems it could be a living room, sitting room or possibly front room instead) to what part your accent plays in advancement at work.

The subject came up because of the BBC Lab UK’s Great British Class Survey earlier this year. We were a bit late to the party as it was published in April but evidently there was some fairly rigorous research involving over 100,000 Brits.

They say "It found a new model of seven social classes ranging from the elite at the top to a "precariat" - the poor, precarious proletariat - at the bottom." and "The BBC Lab UK study measured economic capital - income, savings, house value - and social capital - the number and status of people someone knows. The study also measured cultural capital, defined as the extent and nature of cultural interests and activities." Link to BBC website.

They are convincing in their explanations, but I just don't buy it. I think that social class is a subtle combination of how you  look, think, speak and behave. I think it's mainly down to how you're brought up rather than things like your education, friends, income and what entertainment you enjoy. That said, all things being equal your class will generally affect things like whether you go to University (and which Uni, and which courses) or whether you like classical music.

Still, I think that it's perfectly possible to score "Elite" while other people think of you as "Traditional Working Class" because you happen to have made lots of money but still have a working class accent and attitudes. And I bet that Prince William doesn't actually like classical music, the theatre or ballet but surely he's pretty much as 'Elite' as it gets in British society?

In discussing it in the office, we were all pretty clear on who was which class and all clear on what class we were ourselves. It's part of the complicated interaction of human society that we all juggle.

What am I trying to say? I guess just that it's complicated, but interesting. Go and do the survey and let me know what you think.