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Success!Ezine
Volume 6 Issue 8 -- August 2009
DrCarolWebster.com
Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved
Success!Ezine
is a Free newsletter provided to you by
Dr. E. Carol Webster to help you get ahead in life
and enjoy your success.
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E. Carol Webster, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist
consultant in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Feel free to call or
e-mail for more information.
Dr. Webster is author of
Success Management: How to Get to the Top and Keep
Your Sanity Once You Get There and The
Fear of Success: Stop It From Stopping You! |
Feature Article
Enhance Your Image
E. Carol Webster, Ph.D.
Copyright © 2009
Summer is a
great time to take stock of yourself and the image you project
personally and professionally. Whether you like it or not, a positive
image can propel your success, while a negative image will hold you
back. It’s important to be aware of how you appear to others and
to remember that your image is constantly a “work in progress”. There’s
always some improvement you can make, so strive to be your best.
 |
Assess Your Current Image |
Take time to step back and evaluate your image. Start with your
appearance, but remember that image includes your attitudes and behavior
too. They are very much interconnected and this is what causes people to
draw conclusions about you based upon how you look. Many times -- but not
always -- these conclusions are correct. If you are messy in your appearance
or your office is in disarray, it’s reasonable for someone to assume that
you may not be exacting about details and aren’t the best person for a
project that requires fastidiousness. On the other hand, if you look
starched and lacquered in an office where not even a paper clip is out of
place, you probably won’t be selected for a team that ignites its creativity
by engaging in horseplay. This may not matter to you if you have other
career objectives, but if your image is getting in your way, do something
about this.
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Make Some Changes |
If you conclude that your appearance is lacking polish, make it shine. Pay
greater attention to your wardrobe and grooming. And get help from friends
and colleagues you admire, as well as professional shoppers and other
experts. If you can’t afford personal consultants, take advantage of free
assistance provided by your favorite stores and salons. Don’t be afraid to
try something new and move out of your comfort zone a bit. This includes
learning different success strategies, such as networking or public
speaking, that may make you feel uneasy at first. You may need coaching to
learn these new skills. Sometimes you will need to seek therapy to change
stubborn attitudes and behaviors that are holding you back.
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Stay Within Your “Brand” |
While change can be good, don’t go overboard. Your success comes from
others’ confidence in your reputation or your “brand”, so build upon this
image, don’t radically depart from it unless you’re moving into a new field,
for example, and are intentionally seeking a new persona. Otherwise, don’t
go from being the most serious person in the office to becoming the “class
clown”. Or from wearing suits and ties to sporting jeans and t-shirts at
work. Though you may be striving for a more “relaxed” image, it’s not going
to go over well if you become casual in your dress and demeanor when you’ve
always been a stickler for protocol. And if you’re known for your creative
fashions and funky hairdo’s, a shift to classic dress and pumps in a setting
that prides itself on being avant garde will cause great consternation. Make
changes that propel you forward, not out the door.
Many people believe that once they attain a positive image they never need
to improve it. Check yourself out and give your image a boost from time to
time to increase your winner’s edge.
About the Author:
Dr. E. Carol Webster is a clinical psychologist consultant in Fort Lauderdale, FL and is author of
Success Management: How to
Get to the Top and Keep Your Sanity Once You Get There
and The Fear of Success: Stop
It From Stopping You!
|
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Ask Dr. Webster...
Dear Dr. Webster:
My cubicle mate is a sweetheart and I like her a lot. We get along great,
but she brings her kids to work when she’s stuck for a babysitter and it
drives me nuts. The kids touch everything on my desk and they run all
through the place bothering everybody. She keeps doing her work as if she
doesn’t notice and everybody just tries to put up with it. Should I tell her
off?
-- Not A Kiddie Lover
Dear Not A Kiddie Lover: No need to tell her off but, yes, you should
speak to her about the problem. It’s great that your workplace is sensitive
to the needs of employees with children and allows them on the premises when
their parents run into childcare problems. This helps employees manage
stress and worry, and helps them financially when making other arrangements
might be very costly. But the workplace is a place for work not a
playground, and your co-worker needs to understand this. Her children should
not be running amuck and should not be making a mess of your things.
Certainly they shouldn’t be preventing you from doing your job. Some people
think their children’s behavior is cute and is an indication of their
precocity. But the reality is that it reflects poor home training and she
and their father, whether in the same home or not, need to help these
children learn how to go into other settings without causing chaos. If
they’re so young that they don’t know better and can’t tolerate a day in an
office, it’s imperative that she keep them in hand and know when to take
them home or outside for a break when they’re becoming restless and rowdy.
Ultimately, your co-worker needs a back-up plan for when her babysitter is
not available so that the office is not always her only option. She might
also advocate for onsite daycare like many progressive companies provide
throughout the country, though this is not realistic for many employers.
Have a frank discussion with her about this problem and, with your help, she
may come up with alternatives she hasn’t been able to figure out on her own.
--Dr. Webster
Got a Question?
Ask Dr. Webster
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Success Motivator
Our
children’s allegiance to high goals and standards will be principally
established and enforced, not on the campus, but in the home.
-- Harry Edwards
Success Tip
professionals who derail
·
Have difficulty changing or adapting
·
Have problems with interpersonal relationships
·
Fail to build and lead a team
·
Fail to meet business objectives
·
Have too narrow a functional orientation
From the book:
Good Is Not Enough
by Keith Wyche with Sonia Alleyne
Penguin Group, New York, 2008 |
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Missed
An Issue?
Here's another chance to read up on topics of interest: |
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ISSUE |
FEATURE
ARTICLE |
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July 2009 |
Value Vacation |
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June 2009 |
Helplessness Hinders Success |
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May 2009 |
Post Downsizing Stress Syndrome |
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April 2009 |
Don't Be Foolish in Fallen
Economy |
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March 2009 |
Hang Tough In Tough Times |
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February 2009 |
Talk Straight During Uncertain
Times |
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January 2009 |
Career Contentment |
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2008 Issues |
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2007 Issues |
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2006 Issues |
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2005 Issues |
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2004 Issues |
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2003 Issues |
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Success!Ezine
E. Carol Webster, Ph.D.
Clinical Psychology Consulting
DrCarolWebster.com
954.797.9766
Ezine@DrCarolWebster.com
Disclaimer: The information in this
newsletter is for informational purposes only and should not be considered a
substitute for obtaining direct professional help. |
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