Worklife
Issue No. 5 - April/June 2002
The Importance of Corporate Good Looks - At Home and on the Road
by Elisabeth King
‘Fake it 'til you make it’ is the mantra of today’s corporate image enhancement business. The jargon might be modern, but the practice stretches back to the time of the Pharaohs when men of humble origins started to build themselves tombs that would reflect their newly elevated status to anyone they might meet in the afterlife.
What is new is that in the past 10 years, the business of grooming people to reflect their true or new corporate roles has switched from being female dominated. At least on the receiving end, companies are sending along teams, not just individuals, to the experts and corporate image enhancement companies try to effect inner and outer changes without descending into flakiness.
"There's nothing frivolous about bettering your image. How you present yourself increases your ability to negotiate. Presentation affects psychology and physiology. I challenge anyone to cut a great deal wearing a pair of shorts no matter how casual the environment,” says Jon-Michail, the CEO of Melbourne based grooming consultant, Image Group International—a company that has been aimed at the corporate market since day one.
“In fact, in a strange twist to the image enhancement business, the casual Friday habit adopted by many companies is causing real problems. Few people can convey the right air of power and authority, the single most important image consideration for men, dressed in a pair of chinos and a chambray shirt. Mufti days are causing real distress, especially to senior staff, and we are frequently called on to advise on clothes that fit in with the new casualness but don’t undermine the normal chain of command.”
Increased competition, not vanity, is one of the major reasons for the upsurge in interest in executive makeovers. “Today's workplace is the most competitive labour environment of all time,” says Jon-Michail. “Your single degree on the wall pales into insi...
