You know how they say a change is as good as a rest? I tried it this week and it worked.
This is going to sound trivial but, stay with me… there is a good lesson here.
I hit my favourite (and generally not affordable) shoe store for Black Friday. Lo and behold, there was a pair of beautiful high heeled shoes in my size. And they fit. And they were less than half price. And I bought them.
I wore them on Monday in my office. (Not to my office, just in my office). They make me two and half inches taller and they have flowers on them. Not showy but definitely noticeable.
It was a bit like having new glasses or a slightly different hair cut. People don’t gasp at the difference. They just step back and squint at you trying to figure out what’s different.
Boom!
They are, in that instant, reevaluating who they thought you were and what you are capable of.
For example, I walked up to someone who I have worked with for years and as I started to talk, I could see him processing the fact that I was at eye level. I could tell it was a different experience for him. His tone of voice was different and he seemed to be giving more consideration to what I was saying. Who knew?
I do not consider myself to be stylish at all. I am not up on the latest fads and I do not have a personal shopper but given this experience, I might actually spend some time thinking about my accessories.
Why not make people stop and pause at the Christmas party? It might open up new avenues of conversation with people who matter and that’s where the good work comes from.