Addressing social, economic, cultural and professional issues to drive appreciation for diversity in society.
Sunday, 4 January 2015
Ejaculation etiquette: How to keep your girlfriend happy
Ejaculation etiquette is one of the most important things in life, seriously. Women are really lucky when it comes to having an orgasm and not having to deal with a mess afterwards; whereas men will always know that after an orgasm, no matter how amazing it was or not, there will be a mess waiting to be cleaned up.
Following ejaculation etiquette is crucial in keeping your girlfriend, sexual partner or wife happy. And if they’re happy, it simply means you’ll have more opportunities to keep on practicing your etiquette rules in the future! *wink*
No one wants to deal with awkward and gross post-sex cleanups – it just takes away from the beautiful bits of making love to someone. The ejaculation etiquette plan will help you plan ahead: where it goes, where it doesn’t go, how you should clean up and how it will be disposed of.
Ultimately, it will depend on your partner’s and your own likes and dislikes when it comes to climatic fluids. What you do with it will be determined by your comfort level.
TIP 1: Don’t lie about it
If you’re having sex without a condom, hopefully with someone you know won’t give you a STI and knows the potential pregnancy situation, ejaculating in her will leave very little cleanup for you. However, if you both had agreed to ejaculate outside of her, don’t lie and let it rip inside of her. That’s just rude.
TIP 2: The condom is your responsibility
Don’t ever ask her to take a used condom off for you. Take responsibility. Tie the end off and place it in the garbage.
TIP 3: Never hold her head
Oral sex is definitely more complex when it comes to etiquette. It’s nice to let her know in advance when to expect your climatic fluids so your partner can prepare. If your partner is not mentally prepared, you will most likely be dealing with them struggling to hold back their gagging reflexes. Never hold your partner’s head, forcing them to swallow. That’s the best way to never get head ever again – like ever ever!!
TIP 4: Don’t rub it all over the place
So both of you have agreed that it’s ok for you to ejaculate on her body. Great, but don’t rub it in all over afterwards. It’s not cocoa butter. Who’s wants to feel squishiness and sliminess between your bodies?
TIP 5: On the face doesn’t mean in her eyes or hair
Again, with permission, you are ejaculating on her face. No matter how kinky your partner may be, no one needs your climatic fluids in the eyes or hair. It is just gross!!
Have some manners!! 😈😈
Friday, 19 December 2014
Happiness is an inside job!
Want to be happier? I have good news and bad news. First, the bad news:
Research shows that approximately 33-50% of your level of happiness is hereditary. Your genes dictate your “happiness set point.”
Now, the good news. According to psychologists, 10% of your happiness is due to life circumstances and 40% is the result of your own choices and personal outlook: your career, your relationships, your friends, your activities, your level of health and fitness…
So even if you have a relatively low happiness set point, you still have significant control over how happy you feel. The key is to exercise that control by making choices and developing habits that make you happier.
Easier said than done?
Actually, no:
Surround yourself with positive people.
Like they say, we’re the average of the five people we spend the most time with. Spend time with negative people and your outlook will become more negative. Spend time with a chronic devil’s advocate and your attitude will go all to hell. .
Good friends encourage you, support you, and lift you up when you’re down. They see the best in you, and that helps you see the best in yourself. (That’s also true for our co-workers, and is why it's so important to have great colleagues at work. It's not just that we spend a lot of time with them, we essentially become them.
You can’t choose your family, but you can choose your friends. Choose people who make your life better – and happier.
See perfection as the enemy of happiness.
Your career doesn’t have to be perfect before you can be happy. Your marriage doesn’t have to be perfect before you can be happy. Your kids, your home, your car, your clothes… nothing has to be perfect.
And that’s a good thing because nothing can ever be perfect. Setting a bar you’ll never reach only ensures you’ll never be satisfied, fulfilled, or happy.
Instead think about what you already have. Think about what you’ve already accomplished. See where you are today not in terms of where you think you should be…. but as a great platform for achieving even more.
Then focus on doing well. Focus on doing great. Focus on excellence – not perfection, but excellence.
And know when to smell the roses – because you have a much bigger garden than you let yourself think.
Focus on now, not later.
“What if?” is like kryptonite to happiness. “What if I get fired? What if my business fails? What if something happens to my family? What if....”
“What if?” thinking is great if it results in a plan.
“What if?” thinking that only results in worry and stress and distraction is a waste of time.
If you can’t control tomorrow, don’t worry about tomorrow. Just worry about making today great, because the best way to be happier is to enjoy every moment as it comes.
Compare yourself to yourself, not to other people.
Comparisons are a zero-sum game you will always lose: no matter who you are, there will always be someone smarter, or richer, or more attractive, or more successful. Someone will always have “more.”
(But no one will have what you have.)
So stop comparing yourself to other people and start comparing yourself to yourself. Work to be a better version of you than you were last week, last month, and last year; that way when you look back you’ll love seeing how far you’ve come.
And you’ll feel a lot happier with, and about, yourself.
Do unto others.
“It is better to give than to receive” has a scientific basis: studies show providing social support can be more beneficial to the giver than the receiver.
Not only is helping a person in need gratifying, the act is also an explicit reminder of how comparatively fortunate we are… and that’s a wonderful reminder of how thankful we should be for what we already have.
You can’t control whether other people help you. But you can control whether you help other people – and that means you can control how happy you are, since giving always makes you feel happier.
Live your life.
The most common regret of people that only had a few months to live?
"I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me."
What other people think -- especially people who aren’t important in your life -- doesn't matter. What other people – especially people who aren’t important in your life – want you to do doesn't mater.
You have hopes. You have dreams. You have goals. Regardless of what other people might think or say, make the choices that support those hopes and dreams and goals.
Don’t look back and wish you’d done things differently. Decide what you want, decide how you want to live, decide what is best for you, your family, and the people you love… look forward and live your life in the way that supports what you truly want.
Have the courage to be who you are. You’ll be much happier now… and much happier later.
Research shows that approximately 33-50% of your level of happiness is hereditary. Your genes dictate your “happiness set point.”
Now, the good news. According to psychologists, 10% of your happiness is due to life circumstances and 40% is the result of your own choices and personal outlook: your career, your relationships, your friends, your activities, your level of health and fitness…
So even if you have a relatively low happiness set point, you still have significant control over how happy you feel. The key is to exercise that control by making choices and developing habits that make you happier.
Easier said than done?
Actually, no:
Surround yourself with positive people.
Like they say, we’re the average of the five people we spend the most time with. Spend time with negative people and your outlook will become more negative. Spend time with a chronic devil’s advocate and your attitude will go all to hell. .
Good friends encourage you, support you, and lift you up when you’re down. They see the best in you, and that helps you see the best in yourself. (That’s also true for our co-workers, and is why it's so important to have great colleagues at work. It's not just that we spend a lot of time with them, we essentially become them.
You can’t choose your family, but you can choose your friends. Choose people who make your life better – and happier.
See perfection as the enemy of happiness.
Your career doesn’t have to be perfect before you can be happy. Your marriage doesn’t have to be perfect before you can be happy. Your kids, your home, your car, your clothes… nothing has to be perfect.
And that’s a good thing because nothing can ever be perfect. Setting a bar you’ll never reach only ensures you’ll never be satisfied, fulfilled, or happy.
Instead think about what you already have. Think about what you’ve already accomplished. See where you are today not in terms of where you think you should be…. but as a great platform for achieving even more.
Then focus on doing well. Focus on doing great. Focus on excellence – not perfection, but excellence.
And know when to smell the roses – because you have a much bigger garden than you let yourself think.
Focus on now, not later.
“What if?” is like kryptonite to happiness. “What if I get fired? What if my business fails? What if something happens to my family? What if....”
“What if?” thinking is great if it results in a plan.
“What if?” thinking that only results in worry and stress and distraction is a waste of time.
If you can’t control tomorrow, don’t worry about tomorrow. Just worry about making today great, because the best way to be happier is to enjoy every moment as it comes.
Compare yourself to yourself, not to other people.
Comparisons are a zero-sum game you will always lose: no matter who you are, there will always be someone smarter, or richer, or more attractive, or more successful. Someone will always have “more.”
(But no one will have what you have.)
So stop comparing yourself to other people and start comparing yourself to yourself. Work to be a better version of you than you were last week, last month, and last year; that way when you look back you’ll love seeing how far you’ve come.
And you’ll feel a lot happier with, and about, yourself.
Do unto others.
“It is better to give than to receive” has a scientific basis: studies show providing social support can be more beneficial to the giver than the receiver.
Not only is helping a person in need gratifying, the act is also an explicit reminder of how comparatively fortunate we are… and that’s a wonderful reminder of how thankful we should be for what we already have.
You can’t control whether other people help you. But you can control whether you help other people – and that means you can control how happy you are, since giving always makes you feel happier.
Live your life.
The most common regret of people that only had a few months to live?
"I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me."
What other people think -- especially people who aren’t important in your life -- doesn't matter. What other people – especially people who aren’t important in your life – want you to do doesn't mater.
You have hopes. You have dreams. You have goals. Regardless of what other people might think or say, make the choices that support those hopes and dreams and goals.
Don’t look back and wish you’d done things differently. Decide what you want, decide how you want to live, decide what is best for you, your family, and the people you love… look forward and live your life in the way that supports what you truly want.
Have the courage to be who you are. You’ll be much happier now… and much happier later.
Monday, 8 December 2014
There is Life after Christmas
There is Life after Christmas. The holiday season is the time when many entrepreneurs dig the financial graves in which their projects will fall. Countless potential billionaires spend more than they earn
The financial decisions you make this holiday season will impact your investments in the coming year. Don't be deceived by the Holiday spending fever. Celebrate but do it sensibly knowing that there is life after the holidays. Don't just buy things because they're on sale. If you didn't plan for it simply don't buy it.
Use that extra income from bonuses to make a head-start of the new year. Pay off your debts, pay tuition or rent in advance or save for that future project
"The wise man saves for the future but the foolish man spends whatever he gets." Proverbs 21:20.
The financial decisions you make this holiday season will impact your investments in the coming year. Don't be deceived by the Holiday spending fever. Celebrate but do it sensibly knowing that there is life after the holidays. Don't just buy things because they're on sale. If you didn't plan for it simply don't buy it.
Use that extra income from bonuses to make a head-start of the new year. Pay off your debts, pay tuition or rent in advance or save for that future project
"The wise man saves for the future but the foolish man spends whatever he gets." Proverbs 21:20.
Monday, 1 December 2014
Please, Just Introduce yourself!
Networking is one of the most challenging skills you may have to learn in the world of business. It can be an awkward experience, having the attention of a group of strangers focused on you, and trying to make a good first impression.
It’s an important moment. The person opposite you might be someone who could make or break your career. If you make a good impression, he or she might be able to refer your next big client, or have the influence to help you land that next big contract or that lucrative job you so yearn for.
On the other hand, if you act like a zombie, you might alienate someone who might have been an otherwise important connection and relationship.
If you’d like to avoid looking like a jerk, avoid being this guy when introducing yourself:
•Name dropper. This person introduces themselves by saying who they know, who they’ve worked with, etc. I might not remember their name, but I’ll remember that they once dinner with the area Governor
•Digital Zombie. If you’re going to a networking event, or a business function of some kind, don’t be so absorbed in yourself and your cell phone that you’re not paying attention.
. Biz card waiter. A card is not an introduction. Just throwing your business card at a person, or worse, at as many people as possible at a networking event, is just about the worst kind of introduction you can make. If you hand one to me, I’m going to hand it to the nearest rubbish bin.
•Double-shot menu. Handing someone two copies of your business card to encourage the other person to send you a referral. It’s presumptuous unless they ask for an extra card. Its like taking 2 copies of the programme at a funeral service!!!
•Rambling man (or woman). As soon as you get to talk, you get over excited and start telling your life story. Or the story of how you got to the meeting. Or how you met your spouse. And forget to tell me, you know, who you are.
•The Historian. If I’m just meeting you, I don’t need to know the entire history of your business or career, all of your degrees and accolades, and your dog’s maiden name. Stick to the basics.
•Little-sissie handshake. It may be old fashioned, but I think a weak handshake is a turn-off when introducing yourself. Practice a firm (but not crushing) handshake to convey confidence.
•The Cannonball. Probably the opposite of the little-sissie is the cannonball — the guy who is so overly confident that he’ll marshal his way into any situation or conversation without being invited. If you want to join an ongoing conversation, wait to be acknowledged before you jump right in.
•How to introduce yourself in one simple step:
Instead of leading with what you do, lead with who you help. As in, “Hi, my name is Steve, and I help companies identify and make the best use of their key performance indicators and big data while avoiding obvious risks.”
Done. You know who I am, what I do, and more importantly, whether or not I can help you or someone you know.
What are your best tips for making a good introduction? OR, what are your least favorite ways people introduce themselves? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
It’s an important moment. The person opposite you might be someone who could make or break your career. If you make a good impression, he or she might be able to refer your next big client, or have the influence to help you land that next big contract or that lucrative job you so yearn for.
On the other hand, if you act like a zombie, you might alienate someone who might have been an otherwise important connection and relationship.
If you’d like to avoid looking like a jerk, avoid being this guy when introducing yourself:
•Name dropper. This person introduces themselves by saying who they know, who they’ve worked with, etc. I might not remember their name, but I’ll remember that they once dinner with the area Governor
•Digital Zombie. If you’re going to a networking event, or a business function of some kind, don’t be so absorbed in yourself and your cell phone that you’re not paying attention.
. Biz card waiter. A card is not an introduction. Just throwing your business card at a person, or worse, at as many people as possible at a networking event, is just about the worst kind of introduction you can make. If you hand one to me, I’m going to hand it to the nearest rubbish bin.
•Double-shot menu. Handing someone two copies of your business card to encourage the other person to send you a referral. It’s presumptuous unless they ask for an extra card. Its like taking 2 copies of the programme at a funeral service!!!
•Rambling man (or woman). As soon as you get to talk, you get over excited and start telling your life story. Or the story of how you got to the meeting. Or how you met your spouse. And forget to tell me, you know, who you are.
•The Historian. If I’m just meeting you, I don’t need to know the entire history of your business or career, all of your degrees and accolades, and your dog’s maiden name. Stick to the basics.
•Little-sissie handshake. It may be old fashioned, but I think a weak handshake is a turn-off when introducing yourself. Practice a firm (but not crushing) handshake to convey confidence.
•The Cannonball. Probably the opposite of the little-sissie is the cannonball — the guy who is so overly confident that he’ll marshal his way into any situation or conversation without being invited. If you want to join an ongoing conversation, wait to be acknowledged before you jump right in.
•How to introduce yourself in one simple step:
Instead of leading with what you do, lead with who you help. As in, “Hi, my name is Steve, and I help companies identify and make the best use of their key performance indicators and big data while avoiding obvious risks.”
Done. You know who I am, what I do, and more importantly, whether or not I can help you or someone you know.
What are your best tips for making a good introduction? OR, what are your least favorite ways people introduce themselves? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
Monday, 17 November 2014
Rules on interaction between clergy men and church-going women
With Kenyan women literally behaving like headless chicken before members of the clergy, especially those who pass themselves off as miracle workers who can heal all manner of diseases, solve marital and business problems and bring the dead back to life — only after one plants a seed — I feel it’s time I gave them some rules of engagement.
First, if you are a married woman it doesn’t matter if your intimate body parts, like your breasts, are burning with pain, letting any other male who is not a doctor to touch them in the name of praying or performing a miracle is a no, no!
Male gynaecologist
I find it a bit ridiculous that some of our women blush and feel embarrassed whenever a male gynaecologist is examining them, but when they go to church, they lose all sense of embarrassment and decency with some seeming to enjoy the pastor’s touch, and worse still, in front of people.
Secondly, women should keep in mind that the most important person they should love and adore is God not their pastors, bishops, prophets and whatever other fancy names they call themselves.
It beats me how nowadays women fear men of God more than God himself. Some do not even read the Bible for themselves and simply go by the pastor’s own interpretation of the holy book. That is how women have found themselves literally worshiping men of God and doing their bidding more than God’s will. It’s a pity.
But it is time women sobered up and adhered to biblical teachings, not what the ‘pastors’ and ‘bishops’ say.
Thirdly, ordinarily women are stingy with their money.
Ask any married man who has a working wife and he will tell you that his partner never wastes an opportunity to remind him that his money is theirs and her money is hers and hers alone to do with as she deems fit.
But throw a pastor onto the scene and the woman will open up her purse with very little persuasion all in the name of ‘planting a seed’.
Defending pastors
But it is high time women stopped supporting the dreams of these cons who use the pulpit to swindle even the sick of their hard earned money.
Lastly, women should cease defending pastors blindly. For instance, in the recent expose of self-styled Prophet Kanyari — who passes himself as a prophet — some women almost went physical on KTN’s Mohammed Ali and John-Allan Namu in defense of their infallible pastor.
Dear sisters, a true man of God doesn’t need women fighting for him because he knows there is a Man above who is capable of fighting on his behalf. He will ask God to fight his battles. Get it?
First, if you are a married woman it doesn’t matter if your intimate body parts, like your breasts, are burning with pain, letting any other male who is not a doctor to touch them in the name of praying or performing a miracle is a no, no!
Male gynaecologist
I find it a bit ridiculous that some of our women blush and feel embarrassed whenever a male gynaecologist is examining them, but when they go to church, they lose all sense of embarrassment and decency with some seeming to enjoy the pastor’s touch, and worse still, in front of people.
Secondly, women should keep in mind that the most important person they should love and adore is God not their pastors, bishops, prophets and whatever other fancy names they call themselves.
It beats me how nowadays women fear men of God more than God himself. Some do not even read the Bible for themselves and simply go by the pastor’s own interpretation of the holy book. That is how women have found themselves literally worshiping men of God and doing their bidding more than God’s will. It’s a pity.
But it is time women sobered up and adhered to biblical teachings, not what the ‘pastors’ and ‘bishops’ say.
Thirdly, ordinarily women are stingy with their money.
Ask any married man who has a working wife and he will tell you that his partner never wastes an opportunity to remind him that his money is theirs and her money is hers and hers alone to do with as she deems fit.
But throw a pastor onto the scene and the woman will open up her purse with very little persuasion all in the name of ‘planting a seed’.
Defending pastors
But it is high time women stopped supporting the dreams of these cons who use the pulpit to swindle even the sick of their hard earned money.
Lastly, women should cease defending pastors blindly. For instance, in the recent expose of self-styled Prophet Kanyari — who passes himself as a prophet — some women almost went physical on KTN’s Mohammed Ali and John-Allan Namu in defense of their infallible pastor.
Dear sisters, a true man of God doesn’t need women fighting for him because he knows there is a Man above who is capable of fighting on his behalf. He will ask God to fight his battles. Get it?
Tuesday, 11 November 2014
Men facing extinction!? My thoughts
I know ya ll ladies will feel me on this, and I know ya ll men will deny but just stop and think about.
it does not apply to everyone, and its not gospel truth but I can BET a lot of you can relate THE EXTINCTION oF MeN Don't say I didn't warn you!
In the study of nature and its evolution, the animals that ended up being extinct were the ones that were unable to adapt to changes happening in their environment, or were unable to shift to areas that could harbor their existence: Google the history of dinosaurs!!
Well.....I foresee another species getting extinct and its also for the above same reasons.
Point to note here, am not an advocate for this whole women independence CR**!
I am the Chief advocate for women being treated with dignity and respect but I draw the line when it comes to women playing men's roles!
I might change my mind when men start playing women's roles.....ummmm!! on second thought, no I WONT! It might nit be a good idea!!
Men should be men and women-women, and we should help each other with our roles because society has changed since the days of our forefathers and hence we need to adapt.
That said, I beg to ask, WHERE DID ALL THE MEN GO?
Men, there were warning signs of attack to your existence that you should have noted and stepped up your game to.
Warning signs included;
when women began wearing trousers,
when women started doing office jobs,
when women became managers in the office jobs,
when women began hiring for office jobs,
when women began chasing/pursuing men,
when women began chamas,
when women began activist groups to talk about how useless men are,
When women gave up and started seeing each other!
when the first vibrator was created !!
warning warning warning! One of you should have said 'wait a minute, do you see what I see?' But you all chose to ignore the warning signs. And to make things worse, you continued to deteriorate.
I miss the days when men were men! I miss the days;
when men would call girls on their parent's landline number because there were no cell phones
when men would queue at the telephone booths with 5sh coins to call their ladies for 10minutes!
when the men would make a date and pick her up from home, instead of saying 'lets meet there!'
when men would actually make an effort and dress up when taking ladies out,
when men would call to apologise after an argument on phone 5 minutes later,
when men would stay and talk things out instead of walking away after a fight,
when men would be patient with ladies and not expect sex on the second date!
when men would chase after the girl they loved even if it took months, instead of running to the next available skirt,
when men would marry women of substance and not just a pretty face, fake boobs and long curly weaves.....then go ahead and have affairs with the ones they should have married in the 1st place!
when men would not expect their girls to work the same job as they do during the day, get home and be househelps/cooks/cleaners for them, then their sex toy before bed, and still expect her to meet half the bills at the end of the month, and carry their babies while still doing all the above chores.... OMG, no wonder they are getting extinct.
If I were a woman, and I had a well paying job, a few investments, a beautiful home, a sexy ride, a fantastic support structure of friends and family, and even say a beautiful child, then the only reason i need a man is for love.
So if my man cannot show me the love I need, cannot treat me like a lady, then why would I want to be with one???
No wonder all these successful women have kitchen totos for boyfriends, no wonder vibrators are on such high demand, no wonder women are so angry!
If I were a man, I would recognize the threat and adapt, by learning all I needed to make a woman happy.
After all be smart enough to know that once your woman is happy, you can have everything you want! EVERYTHING! ....But as a man I don't think I would not be smart enough to think like that!
Hence tick-tock, tick-tock, the clock to extinction continues ticking!
Oh well....my honest opinion...
it does not apply to everyone, and its not gospel truth but I can BET a lot of you can relate THE EXTINCTION oF MeN Don't say I didn't warn you!
In the study of nature and its evolution, the animals that ended up being extinct were the ones that were unable to adapt to changes happening in their environment, or were unable to shift to areas that could harbor their existence: Google the history of dinosaurs!!
Well.....I foresee another species getting extinct and its also for the above same reasons.
Point to note here, am not an advocate for this whole women independence CR**!
I am the Chief advocate for women being treated with dignity and respect but I draw the line when it comes to women playing men's roles!
I might change my mind when men start playing women's roles.....ummmm!! on second thought, no I WONT! It might nit be a good idea!!
Men should be men and women-women, and we should help each other with our roles because society has changed since the days of our forefathers and hence we need to adapt.
That said, I beg to ask, WHERE DID ALL THE MEN GO?
Men, there were warning signs of attack to your existence that you should have noted and stepped up your game to.
Warning signs included;
when women began wearing trousers,
when women started doing office jobs,
when women became managers in the office jobs,
when women began hiring for office jobs,
when women began chasing/pursuing men,
when women began chamas,
when women began activist groups to talk about how useless men are,
When women gave up and started seeing each other!
when the first vibrator was created !!
warning warning warning! One of you should have said 'wait a minute, do you see what I see?' But you all chose to ignore the warning signs. And to make things worse, you continued to deteriorate.
I miss the days when men were men! I miss the days;
when men would call girls on their parent's landline number because there were no cell phones
when men would queue at the telephone booths with 5sh coins to call their ladies for 10minutes!
when the men would make a date and pick her up from home, instead of saying 'lets meet there!'
when men would actually make an effort and dress up when taking ladies out,
when men would call to apologise after an argument on phone 5 minutes later,
when men would stay and talk things out instead of walking away after a fight,
when men would be patient with ladies and not expect sex on the second date!
when men would chase after the girl they loved even if it took months, instead of running to the next available skirt,
when men would marry women of substance and not just a pretty face, fake boobs and long curly weaves.....then go ahead and have affairs with the ones they should have married in the 1st place!
when men would not expect their girls to work the same job as they do during the day, get home and be househelps/cooks/cleaners for them, then their sex toy before bed, and still expect her to meet half the bills at the end of the month, and carry their babies while still doing all the above chores.... OMG, no wonder they are getting extinct.
If I were a woman, and I had a well paying job, a few investments, a beautiful home, a sexy ride, a fantastic support structure of friends and family, and even say a beautiful child, then the only reason i need a man is for love.
So if my man cannot show me the love I need, cannot treat me like a lady, then why would I want to be with one???
No wonder all these successful women have kitchen totos for boyfriends, no wonder vibrators are on such high demand, no wonder women are so angry!
If I were a man, I would recognize the threat and adapt, by learning all I needed to make a woman happy.
After all be smart enough to know that once your woman is happy, you can have everything you want! EVERYTHING! ....But as a man I don't think I would not be smart enough to think like that!
Hence tick-tock, tick-tock, the clock to extinction continues ticking!
Oh well....my honest opinion...
Thursday, 6 November 2014
Career and dress code relationship
Years ago I worked as a field auditor for a microfinance in Kenya. I had worked my way through the ranks and field operations and definitely identified more with the field workers than the "suits." (Even though most of the guys referred to me as "college boy.")
One day the department manager stopped by. She asked about my background. She asked about my education. She asked about my career aspirations.
"I'd like to be a supervisor," I answered, "and then someday I'd like your job - Audit Manager"
She smiled and said, "Good for you. I like a guy with dreams." Then she paused.
"But if that's what you really want," she said, looking me in the eyes, "first you need to start looking the part."
I knew what she was saying but decided to play dumb. "What do you mean?" I asked.
"Look around," she said. "How do supervisors dress? How does their hair look? How do they act? No one will think of you as supervisor material until they can actually see you as a supervisor -- and right now you look nothing like a supervisor."
She was right. I was wearing ratty jeans with a couple of holes. (Why wouldn't I? I worked around dust in the field and ride on a motorbike and hit sun all day.) I was wearing a cut-off t-shirt. And my hair was pretty long, even for the day. (No excuse for that one.)
"But shouldn't how well I do my job matter more than how I look?" I asked.
"In a perfect world your performance is all that would matter," she added. "But we don't live in a perfect world. Take my advice: if you want to be promoted into a certain position... make sure you look like the people in that position."
I've thought about that conversation a lot over the years.
I've hired and promoted people who looked the part... and they turned out to be all show and no go. I've hired and promoted people who didn't look the part at all... and they turned out to be superstars. I'm convinced that how you look and, at least to a large degree how you act, has nothing to do with your skill and talent and fit for a job.
Still, she's right: the world isn't perfect. People still make assumptions about us based on irrelevant things like clothing and mannerisms... and height and weight and age and gender and ethnicity and tons of other qualities and attributes that have absolutely no bearing on a person's performance.
So are you better off trying to conform?
Unfortunately, YES. The people doing the hiring and promoting are people -- and people tend to be biased towards the comfortable and the familiar. People tend to hire and promote people who are much like themselves. (If you remind me of me... then you must be awesome, right?)
Besides, highly diverse teams are like unicorns -- we all know what one should look like, but unless you're a robot, you rarely encounter one in the wild.
And don't forget that hiring or promoting someone who conforms, even if only in dress and deportment, makes a high percentage of the people making those decisions feel like they're taking a little bit less of a risk. I know I was viewed -- admittedly with good reason -- as a wild card, and I'm sure that impacted my promotability.
But still: are you better off being yourself and trusting that people will value your skills, experience, talent... and uniqueness?
Sadly I think that's a move fraught with professional peril. If your goal is to get hired or promoted then expressing your individuality could make that goal much harder to accomplish. (Of course if being yourself in all ways is what is most important to you, by all means let your freak flag fly. Seriously.)
I have no way of knowing for sure, but changing how I dressed -- and in a larger sense, tempering some of the attitude I displayed -- would likely have helped me get promoted sooner. For a long time I didn't look the part, didn't act the part... and I'm sure that made me a less attractive candidate.
But that's just what I think; what's more interesting is what you think about fitting in and conforming.
Has the way you look affected your career? Have you ever decided to conform... or not to conform... and what difference did that make?
One day the department manager stopped by. She asked about my background. She asked about my education. She asked about my career aspirations.
"I'd like to be a supervisor," I answered, "and then someday I'd like your job - Audit Manager"
She smiled and said, "Good for you. I like a guy with dreams." Then she paused.
"But if that's what you really want," she said, looking me in the eyes, "first you need to start looking the part."
I knew what she was saying but decided to play dumb. "What do you mean?" I asked.
"Look around," she said. "How do supervisors dress? How does their hair look? How do they act? No one will think of you as supervisor material until they can actually see you as a supervisor -- and right now you look nothing like a supervisor."
She was right. I was wearing ratty jeans with a couple of holes. (Why wouldn't I? I worked around dust in the field and ride on a motorbike and hit sun all day.) I was wearing a cut-off t-shirt. And my hair was pretty long, even for the day. (No excuse for that one.)
"But shouldn't how well I do my job matter more than how I look?" I asked.
"In a perfect world your performance is all that would matter," she added. "But we don't live in a perfect world. Take my advice: if you want to be promoted into a certain position... make sure you look like the people in that position."
I've thought about that conversation a lot over the years.
I've hired and promoted people who looked the part... and they turned out to be all show and no go. I've hired and promoted people who didn't look the part at all... and they turned out to be superstars. I'm convinced that how you look and, at least to a large degree how you act, has nothing to do with your skill and talent and fit for a job.
Still, she's right: the world isn't perfect. People still make assumptions about us based on irrelevant things like clothing and mannerisms... and height and weight and age and gender and ethnicity and tons of other qualities and attributes that have absolutely no bearing on a person's performance.
So are you better off trying to conform?
Unfortunately, YES. The people doing the hiring and promoting are people -- and people tend to be biased towards the comfortable and the familiar. People tend to hire and promote people who are much like themselves. (If you remind me of me... then you must be awesome, right?)
Besides, highly diverse teams are like unicorns -- we all know what one should look like, but unless you're a robot, you rarely encounter one in the wild.
And don't forget that hiring or promoting someone who conforms, even if only in dress and deportment, makes a high percentage of the people making those decisions feel like they're taking a little bit less of a risk. I know I was viewed -- admittedly with good reason -- as a wild card, and I'm sure that impacted my promotability.
But still: are you better off being yourself and trusting that people will value your skills, experience, talent... and uniqueness?
Sadly I think that's a move fraught with professional peril. If your goal is to get hired or promoted then expressing your individuality could make that goal much harder to accomplish. (Of course if being yourself in all ways is what is most important to you, by all means let your freak flag fly. Seriously.)
I have no way of knowing for sure, but changing how I dressed -- and in a larger sense, tempering some of the attitude I displayed -- would likely have helped me get promoted sooner. For a long time I didn't look the part, didn't act the part... and I'm sure that made me a less attractive candidate.
But that's just what I think; what's more interesting is what you think about fitting in and conforming.
Has the way you look affected your career? Have you ever decided to conform... or not to conform... and what difference did that make?
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