If the shoe fits…..

When I got my first grown up job, my parents took me suit shopping. My older brother works in the media, so I was the first son they got to take suit shopping. By the end of that trip I had suits, shirts, ties and shoes to make sure I fit in on my first day,

When I arrived, I looked like everyone else – I felt part of the team and I belonged! In fact, one of the first bits of feedback I got from one of the senior HR leaders was “Great tie”….on reflection, I kind of wish he’d mentioned whether I was good at my job .

When I joined the tech industry over a decade ago, it was a whole new world. I wore a suit to my first interview and the interviewer genuinely laughed at me!! I got that job, but realised I’d need a new wardrobe. For my first 2 years in tech I wore jeans every day…I was cool…but it was still work, so I still leather shoes and a shirt ( maybe a polo on a warm day). In reality, I hadn’t really settled in, my sense of habit from my prior job followed me and I wasn’t really relaxed. Looking back now, those feeling actually meant I didn’t feel like I belonged, and meant I wasn’t doing my best work.  

 Quick aside, one of my bad habits is an addictive personality, if I like something, I tend to start a collection – one such obsessions is trainers/sneakers and in particular Jordans. While my 5 foot frame put a stop to my NBA career, I love lacing up some nice hi-tops.

 One weekend I said to my wife that I needed new work shoes ( for reference she is a minimalist). She asked why I needed workshoes, when the shoe rack had a stack of trainers on it. My response was “they’re not work shoes”….. and as the word came out of my mouth it hit me, why was I walking past my favourite shoes every day to pick up my uncomfortable leather loafers?  I realised that I was still clinging to what I thought I needed to do and wear, vs having formed a connection and comfortableness at my new job.

That Monday,I wore bright blue Jordans to work and a lot of people stopped me to talk about them ! The next day I wore a different pair and people started to show me trainer apps and invite me to online forums to discuss trainers, I was talking to people I'd never met, I was more relaxed....it sounds like hyperbole, but work changed because I changed my shoes.   When I left that company my leaving gift was a pair of Jordans….imagine if I’d never changed, they’d have probably bought me work shoes!

So what actually changed, I was connecting on a whole new level, and I was getting to use and talk about something that mattered to me. I felt like I belonged in my literal shoes, vs the ones I thought I needed to wear to be part of “work”

So does it matter what you wear to work, absolutely not…don’t even get me started on company’s that have (non safety or uniform related) dress codes in 2023. For me, it was about who I was and how I connected and belonged at work. For many people, belonging will be different, for me it was initially about looking mature, like you should dress at work, but when that connection didn’t exist, I didn’t adapt or change my habits, and I didn't find my connection elsewhere.  As we plan for 2024 – what makes your team members  feel part of something bigger? How are you actively connecting them? It will look different for everyone, and our role as people leaders is to provide a menu of options vs a one off, tick the box, connection OKR ( or whatever measurement you subscribe to!)

 This isn’t your standard HR “Bring your whole self to work” speech, truth be told I don’t subscribe to bring your whole self to work, you should bring as much of yourself as you want to and is reasonable….but that’s a debate for another Blog! This is about HR leaders providing spaces and opportunities for people to belong on the level that matters to them, and ultimately achieves the most for your company.

At Blink - The Frontline Experts , our tool is flexible to your org – we work with you to find out what matters to your people and then we put it in their hands. If you know  what your teams need but can’t get it into their hands to drive that belonging and connection, get in touch and we can help you deliver that final piece of the puzzle,  Or if you don’t know what will help your people belong, our digital transformation experts can help you define and deliver that.

 P.S If you’re interested, 6 months later….I wore a t-shirt to work and in the summer of 2022, after a decade in tech,….I even wore shorts to work...but don't tell my mum

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