~Dr. Brooke Ludwig
Training & Development Consultant for a defense contractor

Many people dream of working from home. It’s convenient, your time is more or less your own, and you can work in a space that’s more creative and intimate than a tiny cubicle. But in reality, it can be difficult to focus on your work and get into business mode when you are surrounded by family members, not to mention a million other distractions like a TV, the family pet, and neighbors who want to pop in for a chat.

If you’re going to ever get any work done and help your business grow, it’s vital that you set boundaries for your home office. The following tips will get you on the right track.

Make some room. It’s crucial that you have a dedicated work space where you handle all of your business matters. Your bedroom, kitchen, and living room should be reserved for your personal life. If, however, your home is too small for an office, at the very least have a dedicated desk in an area where you are unlikely to be distracted. Right by the TV is probably not a great idea! Setting up a phone line that is only used for business is also ideal.

Have a back-up. A home office isn’t necessarily the best place to hold a client meeting—it feels too informal. If you can’t go to the client’s place of business, look into renting an office suite for the day (some hotels and large office buildings offer this). Or, suggest a lunch meeting at a nice restaurant that is conveniently located to both of you. You should also find a nearby café or library where you can escape should the neighbors be doing noisy renovations, or if someone is mowing the lawn.

Establish a routine. Working from home gives you more freedom, but to be really productive you need to create some rules. Setting specific business hours, or giving yourself a mid-day break for lunch or a jog around the block can help you get into the swing of things.

Cut out distractions. Unless you are very disciplined, you should avoid temptations like TV, the radio, personal phone calls, and the Internet. Just because you don’t have a boss looking over your shoulder doesn’t mean you should waste time on Facebook or YouTube.

Get some support. If you live with a spouse and kids, it’s important that they support and respect your work time. Make it clear that when you are in your office you are not to be disturbed unless it is an emergency. Your office and work computer and phone should be off-limits to anyone but you.  And don’t be afraid to delegate tasks to a babysitter, dog-walker, or housekeeper if need be.

With the right amount of discipline and focus, working from home can be both productive and rewarding. Now that’s living the dream!

©2011 Professional Image Management If you would like to use this article in your newsletter or blog, you may do so. Please include our credit information: Written by Juanita Ecker, Professional Image Management. © Copyright 2011. I would also appreciate it if you would send us a copy for our files.

I was just reading the April issue of Lake Murray Magazine and saw this headline on the cover: “Tie one on for the Cup–an ode to the bow tie, an essential accessory for the Carolina Cup gentleman.”

“Men who wish to project a different, daring or distinguished style choose to tie up their fashionable loose ends in a handsome bow tie,” the article read, explaining that men can elevate their look from “done to dapper” by wearing a bow tie.

It seems that in the South, a bow tie paired with a suit is quite fashionable for formal social occasions. But as I read the article, I wondered about how the bow tie is received in the business arena? Is it outdated? Inappropriate? Or merely a striking personal style statement?

I get asked this question all the time in my dress seminars. “Can I wear a bow tie at the office and still be viewed as credible,” men ask. Being from the Northeast, I used to say, “Absolutely not!” However, now that I am living in the South, my view has changed.

Now, I have two major considerations with regards to this look. The first is, where does the client live? The bow tie is much more accepted in the South. When I am out to dinner at nice restaurants in Columbia, South Carolina, I see lots of businessmen wearing bow ties. Up north, and, indeed, most of the country, a bow tie is a rarity and therefore more likely to be seen as unconventional.

The second consideration is the client’s corporate culture. If he works in a creative environment, such as an advertising firm, fashion house, or magazine, a bow tie may be accepted, or even viewed as trendy. A strait-laced law firm, however, is less likely to be bowled over. Observe how your higher-ups dress—you should generally follow their lead. Are there any signs of personal expression? I know some businessmen who wear colorful ties, or bold striped socks with their expensive power suits just to add a touch of personality. If that’s the case in your office, a bow tie might be acceptable.

If you choose to wear a bow tie, know that it will brand you as somewhat eccentric. Just look at “Mad Men,” for example. The two characters who wear bow ties are Bert Cooper (who also walks around without shoes), and Harry Crane—arguably the more unusual, less ambitious men in the office. Compared to the sleek, traditional power ties worn by Don Draper and Roger Sterling, they look very quirky and perhaps less powerful.

The lesson: You may have to work harder to prove to others that you are a committed professional!

©2011 Professional Image Management If you would like to use this article in your newsletter or blog, you may do so. Please include our credit information: Written by Juanita Ecker, Professional Image Management. © Copyright 2011. I would also appreciate it if you would send us a copy for our files.

My girlfriend shared with me an incident that happened to her recently. She was running some errands and stopped at Bed, Bath and Beyond in Albany, NY. It was a cold, blustery day and the wind was strong. When my friend opened her car door to go into the store, the wind whipped the door and slammed it into the car next to her. The car happened to be a Mercedes.

My friend also drives a very nice car; it is certainly not a junker! She wondered if she should leave a note with her information, or if she should go back into the store to track down the owner of the Mercedes. She decided to do the latter and asked customer service to make an announcement asking for the owner of that make of car and that license plate number to come to the front of the store.

My friend patiently waited while they paged this person. When a woman arrived at the front of the store, my friend explained what happened and that it was an accident. The woman went crazy. “F—! YOU hit my Mercedes? F—! I can’t believe it,” she hollered. She then snidely asked, “Do you have insurance???”

My friend was furious with this woman’s behavior. My friend replied, “Look, I could have just driven away and you would have discovered the dent yourself!” She had tried to do the right thing by admitting her mistake, but the woman’s reaction almost made her regret doing so.

This is a perfect example of how some people react when you admit a mistake. Rather than accepting your apology and figuring out how to move on, they dwell on the issue and target their anger at you. Instead of finding a solution, they explode and focus on punishing you.

I’m not saying that my friend was in the clear. She did damage the other women’s car, even if by accident. And while it was understandable for the woman to be upset, it would have been far classier of her to simply take my friend’s insurance information and let the professionals handle it. She didn’t have to thank my friend for her honesty, but she didn’t need to bite her head off, either.

If someone admits to wrongdoing, and seems genuinely apologetic, do your best to take a deep breath and remain calm. Ask yourself how the situation can be remedied. Try to be as level-headed as possible, as becoming emotional can easily cause us to overreact. 

Remember: We can’t always control what happens to us, but we can control how we react. Challenge yourself to act with grace. After all, we all make mistakes.

©2011 Professional Image Management If you would like to use this article in your newsletter or blog, you may do so. Please include our credit information: Written by Juanita Ecker, Professional Image Management. © Copyright 2011. I would also appreciate it if you would send us a copy for our files.

My husband and I were glued to the television set on Sunday, the last day of the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, GA. What an exciting game that was!

When it was time for the “presenting of the green jacket” ceremony, three players were present:  the student amateur, Mr. Hideki Matsuyama; last year’s winner, Phil Mickelson; and this year’s winner, Charl Schwartzel. Because Mr. Matsuyama is from Japan, there was an interpreter present to translate what was being said. Jim Nantz, a sportscaster known primarily for his work with CBS Sports, was also present for the ceremony. When Nantz was interacting with Mr. Matsuyama, he made a small etiquette error. When you deal with an interpreter, you speak to the person, not the interpreter. Jim Nantz said to the interpreter, “Tell Mr. Matsuyama we were happy to have him be part of this year’s Masters Golf Tournament.” Instead, he should have looked Mr. Matsuyama in the eye, addressed him by name, and said what he wanted to say. Then, the interpreter would have translated his words as well as the response from Mr. Matsuyama.

When you are dealing with a translator, it’s easy to want to look at the person who speaks English and treat the other person as just a bystander. But the translator, for all his or her hard work, is not the one you need to impress. Therefore it’s important that our words as well as our body language are focused on the individual you are speaking with.

I too have been guilty of this. I once showed up to do a training seminar and was informed that a hearing-impaired person would be in my class that day. There was a young woman sitting next to him who used sign language to translate. The deaf man had a question during the presentation. When I responded, I looked at the translator instead of him. And, then I made the same mistake as Jim Nantz. I turned to the translator, looked at her, and said, “Could you ask him if I answered his question?” The next day, others from the class e-mailed me and told me I had not handled the situation properly. I should have turned to that individual and asked him the question directly.

When people have trouble communicating, either due to a language barrier or impairment, they may feel vulnerable and at a disadvantage. It’s important to treat them with respect and not rely on the translator completely. Remember—body language speaks volumes!

©2011 Professional Image Management If you would like to use this article in your newsletter or blog, you may do so. Please include our credit information: Written by Juanita Ecker, Professional Image Management. © Copyright 2011. I would also appreciate it if you would send us a copy for our files.