Q. I enjoy showing my personality with jewelry accessories. Can it diminish my credibility in business?

September 30th, 2009 | Posted in Kudos & Blunders | 1 Comment

A. Now that depends on how you show your personality. Are we talking nose rings and tongue jewelry or simple necklaces? There’s nothing wrong with wearing jewelry accessories, as long as you don’t go overboard to the point where people in a business environment focus more on your jewelry than your actions and capabilities.
Showing your personality with simple diamond studs will never be an issue. But wearing earring hoops the size of a bracelet can be a problem – unless you work for a costume jewelry business.
Would you trust a doctor wearing big bodacious jewelry? Or would you feel more assured if the only thing you noticed when he or she walked in the room was a white lab coat and a stethoscope? I could care less what they wear on their off-time. But personally, in that situation, the last thing I want to see is a lot of jewelry. You can only make a first impression once.
Dawn Waldrop, author of the book, “Best Impressions: How to gain Professionalism, Promotion and Profit,” agrees with me. That says a lot, considering this national speaker is a huge fan of tattoos. But that’s a topic for another day. Trust me she’s an image consultant who believes in limits.
When it comes to jewelry, Waldrop said most people fall into one of four personality categories: Natural, Classic, Romantic or Dramatic.
The Naturals usually wear little to no jewelry. The Classics choose simple pieces and are conservative in style and in the number of items they wear. However, the Romantics and Dramatics love jewelry. Romantics love to wear many intricate pieces and the Dramatics love bold large pieces of jewelry.
“If too many pieces are worn, jewelry can be a credibility robber. First: keep your jewelry that you wear to work separate from your weekend or evening jewelry,” she said. “Choose a nice watch you will only wear on the job. It will last you longer and always look professional. You want jewelry to complete your professional look not be the focal point”
No matter your personality, keep it simple. And less is better.

Is it appropriate to use acronyms in business-related e-mails?

September 3rd, 2009 | Posted in Kudos & Blunders | No Comments
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No. That’s my immediate response, seeing that a colleague recently complained that she read several in an e-mail and didn’t know what most of them meant.
An e-mail is a business communication tool that should be treated with the same respect as any other business document you
write. It’s inconsiderate to run the risk of confusing and frustrating an e-mail recipient just to save a few keystrokes.
Subject lines are the only place you should put abbreviations, because it might help tell your story and entice people to read your e- mail among all the clutter. Even then make sure it’s something you know the reader will recognize, like “FYI.”
With that said, business etiquette is not about a set of iron-clad rules. It’s about being considerate. So if you know the recipient well, and you’re sure they know that “FWIW” means: For what it’’s worth; or “TTYL” means: Talk to you later – go for it.
Younger generations have grown up with instant messaging and texting on phones. It’s common in texting to use abbreviations like, “BRB” for “Be Right Back” or “ROTFL” for “Rolling on the Floor Laughing.” But business communication should be totally different.
In personal e-mails to friends, write how you want. But in business, I high recommend not using abbreviations.
FWIW – For what it’s worth -Why risk annoying the reader, by forcing them to take time to look up an abbreviation or ask someone. If you insist, make sure it’s common, like RE: short for “concerning.”