With designer labels and high heels, we’ve come a long way since clothing was about nothing more than modesty and warmth. And yet, for many of us, what we wear for work has become automatic and habitual. We drag on a suit each day, out of routine, nothing more. Or we slouch about in baggy casual gear because we’re freelance, or working remotely, so we can.
By dressing mindlessly like this we’re ignoring the large amount of evidence showing the profound effect of clothing on our thinking style, on how we feel, and on the way others perceive us. Starting today, you can use clothing and props to improve your work performance through these simple steps:
Dress for the task: the “Lab Coat” effect
Consider the findings of a study published last year by the Kellogg School of Management. They showed that students were far more accurate on tests of attentional focus and sustained concentration while wearing the white lab coat of a scientist. Crucially, spending time thinking about the lab coat didn’t have this benefit, it had to be worn.
These results suggest that donning symbolic apparel can alter our thinking style in beneficial ways that are consistent with the meaning that the clothing holds for us. So whatever project you’re currently working on, consider dressing for that role. Think what clothing symbolizes the attributes you need to succeed and wear those threads while you work. If there’s nothing as obvious as a lab coat, why not look to role models in your field and see what they wear – perhaps something flamboyant for when you want to be creative, a shirt and tie for when you’re working on the accounts. The important thing is that the clothing has the right symbolic meaning for the work you’re doing. In the study, the white coat had no attentional benefits when the students thought it was a painter’s jacket, not a scientist’s coat.
Be yourself and respect your own style
As well as affecting our mindset, our clothes can also alter how we feel about ourselves. U.S. research published in 2007 found that employees described themselves as feeling more productive, trustworthy, and authoritative when they were wore a business suit at work, but more friendly when wearing casual clothes.
An important detail here was the employees’ style preferences. It was smart types with a clear preference for wearing formal work attire whose feelings of productivity were most adversely affected when they’d worked in an office with a casual dress code. On the other hand, it was hipster staff with a strong preference for laid-back wear who felt most strongly that suits hampered their friendliness and creativity. Of course not all work places give you the freedom to choose, but if you can, these findings show it pays to respect your own style.
Choose your weapons (and accessories) wisely
The psychological effects of clothing on performance extend to tools and props. A 2011 study led by Charles Lee at the University of Virginia showed that university students perceived a putting hole to be larger (thus making more putts) when they used a putter that they thought belonged to the pro player Ben Curtis, as compared with a standard putter
Whether it’s a lucky pen handed down from a mentor, or a mouse-mat from your first successful product launch, the symbolic power of the objects we work with is more than mere superstition or sentimentality. Their meaning can alter our mindset and improve our performance. The same principles also apply when choosing what to wear – that lucky tie or necklace really could give you an edge at an interview.
Dress to impress
If you want to appear authoritative it really does make sense to dress smart. A raft of studies have shown that people in more formal attire get served more quickly in shops, have more luck soliciting charity donations, and are usually judged to be more intelligent and academic. A study that looked specifically at female applicants for a managerial job found those who dressed in a smart masculine style were perceived as more forceful and aggressive and were more likely to get hired.
If you can, pay attention to detail. Research published this year using faceless photographs, found that a man dressed in a bespoke suit was rated as more confident, successful, and flexible than a man dressed in an off-the-rack suit. “Minor clothing manipulations can give rise to significantly different inferences,” the researchers said.
This suggests it could be worth going the extra mile when dressing yourself for an important meeting or interview. The same principles also apply when it comes to group image. A survey in 2009 found that business students rated companies with a formal dress code as more authoritative and competent, while those with a more relaxed approach, were seen as more friendly and creative. So if you’re a manager in charge of your organization’s dress code, think about the kind of image you’d like to cultivate. Which leads to the final point …
Consider your audience
Formal suits aren’t always the way to go. Research shows that people who wear more daring outfits are perceived as more attractive and individual, which could be advantageous in more creative industries. Casual dress can also be more persuasive, depending on your audience. In 2010, a female experimenter reported that students were far more diligent in following her detailed instructions when she was dressed casually (like they were), as opposed to smart and professional. This similarity effect echoes a study conducted in the early 80s in which experimenters sought a dime for a telephone call. Smartly dressed researchers had more luck at an airport, where more people were dressed formally; casually dressed researchers had more luck at a bus station.
If you need to be persuasive at work, the lesson from these studies is that there’s no single rule for how to dress. You need to balance the power of authority, which you get from smartness, against the allure of camaraderie, which comes from dressing like your audience, and may require going more casual.
The next time you’re getting dressed for work in the morning, be mindful of the psychological impact that clothes can have. Your choice could literally affect your mindset, so try to match your outfit to the type of work you’re planning to do. If interacting with other people is on the cards – consider who they are, the impression you want to make, and especially whether you want to impress them or be one of them. A polished professional look can certainly give you authority. But if you’re collaborating with quirky creatives, or you want to cultivate a friendly atmosphere, you may find it’s advantageous to adopt a more casual, individual style for the day.
4、心臟病犯了去住院，護士竟是高中同学的孫女。
7、看著Facebook，翻了翻這六十年的動態，好多好友的頭像都不會再亮了……
You've probably heard this one a lot, and it's totally true: if the office can't function without you, then you're in a much better position to get bigger raises, promotions, and avoid layoffs. So if you aren't indispensable yet, start working toward it: work on high-visibility projects, and if you can, gain some skills that separate you from the crowd—and help projects run more smoothly. A bit of extra training never hurt anyone.
If it's important to your boss, make it important to you. So make sure you talk to them regularly to get a feel for what their priorities are. They don't have to match up perfectly with your priorities, necessarily, but make sure you're giving enough attention to the stuff they want done. It'll keep a bad boss off your back, and make a good boss like you even more.
It goes without saying that face time is important—after all, your boss won't love you if they never see you—but in particular, try to keep them updated with your work as you progress. Consider sending them a regular status update. Not only will this let them know what you're up to, but if you're being productive, it'll also show them how much progress you're making—which makes you look good. This is also known as "managing up," which isn't as manipulative as it sounds. All it means is that you communicate regularly so you're both on the same page, which is particularly useful with busy or uncommunicative bosses.
Nobody's perfect, and your boss probably understands that. But if you can fix your problems before they have to, you'll look lot better in their eyes. The best way to do this is with a regular self-review — keep an informal work diary. Write down what you're doing, what others think you do, and what you should be doing — then review yourself from your boss' perspective. With honesty (and a little bit of luck), you should have a good idea of what problems you need to squash before your boss even comes to you about them.
For the issues you can't fix ahead of time—or for the one-time screwups that just happen—you just need to recover gracefully. And that means apologizing—correctly. Make your boss (the wronged party) the focus of your apology, not yourself. Again, think about what their priorities are, and how this impacted them—not you. And remember: don't stress out when you fail. It's how you get better. 
To get your bosses love — and not hate yourself — is to command real respect. That means putting out solid work, avoiding office politics and gossip, and being able to accept criticism when it's given. If you respect yourself, your boss and co-workers will generally respect you too. 
If you truly have a good boss, they're okay with honest feedback. But when they ask for it (or when you're given a chance to review them), don't just start rattling off complaints. Figure out what kind of feedback they're actually looking for, and give it to them. That doesn't mean telling them what they want to hear ("You're the best boss ever!"), and don't start offering unsolicited feedback on their long lunches or regular tardiness.
Of course, no matter what you do, some bosses will forever be horrible. If you're in that situation, we feel your pain, and we're sorry. While the rest of these tips will only go so far, the best thing you can do is grow a thick skin, keep a log of their craziness, and most importantly — don't let it infect the rest of your life. (You should probably also make sure you're not the problem). If you can make working with them bearable, consider it a win.
