"Dress for Success" training for supervisors

[Valerie Heimerich]

Our call center has 8 shift supervisors, many of whom are quite young. Some do not understand how their clothing and grooming affect how others view them. We have tried to explain it to them and have instituted a general supervisor dress code. We know most do not have a lot of money to spend on clothes, and the company is not going to give a clothing stipend to anyone who doesn't see customers in person.

One of the male sups has a very young, boyish appearance. For a meeting with management and vendors, he wore a nice collared shirt & sweater -- and jeans with holes in them, tennis shoes and shaggy unkept hair falling in his face. He is tremendously talented and motivated, and we hate to see his success limited by appearance issues.

Aside from very expensive personal consultants, are there any other suggestions on how to get this across to them? We don't need them to dress up much -- certainly not in ties, suits, etc -- just to present themselves professionally. I can be reached at valerie.heimerich@amerigas.com.

[Saramencia]

Hi Valerie,
There is a situation about dressing: If you are a supervisor that don´t see clients but have the interest to grow and develop in you company, you just have to carefully observe how are dressed your peers and upper supervisors. If you don´t catch the message...so your supervisor just have to talk to you directly.

I think it should be your task (if you are the supervisor of this boy) to give him a direct, respectfully feedback about his dress code, showing him the gaps between him and the dress culture of the company.

If i can be of any further help. Just post me!