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The Appearance of Productivity
Adding meaning to "Dress for Success"
You know about productive workspaces and productive systems, but how about productive clothing and productive body size?
YOUR WARDROBE
Most of us are familiar with the idea of Feng Shui in building and decorating. However Feng Shui principles also extend to wardrobe in the use of colors. For Feng Shui practitioners, clothing is very important. To generate the right energy for the right circumstances, you need to choose correctly. In this sphere, clothing can also be positive or negative, providing success-focused energy or draining energy, giving added meaning to “Dress for Success.”
Here are some of the basic energy-matching colors:
- Want to accomplish a lot with few distractions? Use neutrals. They held you blend in quietly.
- Having a very active, upbeat day? Pick out the bright colors.
- Need to display control? Wear dark colors with a fitted design.
- Working at a more leisurely pace? Choose a loose fit with light colors for creative energy and interaction.
- Need confident energy? Select black to absorb all energy.
- Secure in yourself and want to be noticed? Red gives out that message.
- In sales? Green is money energy, and earth tones help you connect.
- High stress days? Blue is calming.
- Social situations? Now is the time for prints and florals. These should stay out of the workplace because they show out-of-control energy.
- Low energy? White is draining, so just use it as a contrast color.
- You felt good about yourself
- You accomplished what you had wanted to do
Once you have your colors, the next productivity question may be, “How do my clothes fit?” There is constant reference now to an obesity epidemic. Michelle Obama is focusing on the issue among our school children. Yet there is an issue beyond the health and lifestyle factors, and that is the problem of obesity with regard to productivity in the workplace. According to a presentation last year at the Obesity Society’s annual conference, overweight people are less productive than their thin counterparts because:
- They are more likely to be unhealthy and so take more time off.
- When at work, they are producing less.
- $1,429: Additional money obese people spent on medical compared with normal weight in 2006
- $12.8 billion: Annual losses to U.S. business from absenteeism because of the overweight problem
- $30 billion: Estimated annual losses to U.S. businesses from reduced productivity due to obesity
- $2.8 billion: Additional gas in autos (bought in 2005) caused by extra body weight in vehicles (vs. 1960)
We certainly never want to discriminate in the workplace, and empathy for those with problems shows both a caring work environment and a compassionate society. However when companies are already working with a “lean” work force, those numbers can make a difference in hiring the best fit for the job.
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