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BY Richard Branson |May 29, 2012|Comment Tweet
While out walking in London recently, I passed a group of uniformed schoolchildren moving in an orderly, single-file line, with teachers in front and rear.
Nothing unusual, except for one thing that made me laugh out loud: their identical school ties. Or more accurately, what was left of them. More than half the kids had cut their ties so that only three or four inches remained below the knot.
Intrigued, I asked the teacher who was bringing up the rear, “So what happened to the ties?”
He chuckled and said, “Well, the kids hate wearing them, but school rules say they have to. What the rules fail to specify, however, is how long they have to be -- so, snip-snip!”
Why didn’t I come up with such a naughtily innovative solution when I went to school?
This caught my eye because Virgin just got into the banking business with the acquisition of Northern Rock, a British bank that we are gradually rebranding Virgin Money. In British banking, few things strike terror in the heart of a customer quite as much as the prospect of facing a tie-wearing, three-piece-suited bank manager across a huge mahogany desk. So we redesigned the banks.
Related: Richard Branson on Decision-Making For Entrepreneurs
One of our first changes has been to start to remove the traditional counters and replace them with informal seating areas. We also thought that the staff’s formal business attire was almost as solid a barrier to customer-friendly experiences as those counters were. Our newest group of Virgin employees were told they could dispose of the ties.
This would suit me -- I have always hated ties, maybe because I’ve never seen the point. They are uncomfortable and serve no useful purpose. I am lucky to have always worked for myself, and therefore have never been a victim of corporate dress codes. For years, a sweater and corduroy trousers were my standard business attire. Someone once joked, “The day Richard shows up at the bank wearing a suit and tie, you’ll know that we are in serious trouble.”
Lately I have taken to wearing a jacket, which is handy since I encounter many different climates and situations through my business travel, but I will only wear a tie under extreme duress, which usually means some ultraformal official occasion, such as the state dinner at the White House that I was fortunate to attend.
Suits and ties in an office are just another type of uniform, but in an arena where uniforms no longer serve any useful purpose. At one time they probably showed that the wearer was, at the very least, able to purchase and maintain a fairly expensive piece of fabric. Now, however, in an individualized, interconnected culture, your achievements speak for themselves. The suit and tie is an anachronism.
It used to be that the one male in the room with an open neck (which was usually me) would be self-conscious about it (which wasn’t me). Nowadays, however, I am delighted to note that it’s the man wearing the tie who is most likely to be the odd person out.
Related: Richard Branson on Strategies for Success
Probably one of the biggest breakthroughs in the gradual demise of the suit-and-tie dress code came, rather surprisingly, in some lofty political circles. Tony Blair was one of the first British prime ministers -- Maggie Thatcher excepted -- to frequently appear in public without “proper” neckwear. Now President Obama has carried it to a level where he seems to be tieless almost 50 percent of the time.
I have always prided myself on throwing out the rulebook when something proves a barrier to business -- or is just plain silly. And there is no viable argument why “gentlemen” should wear ties. The best anyone can muster is: “It’s expected,” or “Everyone else will be wearing one.” One of the signs that business culture has changed is that when people arrive for a business meeting with me, often the first thing they ask is, “Do you mind if we remove our ties?” They surely never thought, “If we don’t wear our ties we’ll stand a lesser chance of getting the deal done.” So why did they wear them in the first place?
So on behalf of the oppressed tie-wearers of the world, here is my appeal to those corporate despots who still force their male employees to put nooses around their necks every day: Please think again.
Related: Richard Branson on When Inexperience Is an Advantage
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Rob from Sydney.You guys missed the whole point f what he was saying !!Sad really.
I Strongly agree with Mr.Richard Branson
Ties are symbol to make the person realize (1) to be displined (2) not to be casual in approach.Tommorow Sir Richard Branson may say "Why to wear trousers while in office or why to attend meetings in board rooms why not in the warmth of hot swimming pool"He is Boss and may say anything on anything...
I wear a tie as it distracts people from looking at my belly...
Ties are symbol to make the person realize (1) to be displined (2) not to be casual in approach.Tommorow Sir Richard Branson may say "Why to wear trousers while in office or why to attend meetings in board rooms why not in the warmth of hot swimming pool"He is Boss and may say anything on anything...
Rules are for the poor.
I agree with Richard - they serve no useful purpose except to get caught in a fan belt and yank your head into a moving fan!You can dress well without choking yourself.
I've welcomed the transition to a more casual workplace (jeans [and obviously no ties] are the standard in the software industry where I work) - but I did want to mention that ties do serve at least one purpose: to cover all of the buttons for a cleaner look.
We at LG Electronics are very fortunate ...that we have a tie less culture.... Traveling in the hot African sun you don't wish to have a strangling neck tie.... My previous company in India ...reliance communication too was a tie less culture... An appropriate attire, which a person can carry with comfort n confident is more important than having layers of armor. Also dressing differently makes coworkers reluctant to mix up with that person.... One good example is Cumins Where all employee right from the VP to the workers wears a same uniform. A bond is build which helps the attrition level of the company.
I love Sir Richard, and he is a model of the highest business success imagined. But, the tie is very symbolic of pecking order. The throat is a life or death body part - the dominant animal "goes for the throat". With humans in business, the higest ranking person can wear whatever they wish, those (males) that defer cover their throats, as if were, showing a symbolic gesture they could be killed (in the deal) A lesser comment on beautiful silk ties is just that - they are beautiful and set males apart from one another - it is really the main expressions of individualism they have - and colors chosen are very symbolic, as known by the red power tie, the true-as-blue dark or navy stripped tie, etc. I love ties - require men to wear them for interviews and think they are very enticing!ImageEssentials for ColorClinic
Claire:Don't even go there. With your "invented by men" and "my aching feet".You're the one choosing to wear them.Don't insult me for it.
Dhill:Super job!Well done!
Here! Here!
Hmm...And how do you explain the widespread wearing of skirts by women, Helen?Is it to prove you have a vagina?
In total agreement....if a tie is absolutely needed, go the bow tie route!
No piercing or tattoo serves any practical purpose.
Why then do Virgin Airline flight attendants have to wear neck scarves? Covering the neck with necktie, bowtie, cravat or top button is simply a matter of class. The super rich may not always have the class, judging by their attitudes towards fashion, while the traditional butler is every bit more classy than today's techy CEOs who led the revolution in casual office attire which is becoming cliche and pretentious.
Don't blame the garment for your poor fitting choices.
Then you would be at home in the new hipster hotels where, because of lack of uniform, you can't tell the difference between the patrons and the staff. I tried to order a drink from someone once who didn't work there.
Denim wearers simply follow like sheep, you don't have the balls to stand up for yourself and actually admit its bloody uncomfortable, unecessary, and you can be twice as comfortable in wool trousers.
For a bench chemist interview, the question might be: Do you like to cook? I was a banker in the 80s - for an Australian bank - I wore mini skirts, wild hoseiry and lots of jewelry...to a person all of my customers said, You don't look like a banker. I grew business like crazy because I was relatable...but I also remembered THEM -- and everything about their transaction with me. I freaked out the other bankers however. By the end of my tenure they all had to admit that I made banking fun for them...I don't agree necessarily with how bankers are being 'judged' now versus then...will only offer than if they are 'judged' for how they dress - whether with the crowd or against it - in the context of the credit debacle - well, they should do a gut check. Most of the negativity about bankers is a direct result of propagandizing..from um various quarters...nuf sed...
Don't blame the clothing for improper fit. That's your fault. Find a tailor and someone to teach you how to tie a knot.
Arabs wear dark colors to stay cool, not as a fashion statement. Extreme athletes also know this.The problem is wearing the wrong weight clothing for the clime.
You're doing it wrong. Ties shouldn't choke you.
How do ties matter in heat? I live in a desert so I would know something about heat. A tie doesn't make you any hotter than a bracelet.What's idiotic is wearing jeans in hot weather.
I completely disagree. As for the comfort level, I do not own any clothing more comfortable than my suiting. The soft wool outer layer and silky smooth lining with the custom tailoring to my size make it much more comfortable than the stifling-hot denim which was originally intended for use as tent material.And furthermore, loose dress standards leads to a "race to the bottom." Human beings are lazy, and they will do the bare minimum. If you don't set standards for your employees or for yourself, you will end up looking like you just got out of bed.As for the tie being form without function, that's just a silly concept. Should we do away with all adornment that doesn't serve a function? Sir Branson here describes the thoughtful means the new banking venture has gone through to make the aesthetic of the bank inviting and comfortable. As firms such as Virgin and Apple can attest, form is function. Clearly the bank should use cheap seating, florescent lighting, and white paint. After all, wallpaper doesn't serve any function, and one chair is just as functional as another.As for the uniform, employees of a firm represent that company's aesthetic, character, and trustworthiness. While everyone has their own individual talents and tastes, you're not in business to stroke your employees' egos but to present yourself as a functioning whole not dependent on any one person.It also allows the employees to engage one another on a professional level without the cultural walls dress can build. Those in the military service talk about the uniform as a way for men from all backgrounds can come together and be soldiers, not cowboys, urbanites, et al.As for individuality, unless the tie is dictated by the company as a regimental or company tie, it is where men show their individuality while still maintaining the professional look of the suit.Or maybe I'm wrong, and everyone should just wear Underarmor shirts and pants. You know, because those are nothing but function.
And now repeat that to the uniformed schoolchildren and make them clear the "original intent of use" of a tie as none else is known as those mentioned by Richard Branson.
I enjoy wearing ties. When the correct knot , from the many available, is used it can transform your look. When it gets hot I do dispense my tie. I don't think there is anything wrong with not wearing a tie for business either. If you are comfortable with either option then you will (or should) perform better. Life has too many "discomforts" that it throws at us. The tie does need to be one of them.
The necktie is the only male article of clothing which serves no functional purpose. Here's hoping it goes the way of the cod piece.
Why, then, do you have a collar on your shirt?
I think his comment on whether the length of a tie makes it justifiable for its use is hiding a bit of a flaw in logic. A tie after being cut is just that, a cut tie, by the nature of such transformation it cannot preserve its original intent of use. Therefore portraying the issue as one where the length of the tie is what it matters to consider it suitable for use is inappropriate. He could have simply said "I don't like ties" (like I don't like his hairstyle) and the issue would be settled.
The clothes you wear sends a message about how you want to be perceived. Sloppy (casual) attire makes you look that way. I certainly wouldn't want to meet with my bank manager while he/she wasn't dressed properly. And dressed properly means if its a guy, he ought to wear business attire!, suit and tie. What's the big deal?
When I got my first office job - more than 35 years ago - I at least was comfortable wearing a shirt, tie, jacket, proper shoes, etc. It was ages before I realised that dressing like this actually affects peoples patterns of behaviour, and the behaviour of the people they interact with. Dress code is just a business tool, and you had best use it to best serve your business and get you the best outputs. There is no one size fits all or off the peg solution (sorry!), but there is no doubt that people are affected by the way that they and their colleagues dress and this can be used to make them more effective.
i feel sorry for my 6 year old who has just started grade 1 and has to wear a tied shirt through the winter season- annkay south africa.
Seriously Sir Branson you forgot to comment on hair style....
Here, here!
I moved to Australia in 2000 and was struck by how many companies were quite strict about wearing ties - I even got told off on a couple of occasions by senior managers and HR about not wearing a tie - on a 40C day!! When I told them I was hot and the air-conditioning wasn't doing its job, I was simply told to put the tie... or else. Luckily, things are slowly changing - open shirt, no tie, is becoming more acceptable - thank goodness, considering how Australia is getting hotter!
Great story Neil - symptomatic of the limited thinking in some teachers who are responsible for educating our future innovators, entrepreneurs, scientists and basically saviours for our decaying form of civilisation. Ties are not necessary - consistency in uniform is - it is no mistake I believe that in most science fiction stories virtually everyone wears the same uniform, even if the colours vary by position and so on. And no ties! I've got a great quote about ties on my website - http://devilsinquisitor.com/2012/02/q019/ - that sums it up nicely.
Because one isn't needed perhaps?
I think this is an eye opener...imagine that ...a cut off tie, now we know it is not the lenght of the tie but how you wear it, there is a lesson to be learned here, it is not how long your tie is!
I agree totally with the undoing of strict dress code. However, it must be maintained that decent and adequate dress code is necessary to ensure that employees are appropriately dressed to project good image without undue discomforts.
In the unimaginative world of golf shirts and jeans there is nothing more attractive than a man in a suit that he has invested in. And the tie is where colour and personality is shown. I would love a return to the stylish men of the past with polished shoes, hats and manners.
True leadership steps outside the norms and meets their clients and customers where they are. Thus, a great "rue" for success. Bp3
My father worked for IBM for 30 years, and as I am sure you are aware, IBM has very strict dress codes for their employees which include the wearing of jackets and ties. At one point, when Dad was in a sales position, he was almost fired for the ties that he chose to wear, because they were not the boring, corporate-esq type that you would see on every other IBM employee. Instead, he chose ties that depicted pink elephants, zebras, airplanes, and just anything else that looked 'neat'. When asked why he decided to wear these ties, he said that they were an icebreaker for his meetings, because instead of having to get through 10 to 15 minutes of stilted smalltalk before discussing the deal at hand, the client usually couldn't resist asking him where he got his tie, which opened the door to a more comfortable situation, and in most cases to a better sale.
Horrible baby-boomer 'casual' look. Spot on.
Zuckerberg looks like a slob, his casual clothes aren't even cool. Jobs's outfit was even worse, if that's possible.
At Tower Records head quarters, Russ did not allow ties, so when any one came in wearing a tie he cut it off and added it to his collection. There is a giant display of the "short, snip snip" ties as part of the Tower memorabilia collection. I love how Richard and Russ are alike in a lot of ways, or maybe its more like Richard looks up to Russ and borrows some of Russ's charming ways.
I used to work with schools in Leicestershire in a very deprived area and asked one day why they dint wear uniform. Ah thats because we want to encourage individuality said the teacher. Ok I said so tell me who is individual enough not to wear trainers , jeans and a t shirt I asked., No one was the answer. And how many kids form low income single parent families get bllied because they are not wearing the in brand of trainers, jeans and t shorts I asked. A lot the teacher replied. And then when they come to work in my business ( hotels at the time) and have to wear a uniform- how will they feel- bad they said. So isnt a lack of uniform a bad thin? No, it creates individuality she replied- and I gave up!
Yeah, if you have 400 candidates, I guess you are hiring people with commodity skills. I completely see how this is the case for replaceable widget-people (we used to call them "warm verticals", as in... "I just need a warm vertical", LOL). Completely different world than what I live in from a cultural perspective. This is generational too - younglings expect and demand work/life blending.On the other hand the downside of this - in my profession I basically never stop working. Two-three hour lunch, no problem, but I'm also checking email from 10pm-midnight 7 days a week.
I work at home in my pj's or underwear half the time. So getting dressed up for the office with a tie is kinda fun. It's the only time I ever dress up. Apart from the office, I'm the worst dressed dude around and don't care what others think. Wearing a tie and fancy socks is one of the few ways us guys get to exhibit our metrosexual side in the office. Standards have slipped so far in the office environment and people spend most of their days reading blogs like this. Especially the british slobs. Lets bring back some optional standards and not harass anyone who chooses to dress the way they do.
Well Sir branson, We are both on the same page when it comes to hating ties and office dress codes, I feel it is a mild form of slavery taking away my freedom to dress in as comfortable a way I deem fit. But like you also cleared the air, it's a necessary evil especially if you must attend an 'ultraformal' event. I really hate ties and office dress codes but what can I do?
A nice piece! They say we should appear corporate even when our environment is very hostile. Is that not behaving without knowing the reason for the behavior? Richard, please tell me.
What a piece. I have beginning to think why we wear them in our own clime. They say we want to look corporate. Is it not colonial? Branson, please tell me.
Could not agree more. As the HR Director of my organisation, I supported a casual chic dress code policy. What we encourage and promote is professional conduct and living the corporate values (Passion, Performance & Integrity) over strict adherence to uniforms or dress code. If the values are well-grounded, the rest will follow both in the behaviour and the performance.
On a number of occassions over the past 10 years or so, when in the presence of people from the fashion industry, I have challenged some of them to come up with a suit-friendly fashion statement for a male that isn't a tie. It's amazing that no-one has taken me up on this as yet.
I once worked at an institution where ties are required for males. Then, the business casual dress code was implemented. It was like, a release from uptight environment, to a casual-but-businesslike atmosphere.
In South Africa Nelson Mandella killed the tie for business when he appeared at a function in his Mandella shirt. I still rate this as being one of the best things he did for SA.
Yep, never wear ties but I do like them and have a great collection. I never wear them on demand, it really just depends on my mood. In the years I worked in property, even for old bosses and then clients who virtually begged and sometimes insisted I wear a tie, I was always in control when I walked into a client meeting and I always took it off before I went in. Every other suit wore a tie and to my mind, not wearing one seemed to differentiate me as being more senior whilst also remaining human.
Brilliant! This simply points out the need to change, question the "status quo" and dare to be different!
So true. Most of us hate ties but have worn one at some time in a job which demanded one. It is so clostrophibic.I love being without a tie.
I've found that the only place in Australia where I feel like I have to wear a tie when I am there is Parliament House, Canberra. I live in Western Australia and it is perfectly OK to meet with the WA politicians tie-less.
Well, depending on the business, an entrepreneur will most of the time be in a situation like Richard was when he attended White House dinner. However, breaching rules and conventions is always a nice sports game - even as an underprivileged (entrepreneur). I recommend to choose nice (undadjusted) colors in White House dinner situations.
I agree with Sir Richard. A few years ago I was working for a local company who shall remain namless. i did not wear a tie and wore a jumper because of the lack of heating.I was instructed by the MD to wear a tie and not to come to work in a jumper again, well this was too much for me so I told the MD that he could find another contractor and I left the building. Now I too please myself as I am my own boss.
Similar for me when I walk in to a shop looking for "something for work", if it's a shop I know they bring out fabulous clothes, if they don't know me they assume it's a girls suit. Yuk I don't do jackets.
I actually like to express myself through the way I dress. For this instance, wearing a tie would depend on the occasion - there's a time and place for everything. Dress to impress.
I do hope that Virgin Money extends this sensible approach to doing away with the plush executive offices and operating the bank out of a warehouse - after all it is a factory. Customer info centres (branches) excluded. By the way we work with our SA banks and never wear ties
Whilst I agree that ties serve no useful purpose, I cannot agree that slovenly dress is appreciated by anyone other than similar minded and dressed individuals. On dress down days at Barclays, I was horrified to see those who looked unshapely to say the least when dressed in suits, looked awful in their Hawaiiin shirts. There is no shame in looking smart!
Nelson Mandela was the most radical Leader in government when it comes to dress code. I agree with Michael, like all things if there are no guidlines people take it out of context. My dress code in a development bank is simple no tie, shirt and jacket and a jeans.
This is a good reflection of changed perspectives. Probably 50 years ago, customers expected their bankers to be a better class of people (intellectual, better equipped, etc., which reflected through better dressing, supposedly connected to suit and tie) who deal with “their” money.However, with banks failing creating chaos, asking for government support (injecting cash into the banks), etc., the “suit” and “tie” add to the “suspicions” of their customers – “are they really good? Or, something is hidden behind their suit and tie?” creating a discomfort and hence the distance between a banker and his customers.When I went for my first interview for Scientific Assistant in a Laboratory, one of the professors asked me “Do you have cycle? Do you repair it yourself?”. When I asked for an explanation of the relevance of the questions, he explained “I prefer a hands-on person for my lab”. It is true with the customers also now – they want a “hands-on” banker who can sit with them (approachable) and find a solution (by getting the right kind of assistance within the bank if necessary), without the user running around to different corners of the bank to find a simple solution to his problem. Definitely, eliminating suit and tie would reduce the gap between the two.
I wore formal wear including tie for 4 years of my college life (engineering) as it was thought thought to help us with corporate culture and ettiquettes(as told by the teachers) and now I work in IT industry (Glam Media) wearing casuals.It's more convenient as you feel more comfortable wearing what you want.P.S-No study has proved wearing ties makes us intelligent..lol
Brilliant! I happen to think ties can really polish of a look if chosen and worn properly, but he's correct in that they serve no useful purpose. If someone chooses not to wear a tie, their decision should be perfectly accepted and not considered a sign of anything lacking or otherwise negative.
wind of change are always welcome .....but they should come from bigger/great people so everyone follows them ....it is good thing
the tie is a "noose" indeed Richard! Especially in my part of the world where the average day temperature is 27 degrees Celsius. i wear my tie in the office where there the place is air-conditioned but quickly remove it when out in the blazing sun.
Ties and suits are an anachronism. We must wear what gives us comfort and not by sake of wearing.
This article demonstrates (not that it is needed) how Sir Richard can turn a popular idea into a business advantage. First he dismisses ties as irrelevant in the workplace, which I do agree but not in full agreement with his reasoning as ties are used like flags in certain cases and identify belonging, such as regimental ties, the abused school ties at which he poked fun and of course, the erstwhile school tie. So what is the advantage of getting rid of ties in a bank. That's easy, a company that insists in a uniform with a tie has to pay for them. Designing a simple uniform without a tie and jacket (!) might save a fortune for a company and help increase bottom lines whillst still having a helpful identity. You laugh at the irrelevance of this cost per person, and if you do then you don't understand that in business, every penny of cost counts - a habit of a successful entrepreneur.
Totally agree here... Ties for me have no functionality or holds much of its 'value' compared to before, but style and image still does. Even casual/dress-down fridays still should have its limits, because nowadays some employees dress inappropriately for work and look like they dressed up to go clubbing instead of work--and this gets worse the younger the employee is.There should be a well-defined approach for companies who will be instituting similar dress codes (or the 'dressed-down' version of it). I'm all for smart-casual, with emphasis on the Smart more than the Casual--there's a reason why they put the smart at the beginning.
"Now President Obama has carried it to a level where he seems to be tieless almost 50 percent of the time."I guess--my opinion based on my 7-year executive search career handling wholesale banking and private wealth management--the reason for Obama ditching the tie is due to the fact that ties have a subliminal connection to 'suits' and bankers, who of course has been portrayed as the antagonists behind the global financial crisis. That, or he just wants to connect to the blue collar workers or the mid-level professionals.Kinda reminds me of Matt Damon's speech in "The Adjustment Bureau" where his character David Norris addresses his supporters about how much they pay consultants just to select the tie he wears in public up to the amount of scuffing on his shoes. Funny, yes, but contains a lot of truth regarding how distorted politicians' portrayal of "truth" is. It's all a marketing circus nowadays.
Really admire the way he thinks. I have always hated the idea of wearing ties and go to extraordinary levels to make sure that I do not have to wear one. Same goes with a suit as well. Being comfortable and doing your job is more important than being uncomfortable and getting no work done at all.
Just a thought: the kandora. Not ties, big pockets... you don't even need to wear pants :)
I do agree that ties may be uncomfortable and intrinsically without purpose, but they do send a signal of reassurance - especially in a setting like a bank. Banks are by nature not cofortable places .
I do agree with what Richard has said. Especially in hot countries like India, it has not only become problematic dress code but also medium of joke among others with casual dress. This typical attitude needs to be changed in corporate dress code. On the contrary, i personally feel that if best of the productivity from employee is to be fetched, than let them be in most informal dress at work place. The more informality leads to more relaxed and optimum output in terms of productivity.
When you're a start-up and working the production floor a tie is nothing more than a safety hazard waiting to put you in the ER. Me, I'm in Duckie's and flannel with a shop jacket on.
Well, try living in Japan and you'll see the the corporate tie is still very much alive. I wish had clients like Sir Branston. On the other hand the Japanese are making cars all around the world so they must be doing something right.
Love this angle and the adaptation of what is really happening in the business climate.
I completely agree that ties should be avoided if the person is uncomfortable wearing them.
The last time the CEO came to the Hotel I was working for, he insisted that the Manager and the Head of Departments wear ties for work. The problem is that the Hotel lies on the Beach in Mauritius where temperatures reach 40 degrees in summer and never go lower than 22 degrees in winter during the day. While he was around everyone had to abide and even the customers were laughing at most of us while we did our rounds on the beach. Ridiculous!
Nothing wrong with taking pride in your appearance. Whether it means wearing a tie or not is a personal preference, and sometimes a fashion statement. What does he think about pocket squares?
I fully agree. In an increasingly informal world, ties seem very out of place. There's simply no rationale for them. They don't help a man perform better or hold to a higher standard of ethics. They should be optional even at White House dinners.
I agree absolutely and have a nice little quote on my website that demonstrates the point. Neck ties are a useless product - they serve no purpose on a planet that is at capacity, so let's save the wasted energy of producing these things and get rid of them forever. They are an outdated symbol of power and status, and to relegate them to a fashion statement in order to keep a few businesses alive is stupidity. http://devilsinquisitor.com/2012/02/q019/
Richards dress sense had hardly been rebellious and has hardly changed over the time he's been in the public eye. Ties have been optional for at least a decade and are making a comeback as a statement fashion acessory. This article is only relevant to certain industries. As for those who say a tie is choking, well get a shirt that fits properly! If your tie is tighter than your collar, get your mum back on board to dress you every morning!
Glad that works for you. In my rule book appearance and performance are related. My employees are part of the team. We either accomplish our objectives - together - or we don't. I expect all my crew to have a professional demeanor and appearance. I expect them to show up to work on time. I expect them to be at meetings when they are supposed to. I expect them to keep their personal lives....personal, to the extent possible. I expect them to play nice with each other. I expect them to accomplish the goals set. If they can't do that....they don't have a job very long. I have tried to interview people who, after receiving four or five options for interview times told me that they just were not convenient. By the time they had made up their mind when they could possibly interview...I had already hired someone. I have interviewed people who had a list of demands that I had to accept before they would consider the job. They just made the decision that much easier. The prima donna approach may work in marketing, advertising, web development or other IT.......but not in my neighborhood. You think my approach is crazy? Well I get 300 to 400 resumes each time I post a job.....and I don't have too hard a time finding candidates that are interested.
I actually disagree with this comment. I now think that the tie is the part of the dress for men in an office that is non-conforming and allows expression of your personality and individualism. If I wanted to blend in and conform then I would not be the only one with a tie in my office.
Maybe you should ask yourself why you're so uptight. Does it affect your service? Or do you just like the monkeys to dance for you?
So true, I always went for the casual dress at work (T-Shirt and pants), my manager always commented that I should wear a proper shirt to be taken seriously. During a recent layoff I got promoted, he was asked to take my job or leave. It's what you know not how you dress.
I think that for me and my employees a tie is part of a defacto uniform. Taking pride in one's appearance is akin to preparing oneself for the job at hand. I feel like putting on my suit and tie, shining my shoes and ensuring that I am well presented gives me an overall sense of readiness for the working day.
In today's world wearing the tie is probably the most innovative and out of the box thing to do. I like ties, perhaps I like uniforms but when I played football I did not go on the field without a uniform...I see the same thing with the suit and tie...it is my business uniform...it puts me in to a business thought process.... just like puting on the shoulder pads and knee pads, etc...it builds you for the challenges and the game for the day.... my thoughts....
Mr/Sir Branson - I like your perspective, but it does seem a little contradictory given that I am to address you as "Sir" Richard. Are you truly okay with any Virgin employee addressing you as Richard? Or will you feel offended they didn't address you as Sir Richard or Mr. Branson given your achievements? A vendor or employee may be equally concerned that if they didn't wear a tie you might feel equally disrespected.
Whats so innovative about that; in the states many banks have been doing this for years!
This wasn't an article written for the intent of discussing business etiquette, it was written to promote his new bank. He's a billionaire, of course he doens't need to wear a tie.For that matter, nobody needs to wear a tie. If your job makes you wear a tie and you want to wear a tie, just find a new job. Otherwise stop whining about how you hate ties.
Totally agree with this, I just don't get ties and have always hated wearing them. They can literally choke you and make it difficult to breath, how is this a good thing?? They are a throw back to the days of cravats and would have originally been worn to keep your neck warm in harsh winters in times gone by i.e. they are scarves that no longer serve their original purpose!
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