Good question. First, you have to appreciate a few things..
- That this is a question about the firm’s culture/brand vs. an individual’s.
- That culture is one of the most important assets in the firm’s brand and future.
- That there is considered to be an unwritten contract between you and the firm with an expectation that you will be happy to fall into formation.
So, good question.
Those of us who brand firms, pray and aim for 100% conformity. For you to be thrilled to be a part of the firm and to align yourself fully with its brand and culture essentially making life much easier for everyone involved, especially us. In many professional firms this is still done via the HR Manuals and little orientation talks on client expectations, branding and professionalism. However, in the same breath, there is now the recognition that the days of pushing authoritarian rule based conformity are almost gone, and that now there is a little word called compromise seated right next to another powerful one called diversity.
Good news I guess, so, how do you navigate this ’space of compromise’?
First, take the time to know your Firm. There are firms that have not skipped over the bar of tolerance and celebration of employee individuality, and the idea of showing up in anything but a mud coloured suit is unacceptable. If this is your employer, consider whether your expanding your work wardrobe is worth losing your job for.
For the rest of us; think barter and balance; between the intangible cultural/brand compliance and that which is more rule based.
The more ‘individually expressive/eccentric your dress, the more compliant you need to be to the firm’s other rules.
Meaning that should you decide to express your individuality in your dress, stepping outside what is expected of you by the firm on the cultural/brand side, you will need to demonstrate your compliance to the ‘rule’ side of the work.
How does compliance to the ‘rule side’ look? You show up to work on time, attend company events, complete your work on time, join committees, dot your ‘i’s cross your ’t’s, fill in all the surveys well before the deadline, attend all trainings, conduct one, put up your hand, and fully adhere, with commitment, to the firm’s processes and controls.
To what extent must you do this? Once again think balance, the extent of compliance is dependent on your deviance from the norm. In an organisation expecting grey or navy blue suits and ties; the person wearing a bowtie and another wearing an outfit the colour of Satan’s lipstick will need to fold into the organisation’s rules a little differently.
