In the 37th chapter of Steve Jobs’ Biography there is a story about his hospitalization to undergo a much needed liver transplant. He is heavily sedated and barely conscious as the nurse reaches over to put an oxygen mask on his face. After a couple seconds, Jobs pulls it off angrily and mumbles that the design of the mask conflicts with the shape of his face. He then demands that 5 different masks are brought to him so he can create one that fits best. The bewildered nurse stands in shock as Jobs’ wife tries to distract him with some other topic while motioning the nurse to put it back on. Jobs distracted, looses interest in the mask and falls to sleep.

While Job’s biography describes him as a highly temperamental, volatile, and verbally abusive manager, it’s also clear that his drive to make exceptional products was closely linked to his distaste for mediocrity.

When thinking about the topic of mediocrity, I began to see it everywhere. Not just in technology development but government, relationships, marketing, education… even social justice. In researching the concept, I discovered the Mediocrity Principle which blatantly states:

The mediocrity principle is the notion in philosophy of science that there is nothing very unusual about the evolution of our solar system, the Earth, any one nation, or humans. The idea is to assume mediocrity, rather than starting with the assumption that a phenomenon is special or has somehow violated the laws of the universe.

What made Steve Jobs special was that he contrasted so sharply against our very existence. The standard of our world (and essentially the universe) is Mediocrity. Not because we are lazy or even unimaginative, but simply because Mediocrity is the common denominator. Mediocrity isn’t bad or negative, it’s just the middle ground, the common ground. Some people drift one way or the other, but rarely do people distance themselves far enough away to be considered extraordinary. The people that do, stand out brightly, as both good and evil innovators.

If Mediocrity is the starting point, there then exists the opportunity to move as far away as possible from that nature. The physics of this concept remains true however; the further away from Mediocrity you travel, the harder it is to get the support of others who still operate in that nature.

Jobs encountered this challenge early in his career and solved it by taking control of the entire problem set. He bought the companies he needed to and strong-armed those he couldn’t into deals he knew they desperately needed (namely the music industry). By controlling the hardware, software, distribution method, and payment system, he could mold the entire structure to his vision. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates often debated this Open vs Closed concept. Jobs understood that he needed complete control to accomplish his vision. Where Open systems allow everyone to achieve parts of their vision, Closed systems allowed the achievement of a single visions. The challenge with a Closed system was to be loved (vs despised) by it’s users, something that Apple accomplished by aligning it’s vision to what its customer would want. Jobs used the famous Wayne Gretzky line to describe this, “Skate where the puck will be, not where it is.”

The concept of Mediocrity can be applied everywhere. If you want to break past your competition, expand your social circles, or just invigorate your life, go beyond the Mediocre. Align your values and focus to where the puck is going to be. Working in Marketing, I see companies with great products but Mediocre Marketing efforts all the time. Remember, this is the standard. Your competitors are doing it. It’s not difficult to rise above, it just takes guts and an absence of fear – otherwise known as courage.

Lots can be said about Steve Jobs, but it was his courage that led him to Think Differently. I’m challenged by his life to rise above the Mediocre.

]]> http://joelmarc.com/blog/the-law-of-mediocrity/feed/ 0 http://joelmarc.com/blog/two-strikes-for-bell/ http://joelmarc.com/blog/two-strikes-for-bell/#comments Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:57:40 +0000 Joel Marc http://joelmarc.com/?p=1848 In considering topics for this article I circled around the rise of mobile, information accessibility, and some predictions about Apple’s post-Steve Jobs era. Then I looked at my Facebook wall. To my surprise, Bell Canada had posted a new link. I had forgotten that I’d liked the page to write my previous article on Bell, of how Social Media can work against a brand. While I don’t mean to harp on Bell, they honestly step on every rake in the yard. So while I wanted to write something about Apple and the inevitable shift in vision post-Steve Jobs, Bell has dug itself even deeper into the Worst Use of Social Media category.

The customer posts and comments on Bells Facebook page, as described in How Not to Use Social Media have since been deleted, however new comments have emerged…lots of them.

It gets better. Bell, for reasons that escape me, have launched a social media application/contest called Social Portrait, which takes all the posts and comments you’ve made across Facebook and Twitter and builds a portrait of your face from those posts and comments. For a company that is known for having horrible customer service, with very very angry people expressing their frustration via comments on Facebook and Twitter, this sounds like a horrible idea.

You can see my Photoshopped version of where this is could go, but luckily for Bell only 18 people have used the app over 2 months. There are entries from July, but no one got around to actually installing the app on Facebook until after I wrote my last article, which would have been October. Is this a failure of execution? Who knows, but by the measurements I use to help build brands, the whole idea is a failure and draws even more attention to Bell’s ass-backwards approach to using social media.

Having a Facebook page with an interesting application (like Social Portrait) will only gain traction if you have already formed a passionate community around your brand. If you have systemic problems with items such as customer service, quality control, or support, getting into social media will amplify those problems until they have been resolved in the minds of the customer majority. There always will be minor problems and issues that arise, but those fires are easily put out through solution-minded community management. It’s the bleeding and gaping wounds that need to be attended to first.

Here’s how Social Media would actually benefit Bell.

First, Bell spends a boatload of money on fixing their 2 biggest problems (which are partly fueled by customer perceptions):

• Customer Service: Go through extensive re-training with phone support and technical support staff. Set a standard of finding resolutions within 20 minutes of a customer being on the phone, then shave that down to 10. Put systems in place that support CSR agents to meet this goal. Create accountability systems with Store retailers so that what is said in-store is honored over the phone and vise versa.
• Technical Support: Re-train first and second level agents to be experts in empathy… super apologetic and understanding. Set up designated technical support phones numbers that are answered by people not machines and limit the amount of customer transfers to 2. Additionally, provide first level support via chat and email on a dedicated support website.

*Notice that social media hasn’t been mentioned yet?That’s because Social Media Amplifies your brands greatest strengths, and your brands greatest weaknesses. To achieve a positive result with social media, your strengths must outweigh and overshadow your weaknesses.

Second, once Customer Service and Technical Support are strong, use Social Media to change the Public Perception of your brand. Perception can only be changed once weakness has truly been removed. Public perceptions are difficult to change, but can be accomplished through trusted relationships…friends talking to friends. This is where Social Media could blow Bell past Telus and Rogers. Launching a social campaign with apps, contests, and interactivity showcasing “How Bell is Better” in the eyes of Bell’s happy customers would create the kind of buzz Bell is going for (but only after Bell actually is better).

Third, protect and maintain your brand strength. This means ensuring customer service and support stays strong, while your newly formed passionate community stays interested in your brand. Posting sales content about new products, awards won, and generic marketing speak will result in lost customer interest (after all why should they care). Content that appeals to the lifestyle and interests of your customers will develop a strong loyalty to your brand. Simply ask yourself, what are our customers passionate about (vs. how do we get our customers passionate about us)?

The question I have for Bell is, are they willing to put in the work needed to become the #1 Leader in telecommunications in Canada? They’ve already shown that spending money isn’t a problem (ie. Olympic Sponsorship, Social Portrait, etc), it’s the massive amount of work and organizational change needed that’s holding them back from attaining that goal.

Social Media can help Bell achieve that #1 spot by amplifying Bell’s strengths, but only if those strengths overshadow Bell’s weaknesses… and right now, those weaknesses are beating them mercilessly.

***

PS – When Tweeting this post I stumbled across two Twitter accounts created by people who dislike Bell. It is simply astounding that a Brand of Bell’s magnitude simply doesn’t care what it’s public perception is. Check them out @BellCanadaPR and @BellCanadaWatch

For all the talent Steve had, the skill we will miss the most is his ability to draw you into the excitement he experienced with Apple. Few leaders believed in their products as much as Steve did. This authenticity was manifested in his choice of leaders, surrounding himself with best minds possible to put action to his vision.

The Apple that Steve Jobs created enabled me to innovate from a young age that other hardware/software companies simply couldn’t. The day I bought the first version of Final Cut Pro I saw a new world of creative possibilities appear. Using Media 100 and Adobe AfterFX, I was limited by render time and complex software to create video sequences and special effects. Out of the box, Final Cut enabled me to create in half the time while doubling the effects. Combined with the speed and efficiency of the G4, then G5, and OSX, I knew I had a winner.

Since those early days, Mac’s and Apple have been with me every step of my professional and personal adventure. Without that visionary focus, Apple would be a different company, and I would be on a very different path. Thanks Steve for your vision and determination to see people bettered by innovation. You’ve defined a standard that will not be easily matched.

Such is the nature of Social Media. Many businesses small and large have passed over social media for many reasons that may indeed be good reasons, but those reasons are all short-term focused: this quarters ROI, capitol costs, staffing additions, etc. Long term, the lack of a passionate social media focus will be the undoing of many businesses who failed to see that the nature of consumer expectations had changed. 10-15 years from now these stories will be taught in MBA programs.

I came across an example that’s budding for an examination. If you have doubts about social media, here’s about the simplest illustration of how social media will shape your business over the next decade, whether you embrace it or not.

Bell Canada’s Billion Dollar Failure

Bell is Canada’s 3rd largest mobile phone network and has been a part of the Canadian landscape for decades. To the surprise of many, Bell was awarded the official telecommunications sponsorship for the 2010 Winter Olympics Games in Vancouver. It’s uncommon that the 1st or 2nd place leaders don’t achieve (buy) this opportunity. So Bell paid a pretty penny (over $200 Million) outbidding it’s competitors by upwards of 50%. Bell was determined to move from that 3rd place spot in the eyes of Canadian consumers to 1st or 2nd.

Bell spent millions more on a rebrand of their logo, website, print, and stores followed by millions more on Television, Internet, and Radio ads in the prime time spots and areas across Canada.

I even thought their marketing was slick. I’m mean, what a turn around from the frumpy archaic brand they used to be.

You know what Bell didn’t spend money on? You got it. Social Media.

Now to be fair, Bell did actually create a cowbell iPhone app and do some small social campaigns, but I estimate they spent less than 5% of their total sponsorship efforts on social media, which was likely close to $1 Billion. Bell’s Olympic marketing attempts were akin to movie set: beautiful and life-like on the outside, but soulless and empty on the inside. Social Media is what gave them away. Let’s have a look.

You can visit Bell’s Facebook page here. At the time of this writing it was still live. I’ve taken screenshots if it no longer is…which is shocking in of itself that Bell has left their failure for the world to see. For those thinking this is a fake page, if it were so Bell’s legal team could simply report the page for trademark infringement and the page would be down within days.

This page was launched early January 2010, weeks before the Olympics. The most recent post is dated September 25, 2010 and since then it’s been dark…for the learning enjoyment of all. First thing you’ll notice is amount of posted comments…in some cases 30+, which is a great result…if they weren’t 30 angry customer comments.

Social Media Creates 2-Way Communication

Behind that glossy and polished marketing campaign there were (and still are) a lot of customers that are very very frustrated with Bell and their customer service. Yet, Bell didn’t anticipate their customers would ever rally together. Well, that’s social media in a nutshell…people coming together to discuss what they like and don’t like.

Social Media gives brands an opportunity to manage, learn, and adapt based upon overall customer sentiment. Bell just doesn’t get it. Notice how they ‘broadcast’ marketing-speak about new products and features without acknowledging the customers woes? So what happens, the frustration spreads, empowering others to vent violently about their frustration. 1-way brand communication died at the end of 1990′s, along with Boy Bands.

Social Media Requires Internal Cooperation

There are comments from Bell’s own internal team, trying to figure out who’s running this page. This is a clear indicator of fragmented teams, internal politics, and lack of communication. Social Media isn’t for the company Intern. It’s a carefully nurtured community of passionate customers, supported by your internal employee community that’s just as passionate about their customers. Social Media is a symbiotic relationship and Bell clearly doesn’t value their customers…

Social Media Creates Opportunity for Resolutions

Notice how people are commenting on each others postings? This is where a brand can jump in. People generally like positive things over negative things, and so all this negativity is easily reversed when a situation is corrected. A person will post a positive comment instead of negative or direct other frustrated people to channels that solved his or her problem. This lack of intervention from a brand is likely the lack of employees being empowered to handle these issues. I wouldn’t be surprised if Bell has policies preventing employees from assisting on social media channels. Here’s a great example.

Social Media needs a Strategy to be Successful

Bell sets up a discussion forum called ‘Can We Improve?’ Sounds nice until you realize they don’t actually have the resources to support such a massive request. There is no strategy here. Just gloss and polish. Social media requires a clear strategy with specific goals. Without such, there is no support structure to strengthen and grow with your customers. Social Media is not a one-off campaign. It’s a long-term communication tool. It’s the digital word-of-mouth.

Today, it’s not enough that a business spends millions or billions of dollars on Marketing. Consumers simply trust what their friends say about you on social media, regardless of your voice elsewhere. When marketers say ‘If you want to be around in 5-10 years, you better get your business into social media,’ they are really saying:

Customers are talking about you, and if you want to have any input, you better come to the table where they are talking.

Over time, businesses that don’t engage with customers through social media will practically give them way to their competitors that are. Customers want to have their voice heard and respected. Social media is a powerful tool to create customer trust, loyalty, and passion. The real ROI of social media is a community of brand ambassadors who share your brand with their friends.

It’s that simple.

Found a great posting with some key statistics. 80% on online customers change their mind about a purchase decision after reading negative social media reviews. Original article here.

Many brands don’t have the stamina or talent to achieve such a status over and over, notably the exceptions being lifestyle brands such as Nike, Adidas, Diesel, and BMW. Clothing and apparel brands are forced to continually evolve with fashion trends, thereby forcing their management teams to unearth what their exactly excites their customers today.

Tech and relationship companies, such as Facebook, have a harder time maintaining a Hot factor because they rely heavily on inventing new ‘features’ of their product to keep users excited and satisfied. This is difficult. Apparel brands can simply invent or reinvent a style (a T-shirt is a T-shirt after all). What this means is that while Facebook created a solution to achieve easy digital relationships, the cat is out of the bag. It can’t re-solve the same problem. Facebook can only add features to it’s offering, which may enhance it’s product, but over the long run, I believe Facebook has already made it’s primary impact.

I don’t believe users will leave Facebook in droves…at least in the near future. General society is satisfied with the core solution Facebook has provided and until the next paradigm shift of digital social interaction occurs, Facebook will continue to dominate and grow users.

Facebook is entering is middle-age era…and aside from putting on some weight, it is likely to have a few middle age related crisis’ to challenge the younger and better looking solutions like Google+. Expect to see odd design changes, successive releases of new features, and maybe even a rebrand. Eventually, Facebook will remember what it is good at and return to the core focus of simply connecting people.

While the naysayers all point to Myspace as a precedent, Myspace in comparison to Facebook never achieved the global success that Facebook has seen. From the tech savvy to grandmas,  family businesses to fortune 500 companies, Facebook truly has dominant reach across ALL demographics. Facebook has established itself as the 100 pound Gorilla, has taken 1st Place for social connections, and will remain in 1st Place until the next paradigm shift occurs.

In my opinion, this shift will happen when social connections fully integrate with digital consumer purchasing. Facebook MAY be overcome by a powerhouse who takes Facebook’s answer to social connections and integrates it with easy digital consumer purchasing. Google is the obvious contender when considering their suite of apps such as Google Wallet and Cart; however, Facebook COULD surprise us all and invent a new platform that combines their experience in social with an on and offline purchasing solution. Needless to say, there’s a long way to go and plenty of start-up contenders that have yet to be revealed.

1. Smartphones
2. 3G and 4G Wireless Broadband
3. Cloud Computing
4. Eye-Tracking / Voice Commands
5. Augmented Reality
6. Social Networking
7. CAD, 3D Printing & Custom Products
8. Autonomous Cars

Now all these features are in real world existence and use today. Some are more expensive than others. But I have to disagree with one major point regarding Rick’s prediction…his timetable. Rick sets the date of 2031 to see these advances affordable and in popular use. I think he’s dead wrong. I think we’re going to see them within the next 10 years (2021).

Intel recently announced that in partnership with 3M they have created a heat dissipating glue that can be used to stack computer processors on top of each other, thereby making today’s fastest processor 1000 times faster. Rolled out in servers around 2013, we should see them in consumer devices around 2015. Why would we need to process so much data? If we stop looking at physical data like videos as largest draw of processing power and look at the burgeoning Long Tail of data, there is going to be a massive increase in automated information filtering in order to process the massive amount of information available and marketed to us. As Rick points out with Smartphones, they will become PCM’s, or Personal Mobile Computers, worn like a watch. These PCM’s will be Grand Central for managing the information flow of our daily future lives.

Combined with cloud based data, fast wireless access everywhere (think 10G..which is just a marketing term for whatever is fast), and HUD type displays, complex information processing will become rapidly easier.

Think this is all wishy washy tech talk? Here’s two innovations that are currently in production and examples of what’s to come:

First up, the HUD (Head’s Up Display). These will glasses, goggles, or even contacts that allow digital information to be processed and seen in real time. Recon Instruments manufactures HUD style snowboarding goggles that show altitude, GPS, speed, vertical, total distance odometers, run-counter, temperature, stopwatch/chrono mode, and a world clock. So popular….you can’t even buy them. Recon can’t manufacture them fast enough. Take this idea a step further by introducing the Cloud and you have Ski Resorts that setup Sonic the Hedgehog style ski-runs with achievements you hit for points (eg, rings to pass through, jumps to navigate, etc). Combine social media and you’re publishing your results to compete against your friends. You still only get 1 life though… if you hit a tree there’s no starting that level again.

On to the PCM. Italian watch maker I’m Watch has already created an Android based smart-watch that receives text messages, dials phone numbers, and plays music while connected to your Android phone over Bluetooth. Give it time and the watch will be the phone. For about $310 USD, anyone in the market for a watch can buy one. Or if you have some serious cash, $19,000 USD will land you the White Gold version with Diamonds.

So 20 years? Based upon how far technology has come since 1991, we can easily half that estimate based upon the price point and availability of current technologies like Android and various API’s. The future is closer then we think…and it sure looks exciting!

As a companion piece to the previous post (Why on earth are you using social media?), this video is a comedic take on the adaptation businesses are undergoing with social media. While poking fun, it underscores the importance of knowing why you are using social media and what’s purpose is.

Financial Advisers have this saying, if you hear about a good investment on the news, it has already peaked and is no longer a good investment. Social Media is similar to a degree; not that it’s becoming irrelevant, but that its matured beyond what the mainstream ‘idea’ of social media is. It’s moving out of it’s teens and into a stabler, more structured era where decisions have heavier, longer-term results. Social Media must be handled with care and a clear understanding of purpose, which begets the question “Why on earth are you using Social Media?”

Businesses plunge head first into social media everyday. No plan. Half-baked goals. Unenlightened to Social Media’s purpose and perils. I’m sure you’ve heard the following:

• the boss wants a social media presence immediately to capture online sales
• a competitor is on social media so we must keep up
• it’s the way of the future
• all the 20-somethings are using it
• nobody pays attention to traditional marketing anymore
• we need to look like we’re in touch with current trends

If Social Media was just another TV channel to buy advertising on, these reasons, while not strategic, wouldn’t be all that bad, but social media is not another marketing channel. Social Media is actually reflective of a very old consumer need that businesses have forgotten about.

Social Media Purpose

When Social Media went mainstream, in a crazed panic the business world cratered, running around like every customer just boarded Noah’s Ark and sailed away. Hacking together makeshift rafts to pursue that customer base, businesses have taken to Social Media. But the flood hasn’t happened, yet. And customers haven’t sailed away, yet.

In the modern age of overnight shipping, automated purchasing, and companies with global reach, the accountability and feedback achieved through face-to-face transactions have been lost. Social Media is the medium that publicizes the deficiencies businesses have in building meaningful relationships with their customers. Beyond the products they purchase, people want authenticity, quality, friendliness, and commitment that what they buy is what they were promised. But often as is the case with symbiotic relationships, the two sides think differently:

Customers view Social Media as a public square, where they can discuss their positive and negative interactions with businesses.

Businesses view Social Media as a new marketing tool, with expected ROI.

While both sides have truth to them, businesses have the most ground to make up.

Social Media ROI

The real ROI of Social Media is People. As a business, you are investing in people and likewise, you better know what your customers want. Social Media fosters two-way communication, which businesses haven’t done since the era of the General Store. For businesses to use Social Media effectively, they need to transition their communications strategy to excel in a two-way environment.

Social Media IS your businesses most important communication tool to give your customers what they want.

Missing that is detrimental. I write a lot about Gen Y and their increasing influence on the consumer world. The next decade is a transition period for this demographic as they take over consumer spending power. It’s no coincidence that this generation, who values authenticity, conversation, and transparency, have helped bring Social Media into the mainstream.

Businesses who want to capture the purchasing power of Gen Y have an opportunity to restructure their communications strategy and strengthen their customer engagement. Unfortunately, time is not on businesses side; there are now thousands of Social Media channels, tailoring to every interest imaginable.

The flood is coming. As with all mainstream channels, they eventually fragment and the Long Tail of Social Media will emerge. When it does, businesses who have used Social Media to develop meaningful relationships with their customers, will be on that Ark…sailing away from their competitors.

Are you using Social Media to create meaningful customer engagement? Leave your comments and stories below.

You’ve probably heard of Foursquare or seen a sticker encouraging you to Check-In at your local coffee shop. While some may write-off Foursquare as another social media platform to keep track of, Foursquare has been quietly picking up momentum to the tune of 10 million subscribers. Then on August 15th, Foursquare got it’s biggest endorsement yet as President Barrack Obama announced the White House’s official use of Foursquare.

So what is Foursquare? Foursquare creates personalized experiences among friends using location-based technologies within mobile smartphones. The entire goal of Foursquare is to share tips, insights, and deals from the businesses and areas you interact with on a daily basis.

Checking-In on your mobile phone unlocks the tips left by your friends and others for that particular business or area. I could Check-In to my favorite deli and leave a Tip for a particular sandwich that isn’t on the menu, or when running a trail in Stanley Park I could leave a tip for a particular place to get that perfect scenic view. When friends or others check-in to those locations, my tips are automatically displayed to them. My friends can even add these tips to a To-Do List to create their own mini adventures based on my experiences.

Recently, Foursquare launched support for Businesses, called Foursquare Pages. This is where Foursquare becomes really valuable for Retailer’s, especially those with multiple locations. Pages enables a businesses to brand the Page to their own graphical feel while displaying Lists of places they frequent and recommend. So if you decided to follow the Think! Social Media Foursquare Page you would see our List of places around Yaletown we love to go for lunch. Additionally you can see the tips we’ve left at all the locations around the world.

Foursquare Pages are a natural fit for Lifestyle Brands who want to bring all the elements of their Lifestyle to their avid followers. The trick is to make your Page appealing so visitors will want to follow it. We suggest providing tips, insights, and deals that only Foursquare users can experience. Luxury hotelier Ritz-Carlton took some of the knowledge from their esteemed Concierges and made them tips on their Foursquare Pages of each property. Their motivation? Take the renown insight of their Concierges and make it accessible to people who love the Ritz-Carlton brand online.

Encouraging members to offer small freebies to customers for checking-in on Foursquare is a great way to build some momentum. A cupcake shop offered an extra shot of icing if customers showed an employee a check-in on their mobile phone. Small items such as an “extra shot of espresso” work best.

Marketing material stating that your business is on Foursquare is a helpful way to remind people to check-in (as they’re thinking about what kind of sandwich they want). A small stand-up at the checkout counter goes a long way. I was buying groceries recently and the display showing my purchase had a graphic stating “Check-in to Foursquare and ask for a free apple.” Smart and simple.

Want a Free Foursquare Window Sticker for your business? Just verify your businesses location on Foursquare and they’ll mail you one. Or, to get Foursquare’s logo to use in your marketing material, visit this link and choose Buttons and Logo’s.

Have you used Foursquare in an innovative way already? We’d love to hear your story in the comments section below.

Gen Y is notorious for its non-conformity to dress codes – for some, it’s sheer laziness, for others it’s about personal identity, but for most it’s about Freedom. Freedom to live life and choose one’s own measurement of value. The style in which a Gen Y dresses is most often a reflection of what makes that person comfortable. And Gen Y has an insatiable appetite for a “personalized” lifestyle…it’s the world we’ve grown up in. iTunes playlists, Internet Shopping, customizable options in everything (I recent bought a killer pair of headphones in my favorite shade of blue). Professional appearance in the workplace for Gen Y is less about “how I appear to others” and more about a visible manifestation of “what makes me comfortable.” It’s this feeling of Freedom that Gen Y feels so strongly about. When required to dress a certain way, Gen Y feels this Freedom threatened.

Freedom of expression comes with a price though, namely public acceptance and opportunity. Express a “freedom” that is too far out of popular culture and you face the possibility of ridicule and avoidance. This is where the clash between Gen Y and other generations generally happens. As Gen Y takes its place as the new 800lb Gorilla, it still doesn’t have popular opinion on it’s side, and it won’t get it either. Instead Gen Y will become the popular opinion at a tipping point, and guidelines within the Gen Y demographic will evolve about what is considered “professional attire” to them. At the same time, the term “professional” will likely also be redefined.

I know many well-dressed Gen Y’ers. I also know many not-so-well-dressed Gen Y’ers who hide behind the claim of “this is what we’re expected to look like.” So here are two challenges for our generation: first, disproving the stereotype of what “professional attire” is, and second, deciding whether popular opinion is important to us (and right now, the latter is leaning towards not caring). Some have argued that to reach goals guarded by older generational gatekeepers you’ll have to dress a certain way to pass through; however, Gen Y is intensely entrepreneurial and when gates are locked, I’ve seen Gen Y’ers simply build ladders over the wall. Personally, I’m largely in favor of redefining the term “professional attire,” and I LOVE a good suit and tie. And there lies the paradox, it’s not about one or the other, its about the message your attire communicates.

To start the redefinition process, here’s my contribution:

• Hygiene comes first. I don’t care who signed your T-shirt…if it reeks of lasts nights bar bender or a 5 mile run, give it up. In a work setting (or anything else short of camping), all clothes should be clean and odor free. When in doubt, wash it.

•  Feet are gross. Everyone agrees…even you. Keep them in shoes or wrapped in garbage bags….I don’t care. Flip-flops and sandals are for the beach. There’s a billion types of shoes available (right ladies?)…you can find a shoe that’s just as comfortable as those flip-flops you wore on your road trip to Mexico.

•  Shorts: Unless you’re the drummer from Foo Fighters, board shorts are for the beach or the pool. Shorts are cool at work if they’re made from something 100% natural (i.e. cotton). Nothing that has the words span, dex, rayon, or polyester qualifies.

•  Want to make an impression? Whatever you wear, wear it fitted to your body style. By fitted I don’t mean tight, I mean appropriate. If you are tall and skinny, baggy clothes look sloppy, as do tight clothes on someone who’s well-rounded. Be honest. Does that shirt really fit you or are you just avoiding a shopping trip?

Whether you rock suits, T-shirts, shorts, or jeans, keep in mind that as comfortable as you want to be, other people have to work with you. Finding that balance of what allows you to exercise your Freedom, with what contributes to your collaborative environment, is the key to getting what you want, and keeping other people interested in working with you.