“Our impressions affect the way we treat people. This is a natural human reaction.
Therefore, it shouldn’t surprise you that the impressions other people have about you
will affect the way they treat you. People from impressions based on looks and
actions. Your physical appearance often determines what kind of first impression
you will make.”
It is important that you look as good as possible. This will help you make a
positive impression on other people. “Wait a minute,” you say, “I’m not that good
looking. Do you expect me to get plastic surgery?” No, this isn’t about how to
change your body. It’s about how to take advantage of your physical characteristics
to look the best you can. John Molloy wrote a book called Dress For Success. He
advises professionals how to dress for managerial and executive positions. Molloy’s
research on the importance of dress in the workplace indicates your dress has a
major impact on the impressions other form of you.
Hygiene (personal body care) can also influence what impression you make
on people. Messy hair, bad breath and body odor make a poor impression. People
will avoid you. Co-workers will not want to work in the same area as you. In this
lesson you will learn how to determine proper ways to dress for our job as well as the
basics of good hygiene.
One team of experts expresses the result of a poor physical appearance this
way: “In certain situations, dress can even be as important to job success as worker
skills. Superiors and subordinates make certain decisions based solely on
appearance. So, it is to the worker’s advantage to dress appropriately.” In other
words, people assume that you will care for your job in the same way you care for
yourself.
Mannerisms
Mannerisms can have as powerful an influence on people as appearance.
Look at other people and determine what mannerisms they exhibit that negatively
affect the way you feel about them. Examine yourself for any such behavior. Ask
friends and family to tell you if they observe undesirable traits in your conduct.
(Family will be especially willing to do this) Listed below are some common
problems.
 Gum Chewing: It is difficult to speak clearly when chewing gum. In addition
to making speech difficult to understand, it distorts facial expressions.
 Slang: Many people will not understand slang or will think the user is
ignorant or uneducated. You should use a commonly understood vocabulary.
The curser is even worse, appearing no only ignorant, but also rude and
uncouth.
 Picking and Pulling. Sometimes people unconsciously develop a habit of
picking at a certain part of their body like ear, nose, hair, chin, or fingers. It
can be very distracting or even disgusting to other people.
Summary
Proper dress and good hygiene are crucial for two important reasons. First,
they affect your appearance, an your appearance has an effect on supervisors, coworkers, and customers – either good or bad. Appropriate dress and grooming
guidelines should always be followed. Your supervisor and co-workers should
provide a good example in these matters. Secondly, proper dress and hygiene may
be important to your health and safety. Wearing clothes that can protect you from
injury or disease is important. Find out what the safety and health equipment are for
your own good.