Personal Shoppers and Psyches: A Day in the Life Sunday

Years ago, I worked with an image consultant who was tasked with transitioning me <and my closet> from 10 years of camouflage and yoga pants to my new corporate gig in . . .  in 8 hours or less.

Think personal shopper, complete overhaul and a single woman with too much disposable income.  

We started bright and early and purposefully made our way through a small selection of boutiques, designer stores and fashion enclaves in Philadelphia <that would be hard to find for a person less connected> building my new wardrobe. She loved her job and her energy was contagious.

With a smile on my face and my credit card in hand, we didn't stop until I had a new haircut, new glasses and a closet full of new clothes. Think personal colors, designer eye wear and Max Mara.

It was fun.

There's nothing like waking up to a closet full of clothes you love to wear, knowing how make better decisions when shopping and dressing and best of all, feeling more confident and comfortable in your own skin.

Flash forward to today where you find me in the gym locker room utterly annoyed:

Me: This shirt is too freaking big and it won't . . stay. . in. . .my. . pants when I move!

Friend: Don't think of it as big, think of it as . . . blousy, yes, blousy. That's the style these days, you know.

The thing is, I tried the shirt on before I bought it. What size do I think I am anyway? How did I get out of the store with this shirt, in this size and - here's the kicker - with 2 more like it?

As I wake up today with a closet full of nothing to wear, underwhelmed by my clothing choices and lack of shopping savvy and feeling generally blah <and old>, I know that, without a doubt, I want my power and my image consultant (who BTW now provides impression and relationship management programs to businesses) back.

Knowing the shopping spree of long ago is not happening today and short of taking out a second mortgage on the house, how do I reenergize my closet and my psyche?

Do tell, what's worked for you?

Photo credit iStockphoto

Thriving and Surviving Today

The future of HR is collaboration, communication, and credbility. It's in the hands of HR professsionals, business leaders and communities of well-intentioned, idea-driven, and thought provoking people. On most days, the future of HR is an energizing, possibility generating conversation.

On other days, the future of HR is not much more than me making it to the end of the day, project or action with my sanity intact.

From employees expressing their displeasure in words that send an HR pro to Dictionary.com, to suspenses looming like the dementors of Azkaban and staff members not playing nice, HR leadership is not for the faint of heart.

For those in the game, it goes with the territory and each instance is an opportunity shine. Before I start sounding like I've got my head in the clouds, let me stop and say, it's all how you play the game. Call it perspective, priorities or emotional maturity - it's still the same.

The madness is there. It's yours. Manage it.

Right there alongside my Black's Law Dictionary, Codes of Federal Regulations and employee relations resources galore, I have a few other tools of my trade. You won't find these at a SHRM Conference but let me tell you, they are just what the doctor ordered when the tensions rise and your psyche is strained.

Left to right we have "People," "People Pieces," and "Noone is Immune."

 

Elementary? Yes. Fun? Yes. Effective? Yes. For me. At the risk of you questioning my emotional maturity further, I ask, "What HR pro couldn't use a little voodoo every now and then?" 

Why do I have these? First, they were both given to me as gifts and second, I doubt I'd be able to convince my staff to line dance Joe's Crab Sack or Texas Roadhouse style to add a little pressure release in my day.

Seriously, it comes down to dealing with what comes my way every day so I can get back to the business of making a difference today - and in the future.

When the tensions rise and you need to thrive and survive, what works for you?