If you want to move along the corporate path, you need to dress for success like any other professional. For IT managers that means making sure you're dressed approapriate for the occasion.
Ray Costello, CIO at the Gingiss Group recalls that 20 years ago -we [tech professionals] had to wear a clean white shirt," and when it came time for a bathroom or coffee break, a sport jacket was pulled on.
But a few years ago the fashion evangelists decried it was time to relax the workplace dress code, and so Dockers and short sleeve knit shirts with animal-logos became the normal daily work attire for IT leaders.
-IT professionals are the leaders who broke that whole corporate dress code and they did it by daring the administrators to fire them as they wore Bermuda shorts and loud Hawaiian shirts," claims Costello. -The [tech] community wasn't crazy, it was empowered by the need for their talents and they stretched the limits of the dress code and saved us all," explained the CIO who related he was wearing blue jeans, Van's and a Tabasco T-shirt the day he provided insight on today's IT management dress code.
And while casual dress may be more comfortable and practical for many IT managers, there are some who still believe that a more formal approach is best, and that a suit and tie is necessary for business tasksââ,¬"such as meeting customers, trips to clients, and working side by side with corporate leaders. Yet the consensus from readers surveyed about today's dress code is that IT managers need to dress appropriate for the day's event.
Today's tech uniform
While the dress code is "business casual" Monday through Thursday in Peter Gant's IS department, the manager likes to wear suits regularly.
-If I'm not in a suit, I still wear a shirt and tie. You never know when you'll get asked to attend a meeting with the executives, and I prefer to look as professional as possible," said the tech leader who works for the British Columbia Security Commission. While he's ok with Fridays being 'jeans day,' he believes the casual attire can go too far.
-Some managers seem to think Hawaiian shirts are acceptable. I'm not quite sold on that. [The Friday jean day] is a good connection to staff, and it's a break. I do my best not to schedule interviews or external meetings on Fridays," he said.
Yet Tom Trunda, regional IT director for 3Com Corp., doesn't believe a suit is ever necessary for tech leaders
-Most days the dress is jeans and a golf shirt or a long sleeve collared sport shirt," explained Trunda who manages a staff that supports a 130-user site. On Friday's, shorts with a golf shirt is acceptable. When it comes to meetings he said casual slacks are the order of the day.
-During the summer my desktop staff is allowed to wear shorts and T-shirts. Most of the staff are hold-overs from the old US Robotics days where casual dress was accepted. I see no reason to change," said Trunda.
Dusty Miller, president of Network Design & Management wears suits 50 percent of the time when attending meetings, and always a tie for appointments.
-The best tech garb is a pressed white shirt, tie, dress slacks, and black dress shoes," said Miller, who asks staff to wear -their Sunday best" the majority of the week during the fall/winter/spring season. In warmer months the dress code is business casual, but never blue jeans. -We are a sales organisation, and everybody should look sharp," explained Miller.
It's always a suit and tie when RAlbritton's staff meets with clients.
-We have a business casual dress code for the IT staff. That means nice slacks and a collar shirt. We always keep a full suit, tie, shirt, socks, etc. in the closet for impromptu client meetings," explained RAlbritton, who added that his personal policy is to try and dress -a half-step up from my peers, whatever the code is." While he doesn't believe a suite and tie makes people more or less efficient or motivated, -it makes me feel better about myself when I wear them."
Ralph Berger said that today's dress code should align with the workday's event.
-Our entire workplace (not just IT) has a "business casual" dress code Monday to Thursday, with Friday designated as jeans and sneakers day. That means sport shirts or golf shirts without a tie, slacks, and regular shoes or dress boots, not athletic footwear. For the women the code means dresses or blouses and skirts or pants," explained Berger who said he appreciates the business casual approach.
-Not only is it easier on the wallet, it is far more comfortable to work in than a suit and tie. In my mind, this is a significant employee benefit," he said, adding that his staff does dress more formally when required.
- The key is to dress in a manner that is responsive to the other party's expectations."
As Terence Shelton has discovered, if meetings are few and far between in your organisation, then it should be a casual approach all the way.
-I haven't worn a suit or tie to work in four years! I do have some nice sport jackets for important meetings, but that is as 'dressed up' as anyone expects from us 'geeks,'" said the IS manager at NDM Consulting Engineers, Inc.
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