I have a confession.  I really shot myself in the foot when I wrote a self development book for the British market; because let’s be honest, the majority of the UK population (unlike our American cousins) don’t ‘do’ self development.

That’s why we invented boxing, rugby and Millwall on a Saturday afternoon.

The British have their own version of self development which we call ‘the stiff upper lip’, the Charge of the Light Brigade, Polar Explorers and heroes courageously changing the world with one hand tied behind their back, and still home for tea at 5.00 o’clock; and all without breaking into a sweat! 

The stiff upper lip has been in our blood for centuries – but the big flaw in this strategy in this – it creates problems somewhere else, later on.

Take Queen Elizabeth I for example.  She led a nation, devoted herself to reform, had the mind of a political genius, and saw off The Spanish Armada. Even when hearing that her former lover and life long friend Rober Dudley – Earl of Leicester  had suddenly died – she sank to the stone floor of her bed chamber and lay there alone for three days and wept, and ate or drank nothing.

The average Brit doesn’t need any ‘help’ thanks.  Perhaps its centuries of invations, plagues and wars.

Even Brits abroad don’t really enjoy themselves – instead what do they do?  They end up having a punch up and get thrown into prison.  OK OK, not necessarily your Auty Sylvia, but I think you know what I mean.

So, why did I write a book for a nation that isn’t into navel gazing or introspection?  Talking to a ‘professional’ about your problems is something that we Brits don’t even tell the family cat about, and definitely not your best mates.

Whereas over the pond – nearly everyone has their own Coach, Psychotherapist, or Psychiatrist. 

Over here instead we do 20 pints of lager and a packet of crisps or ‘Retail therapy’.  But underneath the calm British cool; somewhere underneath the manic over achieving workaholic is something called ‘feelings’.

We’ve spent eons running away from our feelings and pretending everything’s absolutely okay in a kind of Monty Python comic way.

But eventually for some people their strategy for coping by NOT letting their feelings show will eventually become an even bigger problem.

The retail therapy leads to debt, the binge drinking leads to liver failure or obesity and the denial of what was once a young man’s dream soon turns into a life of meaningless compromise and a stomach ulcer.

So, I couldn’t write a book telling everyone to just be positive, when a millenia of conditioning has taught the British to be ready for the invasion, death, pestillence and the Blitz!  Being sensitive, tender and caring just isn’t the way its done.  It’s just not cricket is it Carstairs!?

So, I’ve gone via the back door and told three stories of  characters who aren’t having a great time, don’t wake up ready to hit the gym after they’ve drank a pint of pulped seaweed whilst reading that book about goal setting.

The average brit wants reality before they can get to believe that something good’s coming.  Which is precisely what my book is all about.

So, if you’re a Brit reading this and don’t do ‘Self Improvement’ and think its for softies.  Listen up - the people it’s written for aren’t soft.

They’re striving with everything they have – but have hit a brick wall whilst getting there.  That brick wall was created because of their own behaviour, programming and beliefs.  Sooner or later many of us face this challenge.  

However the characters in my book have decided to let their guard down just far enough to let some ideas through, which could in the end be the perfect antidote to their challenges; And in so doing end the pain, save them time, precious energy (and the occasional relationship) along the way and GET CONSCIOUS about what they’re doing – it might just be worth a look.

“Discover Yourself On the Yellow Brick Road” might sound like it’s a book for children - when actually it contains some real sensible, practical and inspirational stuff - and it’s one of the easiest and most straightforward books you will ever read.

Follow the link here to read a sample chapter…

 According to an entrepreneur there are two types of people in the world – Entrepreneurs and ‘The Others’, and the problem with ‘The Others’ is this:-

“Into the dream you came, and across the soft carpet of my reverie you walked. With hobnail boots…”

This may resonate with an entrepreneur who has been misunderstood or maligned, because ‘The Others’ may accuse an entrepreneur of being selfish, obsessive, geeky, ever so slightly weird and focussed to the point of ruthlessness.  The term ‘The Others’ came from a conversation I had with a dedicated entrepreneur Paul Gunter    www.paul-gunter.com.  But like most entrepreneurial men and women, he believe its ‘The Others’ who need to ‘get with the programme’. 

Entrepreneurs are able to make huge sacrifices to achieve their objectives and compartmentalise chunks of their lives while an idea has gripped them by the throat, in their quest to become creative trailblazers at the cutting edge.  Inevitably they frequently leave lesser mortals standing in their wake and are the driving force behind enterprise and innovation.

Now this could lead to some challenging conversations, especially if a significant person in your life happens to be an entrepreneur.  And I know because my Dad was one.  My mother’s life in consequence was occasionally desperate, sometimes challenging, frequently very glamorous but never boring.

Unique and incomparable, an entrepreneur can overcome massive setbacks and “press on regardless”.  They are made of a special kind of metal; steel tempered in the flame which is cool to the touch, but to ‘the others’ is red hot.  So don’t get too close or you’ll get your fingers burnt.

The entrepreneurial mind never really sleeps; hardly rests and even if it does it’s alert for another idea, another opportunity which for the average person could be exhausting.  An entrepreneur ‘sees’ opportunities other people can’t. They ‘believe’ in ideas and concepts with a fervent enthusiasm which is baffling to the average Joe Soap.  For example, they will be the ones scribbling some notes on a napkin in a restaurant then hot-foot it back to HQ to put another blueprint into action, before the person with them has had time to tuck into their cheese and biscuits.

Occasionally an entrepreneur may appear to drift off and not be paying attention, until you’re forced to ask “have you even listened to a word I’ve said?!”  It’s nothing personal – they are sometimes literally on another planet.

My father’s entrepreneurial streak was always close by.  I have memories of the whole family travelling half way across the country just to eat a picnic on a piece of land my dad had earmarked for a commercial development.  He even once left me and my four kid sisters in a playground in Lisbon to amuse ourselves so he could attend a meeting. 

He was insatiably curious about everything, which was taken to extremes.  He had a telephone extension installed in every room of our house (even the downstairs cloakroom), so he wouldn’t miss a call. 

Entrepreneurs define their lives according to their own code and frequently ignore advice.  To them a mistake is a ‘learning experience’.  They lavish admiration on anyone whose achievements outshine theirs, and seek to emulate the movers and shakers in their industry on a never ending quest to improve and advance.

They eagerly await the next experience, and soon tire of the predictable and the pedestrian.  The more progress they make, the bigger their ambition and ability to live their life on their own terms becomes. 

Their strength and inner resourcefulness is inspirational to the enlightened beings who exist on the perimeter, but to ‘The Others’ e.g. anyone with no drive, ambition or courage at all, this could be perceived as selfish neglect.  An entrepreneur is not prepared to assign the direction of their life into anyone else’s hands.  To them life is always a question of “let’s make it happen!” or “what if??” or “how does that work?” and are prepared to wake up, step up and demand more. 

Sometimes the entrepreneurial gene can lie dormant for years and is only activated through adversity – so you don’t have to be born like it.

It’s also the ultimate weapon of self preservation, which is why a HUGE number of entrepreneurs were dyslexic underachievers at school – but still won through in the end.  It can also become a positive channel for delinquent energy, which otherwise might lead to a prison sentence or self destruction.

So, if you’re in close proximity to an entrepreneur – here’s a suggestion – don’t trample on, or pour cold water over, their ideas.  They are a force of nature – a tidal wave – so catch the energy, enjoy the experience or get out of the way…

Have you ever considered buying something, but the person selling to you was just too bloody clever or pushy for their own good and ruined the whole experience? 

Or were you trying to sell to someone and they were resisting everything you said, and was it like wading through treacle?

 Welcome to the Hare trying to sell to the Tortoise.

In this blog I’m going to share with you a way for both of these creatures to get on a lot better and generate a good outcome for both of them.

Because if they’re singing from different song sheets – neither of them will reach any consensus. 

And what if your office is full of tortoises and you’ve been landed with the task of managing them?

 What if you’re a Tortoise and your boss is a Hare?

Firstly, let’s define our Tortoise.  To a Hare they’ll appear pedantic and slow whereas a Toitoise would call themselves ‘careful, thanks very much’.

A Hare would come across to a Tortoise as pushy and ‘in your face’ – but would call themselves “actually I’m just enthusiastic” 

Can you see already that they’re talking different languages and have begun to be quite territorial about their position?  They will both try and grab the flag and claim the higher ground (“I’m right!”) –  in a fruitless attempt to win the battle, but are doomed to lose the war.  In a marriage they could literally spend the rest of their lives trying to ‘convert’ the other round to their way of seeing the world – with the same failed outcome.  Which, by the way might explain that age old cliche “my wife just doesn’t understand me…”

The Hare in charge of a Tortoise will use phrases to describe their friend such as  “obstinate, closed, infuriating, picky” whereas in the eyes of a Tortoise the Hare could come across as “pushy, flash, insincere and glib” – words that wouldn’t feature in Tortoise language – ever.

Do you further see that the relationship between these two characters could deteriorate into a stalemate, stonewalling or power struggle?  And even worse than that, if the number of Tortoises outnumbers the Hare – the Hare could end up being ostracised or made to feel ‘different’ because the Tortoises could make massive assumptions about the behaviour of the Hare – because they will apply their own rules.  But that’s like trying to force a piece of jigsaw into the wrong place. 

To a tortoise – rushing around and enthusiastically making friends with complete strangers (shock horror) and making instant decisions, isn’t the ‘Tortoise Way’.  Tortoises are more likely to be heard saying ‘this isn’t the way things are done around here’ – particularly when a new broom in the shape of Mr Hare turns up to shake things up a bit!! Just too racy for words!!

Trouble is, when change is in the air do you want a Tortoise in charge, or a Hare…?  And when running a business who would be best placed to respond quickly to changing circumstances?

I could even go as far as to say that you could apply this analogy to organisations…moving to slowly to catch the wave or change, or running after the next new fad far too quickly…

But on a persona level how do these two learn to co-exist with each other and even go on to build a beautiful friendship? 

 Top Tips for Hares Interacting with Tortoises:

1. Slow down and remember that Tortoises will need time to proces the dazzling news that you’ve just offloaded.  Giving them the news at 100 mph will just turn them off
2. Recognise that the Tortoise works at a different speed – they really can’t help being like that and they’re not doing it on purpose. 
3. Don’t become impatient but provide the information they need
4. Respect the fact that the Tortoise’s grasp of a concept or idea may take longer to process than yours.  So if you’re feeling frustrated because they haven’t grasped your vision as quickly as you have, just take a deep breath and go for a walk around the block or do something else until they come round with a curious look to say “you know what you were saying earlier…?”  Amen.

 Top Tips for Tortoises Interacting with Hares

1. Be direct in your approach and don’t go all round the houses
2. Don’t be too negative
3. Stand up for yourself and speak your mind, but don’t repeat yourself – or go into too much detail.  Sometimes too much information will make them lose interest (or the will to live)
4. Be aware that if you’re keen to point out all the faults in their recommendations; to them that’s like pouring cold water over their dreams.  Explain why.

Look at each other and actively seek out your strengths.  Rather than trying to force on a shoe that doesn’t fit, agree which roles and responsibilities you will each take on based on those strengths.  For instance, in a team the Tortoise could take care of the planning and organisation responsibilities, and the Hare will deliver the presentation and act as the troubleshooter.  In a salesd relationship a Hare could come over the fence to share the Tortoises philosophy and offer more information, more time and help them to get to the right conclusion, without pushing them too far.  Here it does pay to be more sensitive and intuitive in your approach.

 To conclude:

If you’re the kind of person that has to do things at full pelt, but everyone around you seems to be so laid back they’re almost asleep; don’t waste time getting frustrated, cultivate a good-humoured appreciation of their diligence and steadiness. You may come to rely on that one day.

If you’re used to being even paced and ‘sure’ but suddenly you’re got a firebrand in the family or the office – give them room to breath, let them lead and fuel their fire rather than expending energy trying to put the fire out, because trying to coerce, crush or change someone else will be a pointless waste of time.

The Answer Could Be Staring You In The Face Every Morning…

There was a time when I used to wonder how to bring people around to my way of thinking more quickly? I’d sit there desperate to point out my astute and incredibly incisive observations which everyone else had completely overlooked. This would happen time and time again. I’d sit there thinking, “I have a solution, but nobody’s paying attention to me!” But I could never quite articulate my thoughts in a way that made any impact at all.

So I began to look more closely at this whole subject of persuasion, for example at networking, selling and presenting. In fact I realised that I had to re-evaluate the impact I was making on people. Eventually the penny dropped.  The powerful cocktail that was required to “knock ‘em dead” included the clothes that I was wearing, but also my use of language, and how I used my voice. Plus my confidence levels (or how I was feeling) were reflected in my body language, so I needed to at least look confident even if sometimes I didn’t exactly feel like that.

I’ve gradually amassed various skills which have made a massive difference to the way people treat and perceive me. So start watching and learning from other great speakers and presenters.   Because it’s the way your message is delivered which makes such a gigantic difference to how it is received. You only have to listen to George Clooney talking you’ll know exactly what I mean. He starts to speak and you are hooked. But that’s not the entire picture.

It’s a combination of how you look, how you feel, how you’ve prepared and the way your message is conveyed.

Communication is an art form which combines to influence how your audience receives your message. Of course the path to developing your skills involves a certain element of risk; the risk of making a fool of yourself or putting yourself in the firing line. You must be willing to do this, because the only other option open to you is to do nothing and stay exactly where you are and not be taken seriously.

Don’t we all love good storytellers who use their voice like a musical instrument. They know all about contrast, pitch, tone and warmth. It’s no accident that the French and Italians are perceived as so attractive and seductive. Wouldn’t you agree that even hearing something as mundane as a train timetable read by a Frenchman is so much more enticing? Frankly, you hear the voice and you’re done thinking. Instead, you’re probably not even listening to the words they are saying. Their charming voice has disarmed you, and thus you’ve become a friendly audience for them – giving them a chance to be heard and understood more quickly. Communication, both verbal and non verbal, can be learned just like any other skill.

Let’s use music as an example. I took up the cello at the ge of 11 and worked my way up to Grade 7 by the time I as 21. Of course mastering all the techniques to become a great cellist takes time and I am far from that. However as my technique grew my ability to sway my audience intensified. Sitting amongst the cello section of  Symphony Orchestra comprising 8 cellos all playing in harmony with each other is possibly one of the most blissful experiences I have ever had. And if that isn’t transferred to the audience in a very intense way, I’d be very surprised.

And it’s the same with human interaction. The combination of the clothes you wear, a compelling voice, the words you use and your body language are an intoxicating mix in the right hands.

These elements say more about you than anything written on a piece of paper, a degree or in a CV.

Have you ever sat listening to dreary presentations that did a better job than heavy-duty tranquillisers?  The presenter missed a big opportunity to influence you, because you (by then) were possiblymore interested in the tea and biscuits that in anything they had to say.

Allow others to get a glimpse of your unique qualities and personality by firstly packaging yourself more attractively, so that your audience starts to care about what you’re saying. People do judge a book by its cover and if you’ve packaged all the elements of yourself effectively your presentation or the key job interview will get the reception you desire.

This Week’s Podcast:  3 Keys To Persistence From Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid

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“Neckwear Characterisation and Management Theory in Practice”

What Business Schools Should Be Teaching About People Management in 2010

By Dr Malcolm Braithwaite, Principal Consultant
                                                    Resonato – Reputation Matters
                                                    www.resonato.co.uk

By observing the behaviour characteristics of business managers over a period of some 35 years of a career in the Chemicals Industry and by associating their ‘management style’ with their choice of neck attire, I have developed a technique to be applied to the management of people across the workforce, which I fully expect to see taken up by the Business Schools for their MBA students. We will call it “Neckwear Characterisation and Management Theory in Practice” or “NCMTP” for short. The term ‘neckwear’ is chosen because the technique applies to both male and female neck attire.

Two seminal experiences triggered my interest in the power of neckwear. The first was when I attended an interview with a representative from Kodak in the 1968 University “Milk Round” programme. I became totally distracted by the guy’s plain red tie and luminous green socks. The clash appalled me, gave me a totally false impression of Kodak as a company, materially altered the direction of my career and made me vow at the tender age of 20 years old that I would always take particular care in my choice of neckwear and matching socks!  Kodak’s reputation was ruined forever in my mind!

The second was on the night that I first met my wife in September 1970.  We are still married today.  I heard a radio programme, earlier on that day, suggesting that women were attracted by neckties with flowers depicted on them (it was the ‘Hippy’ era after all) and that they wanted to ’mother’ men whose neckties were partially undone and ‘look after’ them. So I chose my tie carefully for that night’s student dance – a floral number, hand made for me by a former girlfriend, and wore it loose!  Sure enough, she saw me as I prowled around the edges of the dance floor, accepted my invitation to dance, and promptly tightened my tie when only a few moments into our first encounter. It worked well, again persuading me of the power of neck attire!

A more recent experience recited by a male business contact illustrates that the neck tie can transmit impressions, not always as intended, to those who read or attempt to read the messages.  At a conference that he was attending wearing his ‘colours-of-the-rainbow’ striped neck tie, he was approached by an attractive young female asking whether she could join with him when it came time to sit down.  Wondering why this much younger lady had selected him as a companion, he politely agreed but was still puzzled.  At the end of the session, the young lady thanked him and said that she felt much more comfortable sitting with someone of similar sexual orientation proudly wearing the rainbow colours of the Gay Pride movement.  He replied that he would mention this to his wife before she next bought him another tie for his birthday present!

This brings up an interesting fact that most men have ties bought for them by their wives, girlfriends or daughters

These ladies buy the tie thinking that it will suit, probably not overtly considering that it is more the personality of the man they are matching than the colour combination with the type of clothes he wears.  Female intuition at work!  It is usually the choice of the man himself as he comes to select the tie from his collection that he is going to wear for any particular occasion.  Hence there are two factors which make the tie a useful indicator of character – female intuition and the mood of the man as he selects his tie for the day.  These factors alone make the neck tie a pretty useful tool in defining the personality and psychometric profile of the wearer.  But surely, you say, this doesn’t seem to be a very scientific approach to personality assessment when there are many, much more sophisticated and expensive methodologies developed over many years being offered by expensive consultants.  Oh, yes indeed!

During my career, as I scaled the levels of responsibility, I was exposed to various psychometric testing methods, team building exercises, management consultant scrutiny, and training courses on man management and negotiating skills, amongst others.  As a result of my Kodak experience, I always noted the necktie/socks combinations of my mentors, adversaries, inquisitors, bosses, and, at Senior Management level, my Board colleagues, particularly the Chairman. Back in 2006, I joined the Board of a company as a non-executive Director and quickly became a confidant and mentor to the Managing Director.  I am now, as I write, Non-Executive Chairman of that same Board.  The MD confessed to a perceived problem that he had at Board meetings in ‘reading’ the state of mind of the Directors and the angle from which they would question him during the meetings.  This affected the way in which he responded, not always with confidence and not recognising when he had real support or genuine opposition.  He asked me to mentor him on this particular problem.  I observed the behaviour of the Board members throughout a couple of meetings and during one-to-one discussions, and attempted to assess their psychometric profiles without doing the tests.

Remembering my semi-obsession with neck attire, I also applied an analytical approach to their neck attire and the personality profile that I had deduced.  The correlation was amazingly accurate, in my view. 

I discussed this, in mentoring style, with the MD and we came up with an empirical approach to neckwear assessment and behavioural prediction.  It also made the MD question his choice and be more careful in the selection of his own neck tie.  Probably more effective was the fact that, in taking a few moments to assess the neckwear of others around the Boardroom, table, the MD gave himself that little extra thinking time and stopped him opening his mouth too soon and putting his foot in it!

Psycometric Profiles/Personality Types and their neckwear

So what are we saying about people and their choice of neck attire? It is vital to understand the motivations and natural inclinations of people you work with and deal with in all aspects of life. Companies spend great amounts of money in ‘testing’ their employees in attempts to classify them, understand them, and ultimately control them. Specialised consultants make a fortune from providing such services to corporations. Wouldn’t it be so much simpler and more cost effective to appreciate what drives an individual to choose what he or she puts around the neck in the morning before setting off for work, or in the evening before social encounters?

There are some very interesting and complex (and expensive) methodologies for assessing personality types.  My particular favourite is:

Life Orientaions – Lifo®. This methodology identifies four orientations or characteristics in individuals:

·        The supporting/giving-in orientation

·        The controlling/taking-over orientation,

·        The conserving/holding-on orientation, and

·        The adapting/dealing-away orientation.

Most people are a mixture of all of these orientations but with one being dominant.  The typical behaviour associated with each orientation is well summarised by its name and this is all that has to be remembered when assigning neckwear types.  Remembering the approach that each orientation gives easily enables one to read where that particular individual is coming from and how to relate and respond.  Going into too much detail on these orientations is superfluous when matching neckwear with orientation because the simple descriptor is enough to give the average manager the impression that he or she needs to be able to deal with the person on a routine basis.  It is beyond the scope of this paper to go into the behaviour characteristics of each orientation but most useful to the conscientious manager to read the background.

 [See: http://www.lifo.co.uk/personal_style.htm]

Another, and probably the most widely used tool to assess personality characteristics is the DISC methodology, developed by John Geier and others and based on the 1928 work of psychologist William Moulton Marston and the original behaviouralist Walter. V. Clarke.  DISC also identifies four particular behavioural characteristics – Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness.  Dominance ’D’ relates to control, power and assertiveness and is analogous with controlling/taking-over in Lifo®.  Similarly, Influence ‘I’ which relates to social situations and communication is analogous with supporting/giving-in;  Steadiness ‘S’ relates to patience, persistence, and thoughtfulness and is analogous to adapting/dealing-away; and finally Conscientiousness ‘C’ (or caution and compliance) relates to adhering to rules, regulations, and structure. ‘C’ types of people are, in fact, conserving/holding-on types.

Another very popular psychometric test method used is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) assessment that is designed to measure psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions.  Again the outcome essentially distils down to four basic characteristics further evaluated as opposite pairs, or “dichotomies,” with a resulting 16 possible psychological types.  These “dichotomies” are dealt with under three headings: Attitudes-extraversion or introversion; Functions –sensing intuition, thinking, feeling; and Lifestyle – judgment and perception.  Fuller analysis would overcomplicate this discussion but suffice it to say parallels can be drawn between the characteristics determined by the other methodologies described.

My own experiences in observing behaviour in the corporate business environment lead to a much simpler but very useful classification of types.  I have observed personally that there are actually only three meaningful classifications for people in company make-ups. These were also identified and named by Patricia Pitcher as “Artists, Craftsmen, and Technocrats”. In her book: “Artists, Craftsmen and Technocrats: The Dreams, Realities and Illusions of Leadership”

The “Artists” are the entrepreneurs, the off-the-wall thinkers, the visionaries, etc.  They are ’ideas’ people who generally are not good at attention to detail and repetitive tasks that require patience. They want to move on to the next idea before the current one has been thought through and a decision made. They are not necessarily good at making decisions themselves and not good at working to plan, but they do tend to be inspirational leaders. (Maybe Lifo’s controlling/taking-on types and DISC ‘D’s?)

The “Craftsmen” are the “doers” in the organisation – the hewers of stone and carriers of water who enable the dreams of the artists through application of their skills. They take pride in their work, have less sense of time and urgency, follow directions willingly and are generally less imaginative in their approach than the “Artists”. (Maybe Lifo’s supporting/giving-in AND adapting/dealing-away types and DISC’s ‘I’ and ‘S’s?)

The “Technocrats” are the organisers and analysers.  They apply ‘techniques’ to organising their fellow workers, plan to the ‘n’ th degree, analyse to the last detail, write reports and absolve themselves of blame in a crisis. They tend generally to be ‘bean counting’ accountants or have some sort of Business Administration qualification. They think they should be the leaders but usually make a mess of it all when they take the lead because of their inflexibility. (Maybe Lifo’s conserving/holding-on types and DISC’s ‘C’s?)

What is very clear, and a tenet of Pitcher’s book, is that technocrats and artists find it extremely difficult to understand each other and work together in harmony.  It is vital that each recognises the other and understands where each is coming from and wanting to go to when facing each other, particularly across the Boardroom table.

Ties for Types

This brings the discussion nicely back to the point!  How do you recognise the characteristics which influence the behaviour of your colleagues in the workplace and the Boardroom?  What should we look for?

It is my general observation, and the tenet of this discussion, that differing types wear characteristic neck attire.  Male ‘Artists’ wear ‘loud’ ties in bright colours, with abstract patterns, usually with large knots. Female ‘Artists’ wear BIG beads that rattle as the wearer moves, or colourful neck scarves held tight by a gold or jewelled ring, rarely knotted, or indeed wear ‘loud’ ties in bright colours, with abstract patterns, usually with large knots.  Both genders tend to wear coloured shirts, often patterned but rarely plain white.

“Craftsmen” don’t wear ties generally but do like to sport one at important meetings.  It’s their need to appear to be part of the team.  They tend to wear ‘quiet’ ties in pale, mono colours or with tiny animal motifs, modest necklaces (women and men), and wear plain coloured, check, or pale striped shirts.  They don’t really want to be in a meeting where decisions are taken and hope therefore to merge into the background and let others lead.  At meetings they will tend not to ’risk’ polo or t-shirts that they prefer to wear at their own work stations because that would make them feel ‘different’.

“Technocrats”, on the other hand, must use their neckwear to demonstrate their authority over all around them.  Men wear the ‘company tie’ if one exists, or bright but contrasting, diagonally stripped ties, and occasionally a thick gold chain from which an expensive gold medallion hangs.  They ‘boast’ with their ‘old school tie’. Female “Technocrats” prefer strong gold necklaces or narrow-folded neck scarves, usually with stripes, held tight in place with a small, tight knot. Both genders tend to wear a crisp white shirt which makes the neckwear even more emphasised.  They ooze confidence because they “dress to kill” with overpowering intent.

At the height of the recent financial turmoil a.k.a “the credit crunch”, both the UK Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer wore plain purple ties.  The leader of the Liberal Democrats also sported a plain purple tie in the same period.  Apparently ‘purple’ was the colour of Imperial Rome. It’s also a mixture of red and blue. Red = male = fire. Blue = female = water.  Most Labour Party politicians tend to wear a plain, red tie.  The leader of the Conservative Party used always to wear a light blue tie, but is increasingly seen with an open neck formal shirt in TV appearances!  Interestingly, very recently he has also taken to wearing a plain purple tie in more formal surroundings!  So who do we trust?

The Daily Telegraph has its views, in reporting:

“David Cameron should hold fast to his neckwear

News that the most iconic item of male dress, the necktie, is in danger of falling out of fashion in America is a grim intimation of the decline of yet another civilisation. The tie is a weathervane of the health of a society; if you doubt that – look at Iran. The tie is the emblem of western civilisation, said to be descended from the focalia worn by Roman orators to protect their vocal chords.

“A well-tied tie is the first serious step in life,” declared Oscar Wilde. He was right and the rules of neckwear are rigid. Vulgar innovators may have experimented with a variety of expanding and contracting versions, from kipper to boot-lace, but the classic width remains three and a quarter inches at base, the patterns restricted to small white polka dots on a blue or wine background, Paisley whorls, lozenge shapes, or self-coloured. Silk is the only approved fabric.”

This article gave rise to a regular series of letters to The Telegraph since its publication in mid 2008. 

A series of letters to The Times in February 2009 further added to the debate after a report that the Garrick Club in London had reversed its policy on gentlemen being allowed not to wear ties at lunch.  One letter argued “Ties DO serve a useful purpose.  They indicate the wearer’s personality or the image of himself he wishes to project but the astute observer can easily spot his inconsistencies. The matching of coloured/patterned shirts and ties is also intriguing.”

And I think that the penultimate sentence encapsulates the essence of this discussion and an important point to which I have yet only alluded.  Indeed, ties do indicate “the wearer’s personality” and this fact can be used to judge the style and mood of the wearer in most situations.  The new element is how the wearer can influence how others perceive him (and it applies to a woman’s neckwear too) depending on the choice of tie – the image he (she) wishes to project.  Be aware of the warning also that “the astute observer can easily spot (his) inconsistencies”.

In Conclusion – NCMPT

So we have a people management system based around neckwear!  There is an intuitive element in assessing the reaction you yourself have towards the neck wear exhibited by the people around you.  Decide how you feel about it.  Correlate that feeling against the personality characteristics identified by psychometric testing, or your own emotional assessment of personality; categorise the wearer in your mind; and deal with him/her accordingly.

Remember also to choose your own neckwear to be consistent with purpose.  What sort of person do you want to appear to be? Eliminate any item of wear that might give away inconsistencies in your own image. In other words, make sure your shirt AND socks match your tie!

Most importantly, remember that by looking at the neckwear of your inquisitor or opponent, and thinking for a moment what this tells you about them, you will have that little bit of extra space to think about the issue before you open your mouth and commit yourself beyond recall, and will also frame your response to be more aligned with the angle of the other person.  NCMPT has proved to be a very useful tool for my MD and he performs much better in Board meetings as a direct result.  It makes my job as Chairman of the Board much easier!

Here’s a sample Chapter of my new Book “Discover Yourself On the Yellow Brick Road – 7 Core Principles of Success”
http://www.myebook.com/index.php?option=ebook&id=7008. This has already been read over 4,000 times so it’s pretty popular!!