M-J says; “This great initiative enables those of you who have a business which would benefit from a mentoring approach, to enjoy six hours of the matched mentors time; funded and free to the mentee. Now that has to be a win-win situation !”

See Evolve’s website at www.uea.ac.uk or contact M-J for more details.

The recent publicity attracted by Canadian PC, Michael Sanguinetti following his comment that women should stop dressing ‘like sluts’ to avoid being victimised has sparked global protest – 5,000 women have already held protests in Toronto and Boston and a reported further 5,000 will march in London in June.

Legislation goes some way to protect our right to choose; guidance offered by the Equal Opportunities Commission suggests that the Human Rights Act could arguably strengthen a sex discrimination claim about dress codes and the European Convention on Human Rights covers freedom from discrimination; although it is not a freestanding right, it can be cited in conjunction with other rights, such as the freedom of expression; as applicable to dress codes.

However, reliance upon legislation is a long shot and most of us experience the daily pressure to conform – and with the exception of those that must wear a prescribed uniform, it is a minefield of compromise. If we fly in the face of convention and dress exuberantly we risk criticism and as the majority of us are not bound by a prescriptive dress code – we must rely upon our best judgment. Problems arise when that judgment is not shared by those with whom we work.

Whilst we can never have any control over the peculiar perceptions of some, we can make informed decisions about what is best for us and our chosen career, because how we look is important and inescapably affects how we are perceived. Like it or lump it, a woman’s appearance is often associated with how well she does her job; for instance: ask for a description of a male colleague and you will be told about their style of working, possibly followed by a brief physical portrayal; ask for a description of a female colleague and their physical attributes are cited first, more often than not.

Perhaps it’s different for the generations; my 24-year-old daughter: extrovert and unashamedly feminine she is of the view that she is entitled to wear whatever she fancies and is happy to express her personality through dress; whereas my years in the legal
profession have left me with a more conservative approach.

You are left to decide for yourselves what best suits you and your working life. We will always have our detractors, but happily we will also have the last laugh; some individuals still think that women dress for men… they haven’t realised that we actually dress for one another!

And, finally, the argument that women invite sexual discrimination or even attack because of their choice of clothing is ridiculous. Imagine for a moment a female sexual predator using the same defence; ‘his trousers were very tight and he was just asking for it’… excuse me whilst I laugh up my designer sleeve.

Mary-Jane is a Professional mentor, coach and trainer. You can contact her mary.jane.kingsland@gmail.com

Having thought about this a lot over the years I have identified
some remarkable attributes which natural leaders seem to share: I think they are
very special indeed.

Xray Specs

Imagine that you have just found
the best product in the world and you want to build a team to help you get your
product to market and maximise that market for everyones enjoyment. How do you
know which people to choose?

Well, a decent pair of xray specs would come
in handy wouldn’t it. You could look into the souls of others and see their
motivations and talents; but, inspirational leaders don’t need xray specs they
can see you, warts and all and know that you have the potential to be part of
something great – and this is their special power; a great leader sees the
energy and qualities that you bring and a true leader knows how to nurture your
talent.

Hypnotic Gaze

Have you noticed how that time spent with
some people just leaves you smiling. You can’t help yourself; you have had an
enjoyable experience and you want to do it again soon, but why is that? It’s
because special people exude warmth, they are passionate about life – passionate
about you; they are not afraid to show it – and the energy they radiate is
catching.  The Hypnotic gaze of a undercover leader may catch you unawares –
they may use their most effective weapon; a warm smile, when you least expect
it, to throw you off guard – it’s infectious and there is no cure – try it for
yourself. We are all hardwired to take on the energy of those around us. Leaders
know this and will happily help you harness your inner happiness.

Quantum
Leaps

True leaders are not constrained by time.They do not drag around
the baggage of the past, they inhabit the future and know that it is full of
amazing opportunities and reachable dreams.

Napoleon Bonaparte once
said, “Leaders are dealers in hope.” They infuse optimism into the culture
around them, and they boost morale. While attentive to the current reality,
they do not resign themselves to present circumstance.”  In essence, they live
for the future.

Cloak of Invisibility

Leaders know the value of
working with a team and true leaders don’t need to hog all the limelight; they
embrace the power of the team spirit and value everyone’s contributions. As a
result, a leaders greatest satisfaction is found celebrating a team
triumph.

Know any leaders with special powers ?