Have you ever gone into a meeting, given your presentation and people looked at you like you had two heads?  Well I defiantly have!  Quite regularly in fact.  I work in Organization Design and that alone for many directors, is a new and different concept.   So if you find yourself in front of an important crowd and you can see they are struggling with what you are saying, keep this in mind:
  • Don't get thrown off by their initial reaction- people are generally fearful or resistant to things they don't understand. So focus on what is not changing so they can gain some perspective on what is changing and what will remain the same.
  • Be confident in what you saying- I know for a fact that what I bring to the table will help my company and I am sure that you bring a new perspective with you, so take solace in that fact and don't be afraid to share your point of view.  We all put our pants on the same way.  Mine just happen to be from Ann Taylor.
  • Continue to blaze a trail through your company- "We might as well require a man to still wear the coat which fitted him when a boy, then to remain under the regimen of their barbarous ancestor." -Thomas Jefferson, 1816.  As professionals, we too,  need to leave behind the coats that we have out grown and exchange them for something more suited to the environments in which we live and work.  

Now don't forget that because you are the only one saying or doing something different now doesn't mean that it is wrong, just means you are a TRAIL BLAZER.  Speaking of blazer, I got this fabulous, versatile blazer at the Salvation Arm. It is just one of the many white blazers that I have. Actually, every So Work Week Chic professionista should have a white blazer in their closet.  I know many of you may shy away from wearing white but the way white helps you stand out in a crowd and get the attention that you deserve, it is worth the risk.  If you are trail blazing out there, send me a few pictures of what you wore when you blazed a trail in your office.