I recently saw a great Twitter thread on the best icebreakers for work — particularly to break into small groups on a virtual call — and I thought it would be a great discussion here. If you lead groups or manage new hires, do you employ icebreakers in any of your meetings or trainings? Have you ever been in a meeting where there was a memorable icebreaker, either great or awful?

The Best Icebreakers for Work

Some of the ones that came up in the Twitter thread included the following (my favorites from the list):

• Show off and explain your phone wallpaper.
• Tell us about a great sandwich you’ve had (the person who suggested noted that it led to a surprisingly wonderful conversation!)
• If you were invited as a guest on a podcast — unrelated to your profession — what would it be?
• What’s the scariest thing you’ve ever done for fun?
• What fictional universe would you most like to live in?
• You win the lotto, what first three things do you buy?
• When you were 5, what did you want to be when you grew up?
• Where is the most interesting/memorable place you have been in the shoes you are currently wearing?
• A former boss always liked to ask “What is a job you had that isn’t on your resume?” You find out some really interesting things (said boss had taught Jazzercise to seniors!)
• If you were an action figure, what would your main accessory be?
• Which TV home would you live in and why?
• What skill do you bring to your team of survivors in the event of a zombie apocalypse?
• If you had to bring one dish to a potluck to tell people about yourself, what would it be?
• When your life story gets told, what medium should it be in?
• I ask everyone to share one good thing. It can be really small: Something they cooked that was great, got a stain out of a favorite shirt, planted their herbs for the summer, etc. When you do it every week, it turns into a really nice way to get to know people.
• What lingo/slang would you bring back if you could?
• What is your favorite way to eat potatoes?
• Would you rather be the best player on a losing team or the worst player on a winning team?
• What’s your fave ice cream combination?
• Pick one fashion trend to disappear off the face of the earth and never make a comeback
• What place would you most like to travel to that you haven’t been? Or what’s your favorite place you’ve traveled to?
• In a box of assorted donuts, which one best describes you?
• If you were an action figure, what would your main accessory be?
• Tell us an unpopular opinion you have.
• Top karaoke song (and why)
• Last time you danced (and to what)
• What superpower would you like to have (flying, strength, invisibility, telekinesis, etc.)?
• What would you have on your concert rider?
• If you were going to die tomorrow, what would you eat this evening?
• What would you collect if money was no object?
• What’s one thing you’ve done that would surprise your coworkers?
• What’s your fight song?
• What’s the craziest thing you saw in-person in the real world?
• What’s something you’ve dreamed of doing for a long time? Why haven’t you done it yet?
• What’s your favorite condiment, and your least favorite condiment?
• If you go back to beginning of the panny, knowing what you know now, what one new personal skill would you develop?
• If you could have a “walk-up song” — your theme song that would play every time you entered anyplace — what would it be?

Some people described icebreakers that involved a lot of advance prep, such as asking people to provide the leader with a baby picture, and then everyone had to guess who was who at the meeting. Another person noted that at one small meeting the leader literally brought out a block of ice and asked the team members to try to chip away at as much of it as possible. Other people suggested you have pictures of silly things that would cause disagreement, such as pictures of food that might be questionably a salad, soup, or sandwich, and ask people to make their case.

{related: how to become a leader: leadership resources for female executives}

For my $.02, I love the one about sandwiches — I think that would get a lot of amazing answers from travel experiences, childhood memories, and more — and would tell you a lot about the person answering, but without anything too too personal.

Some of my least favorite icebreakers are the ones that are a bit inane — what kind of powdered donut are you and why — or the ones that are just kind of boring, like showing a picture of a pet.

Readers, how about you? Which are your favorite icebreakers for work? What are your least favorite icebreakers for work?

(Readers have shared this list of icebreakers (via Museum Hack) in the past!)

Stock photo via Stencil.

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Something I don’t think we’ve ever talked about is C-suite style for women — what are the best tips for stylish power dressing for women in the C-suite? Where should women executives shop? And how much does any of this matter?

General Tips on C-Suite Style for Women

I’ll say it up front: If you’re in the C-suite, you’ve earned the right to dress however you want. In fact, you often see executive women at the very top having fairly non-traditional styles, like colorful moto jackets and other styles that might be a “know your office” kind of thing for a more junior employee. But you’re the boss, and it’s OK for you to set the tone that others follow.

If you want to look polished, tailoring would be a good use of your money. It’s famously been said that absolutely everything on television is tailored, down to plain white T-shirts — and tailoring can make a huge difference with blazers, dresses, pants, and more.

{related: what stylish women get tailored}

In fact, I would view all of your purchases through the lens of tailoring — if you need a new pair of pants, for example, do you need a $100 pair or a $1,000 pair? After all, a $100 pair of black pants doesn’t look so different than a $1,000 pair of black pants. However, the $1,000 pair was probably designed with tailoring in mind, so the seams and fabrics will better survive and last after tailoring, whereas the $100 pair of black pants probably has some stretch in them because they’re designed to be worn off the rack (or are so trendy they’re not intended to last more than a year or two), and stretchy fabric is often harder to tailor well. So assess for yourself which clothes fit you the best — it’s OK if they’re affordable ones! — and discuss with your tailor what alterations will make the biggest impact overall for your wardrobe, and buy accordingly.

Details and accessories matter more than head-to-toe designer outfits. For example, an Hermès scarf or Cartier watch will elevate any outfit, no matter whether the other wardrobe pieces are affordable ones. I would think that authenticity matters, though — if you’re often in meetings with other high-achieving, wealthy people, then they will probably know the difference between a Hermès vs. a knockoff or a “similar” dupe. Spend money on good jewelry, shoes, and belts.

Other details to consider: haircuts and underpinnings. Bras should be replaced every 6–9 months, both for comfort and maximum effect (whatever you want them to do, they’re going to be doing it more at the beginning of their life, whether it’s minimizing, pushing up, etc.). Your hairstyle doesn’t have to be anything in particular — curly hair, gray hair, long hair, and natural hair are all OK — but your hair should be flattering and look intentional. (A fabulous stylist who you see as often as needed is another great use of your money!)

In terms of bags, you’re welcome to spend money on great bags, but I’m not sure you need an amazing briefcase like a man might. In fact, I’ve often been amused that some of the highest powered women I’ve known have used either preppy L.L.Bean-type totes, or — the real power move — a huge tote bag from a charity that you only get as a pretty major donor. (But then, this is for the commute to work, and not for VIP meetings or court.)

I would argue that the overall look you want to convey is a person who is smart, up to date, well informed, and aware of everything in your orbit, including how you present yourself to the world.

But again: You’ve earned the right to dress how you like!

Readers, what are your thoughts? How do the most powerful women you know dress? Is there a difference if they’re in the C-suite, a partner, or an owner?

Where to Shop: C-Suite Style Advice for Women

If you did want to know where to spend money on particular things, here are some of the more expensive brands that we recommend for workwear often — and if you have a big clothing budget for your work wardrobe, here’s where I’d start.

The Best Luxe Brands for Workwear

This is my list — readers, I’d love to hear your thoughts! If you had an unlimited budget and wanted to spend it on a killer work wardrobe, where would you start?

• cashmere: InHabit NY, Loro Piana, Akris, TSE, Brora, & Eric Bompard
• blazers: Smythe, McQueen, L’Agence, Veronica Beard, The Fold, Armani
• Chanel-style jackets: Chanel, St. John, IRO, L’Agence, Sandro
• dresses: Roland Mouret, Victoria Beckham, DVF, Akris, St. John, Burberry
• pants: Lafayette 148 New York, Theory
• coats: Fleurette, Cinzia Rocca, Mackage
• bags:
• shoes: Ferragamo, Manolo, Choo, Valentino, Louboutin (but please know your office before considering thick platforms or 4″+ heels), Aquazzura, Sarah Flint, Prada, and Miu Miu (one of the favorites in our Newbie Guide to Designer Shoes)
• weatherproof shoes: Aquatalia, La Canadienne

Specific Classic Styles from Lux Brands for Workwear

The Best Designer Heels for Women

Pictured above, some of the most classic designer heels for women: 1) Choo 2) Manolo 3) Prada 4) Valentino 5) Louboutin

Investment Flats for Women

Some of the longest-standing “investment ballet flats” ($300–$900) as of 2023: one / two / three / four / five

The Best Investment Totes and Briefcases for Women

As I’ve noted before, a lot of the VIP women I’ve known tend to use charity bags (e.g., bags you get from donating a high amount of money or attending a gala) to move their stuff from place to place; it’s also hard to be a huge boat tote from Lands’ End — think of it as Hamptons style.

But – if you’re hunting for “investment totes” for a splurge, some brands to consider include these:

As of Feb. 2023, some of our favorite luxury work bags for a splurge (large enough for work papers and sometimes even a laptop) are from Chanel, Louboutin, McQueen, Mulberry, MCM, Jimmy Choo, Ferragamo, and Strathberry. Of course, note that a lot of our readers who are in big jobs note that they love their (more affordable) Lo & Sons bags, as well as their Tumi.

Looking for work backpacks to splurge on? Montblanc, MCM and Senreve are great, and Valextra has some men’s backpacks that look perfect.

The Best Designer Suits for Women

The Best Lux Statement Blazers for Women Executives

Hunting for a lux statement blazer? 2023 favorites include Smythe, include McQueen, L’Agence, Veronica Beard, The Fold, Armani, and Anine Bing.

Lux Plus-Size Workwear for Women Executives

Designer plus-size clothing for professional women can be hard to find, so this list has a pretty broad definition of “designer”…

These are some of the best spots for designer plus-size clothing… admittedly, a fairly broad interpretation because this category is such a narrow one! Our favorite spots for work outfit shopping are in bold!

• 11 Honoré (now owned by Dia & Co. – still some stock of DVF, Marina Rinaldi, Tanya Taylor, etc.) 
• Able Clothing
• Adrianna Papell
• Amour 781 (boutique of different brands; limited options up to 5X)
• Anthropologie
• BAACAL (limited options up to size 28)
• Bleusalt (limited options up to size 3X)
• Dia & Co. (subscription service) 
• Hours
• Hackwith Design House
• Gravitas 
• Jibri
• Karen Millen
• Kiyonna (sizes 0X–5X)

• Lafayette 148 New York
• LaLigne (XS-3X)
• MadeTrade
• Mara Hoffman (XS-3X)
• Marina Rinaldi/Persona by Marina Rinaldi
• Navabi 
• Nic + Zoe
• Of Mercer
• Pari Passu
• Pomp (Power Of My People)
• Poplinen
• PLVSH Style (subscription service)
• Rachel Pally
• Rita Phil Custom Fashion (custom skirts)

• Simone Aviv
• Summersalt (up to 2X)
• Tanya Taylor (00-22)
• TielDorein (Etsy store)
• Universal Standard
• Veronica Beard (00-24, but some warn that 24 = 20W)
• VigilanteLabs (Etsy store, custom suits for women)
• Vince (great for basics!)
• Wildfang (up to XXL)

Stock photo via Deposit Photos / AndrewLozovyi.

The post C-Suite Style for Women: How to Upgrade Your Wardrobe After a Promotion appeared first on Corporette.com.

Last week, we discussed tips on feeling more authoritative at work, but today let’s talk about the opposite side of the coin: how to look like you’re in charge. This can be a “fake it till you make it” situation — or it can be a “meeting your office’s expectations for someone in charge” kind of thing, whether or not you truly feel “in charge.”

(In the past we’ve discussed what to wear to work when “conservative” doesn’t feel right, as well as how to look authoritative without wearing a suit.)

Readers had a good discussion in the comments on a recent morning post about what to wear to look like you’re in charge, and we thought we’d share some today to launch a conversation. (Note that most of the comments in the thread were about work-appropriate clothing in general.)

{related: how to look professional without looking like you think you’re in charge}

In the comments, one reader shared specific outfits that she typically sees on women in charge: not necessarily suits, but sheath dresses with blazers, pants with (non-matching) blazers, and pencil skirts with silk blouses and jardigans in “authoritative colors.” (Readers, which colors do you feel fit the bill?)

{related: are you looking young — or acting young?}

Another said she relies on a collared shirt, diamond earrings, and understated makeup plus red lipstick, while one reader likes a bright lip in general.

Readers also talked about what you shouldn’t wear if you want to appear like you’re in charge: clothes that “make you look like you’re on the prairie or getting ready for bed” and “something professional that’s not all ruffles and cutouts.”

{related: authoritative clothes for women}

We’ll round up a few of our favorite jardigans, blazers-as-separates, and the best dresses for work — but please, share your thoughts! How do you typically adjust your appearance at work to look like you’re in charge? For you, does this always mean a suit? Do you feel that some styles are too “feminine” to be considered appropriate for someone in charge (no matter what you feel personally)?

Stock photo at top via Pexels / Tima Miroshnichenko.

Some of Our Favorite Clothes to Help You Look Like You’re in Charge

Some of our favorite blazers to wear as separates include:

The post How to Look Like You’re in Charge appeared first on Corporette.com.

I was listening to a podcast with Margaret Atwood the other day, and was struck by her low voice… which kind of made me think about my MIL’s low voice. And how I often lower my voice unconsciously when I’m trying to feel more authoritative, or serious. It’s been far too long since we talked about executive presence, so let’s discuss… what do you do to feel more authoritative? What do you intentionally — and what do you do unintentionally? When you think of authoritative, powerful women you know, what traits of theirs make them seem more authoritative?

(Incidentally, here’s a fascinating New Yorker article about why we may associate lower voices with more authority — Congress limited bandwidth allotted for radio stations, and most broadcasters eventually limited their signals to a “voiceband” range that only accommodated low voices as “bare minimum amount of frequency information needed to adequately transmit speech.”)

For my $.02, here’s what I do to try to feel more authoritative…

• lowering my voice (yep)
• having planned speaking points (and thinking about them as bullet points) — if it’s a prepared speech having at least the first 3 minutes memorized and practiced
• having better posture (or arrange myself in the chair in what I think is an artful way)
• not fussing with my appearance, like tugging at clothes or moving my hair
• (I stink at it, but I do try to limit fillers such as “like” and “um” — and be comfortable with silence for whatever time I need to answer a question thoughtfully)

There’s been a lot written over the years about how a lot of these things are sexist and based on stereotyped notions of what men with executive presence look like… so I’m interested to know if you’re doing things differently.

(In terms of what traits are shared by the most authoritative, powerful people I know or have seen speak, I think it’s my last point – the comfort with silence to answer a question thoughtfully. But then that’s a luxury that isn’t always afforded to women if you’re in a meeting with people who will talk over you…)

Readers, what are your thoughts? What do you do to feel more authoritative — intentionally or unintentionally? What traits do you think make someone seem authoritative in general?

Stock photo via Deposit Photos / iakovenko123.

The post What Do You Do To Feel More Authoritative? appeared first on Corporette.com.

Readers recently had a great discussion sharing tips for women interviewing at high level jobs… so we thought we’d round up some of the advice!

We’ve previously shared midlevel job application tips, as well as the best resources for new managers — and of course we’ve discussed how to step up your working wardrobe. But we haven’t directly discussed this!

First, here’s the reader question:

I have hit a ceiling professionally with my current company and have been aggressively applying for Director/VP level positions in my field. I’ve been with my current company a long time, so the idea of a switch is unnerving — but I am looking forward to career advancement. I’m currently interviewing at various stages for new positions. Wish me luck!

Does anyone have advice on interviewing at this level?

(It’s been a few years now, but we do have “advice from the VP/Hiring Manager Level” — although not specifically on interviewing.)

The Best Tips for Women Interviewing at Director-Level Jobs

Prove You Can Do the Job on Day One

The jump from manager/sr. manager to director/VP is one of the “big filters” in most organizations. It’s the second hardest jump to make after the individual contributor to manager one. In my experience, there are very few VPs that want to move someone from manager to director unless they have big wins in their resume or a clear history of over performance at their level.

Likewise, C-suites don’t like to move directors to VP until the directors can point to their achievements but now with big dollar signs attached (how many millions did you make or save the business last year versus your peers?). Point to your achievements and not your potential at this level — you need to demonstrate that you will be a perfect fit and cause your superiors minimal headaches. They won’t train or support you much at this level so you have to prove you can do the job on day one.

One reader noted that you have to show very specific examples of moving from tactical to more strategic functions, as well as how you’ve helped teams achieve department-specific outcomes. She also noted that you should show that you clearly understand the difference in time frames:

As a manager, you are generally more of a 6-12 month timeframe executor. Director level is more of a 12-18 month time horizon and your VP (assuming this is the department head) is present –> 24 months.

Consider The Other Personalities and Teams Involved

Several readers noted that you have to appreciate how your job and department will interact with other teams and departments. One said:

Depending on your role/industry, you may also be expected to show a broad knowledge of your industry as opposed to your daily function. For example, if you are an operational manager, how does what your team does play into the larger issues that the client has? How does your team tie into other depts like sales, marketing, IT, whatever, strategically?

Another noted that relationships can make the job an enjoyable one — or a really bad one. For example:

If you are interviewing for a VP role, make sure you meet your counterparts in other departments and make sure they are not going to be a complete headache to work with (sometimes you can tell after one conversation). If it’s a new role being created, see if you can suss out who may feel that their toes are being stepped on. If it’s a backfill, what has been piling up for this role while the rec sat empty? What expectations are already set for the new hire’s function (did the exiting person create a product roadmap you’ll be stuck executing on?)?

Seek to Understand Why the Role Is Open (And How Much Work You’ll Have)

As one reader noted above, the position may have sat open for a while by the time you’re interviewing for it, so you’ll want to know how much work has been piling up for the role while it hasn’t been filled.

One reader noted that she’s asked in interviews, “Why is this role currently open? Will I be working with the person who previously held it or have they moved on?”

Make Sure the Job is a Fit For You

A reader noted that while there usually is no “average” day at this level, you can ask your interviewer what a specific day looked like — last Thursday, for example.

This kind of gets back to our discussion about how to find out if your job is right for you, and the advice from the book  The Right — and Wrong — Stuff: How Brilliant Careers Are Made and Unmade) (affiliate link) to focus on the day-to-day aspects of the job. (The book was written by the former CEO of Walmart.com, who discovered he … didn’t like being a CEO because of the daily tasks involved.)

Understand that the Higher You Go, the More the Bonus Matters

A number of readers noted that compensation can be completely role/industry specific, but that as you progress, the base level compensation may change a lot less than it did when you were lower in the organization, so increased compensation depends much more on your bonus.

One noted, “Making an all-in comp of ~200k is about right for the sort of role that is director/VP (as opposed to VP with a bunch of directors under). $250 is closer for a VP, can be higher.”

Readers, what are your best tips for interviewing for high-level jobs?

Stock photo via Deposit Photo / Syda Productions.

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Update: Administrative Professionals Day is April 24, 2024. Some great gifts to get for your administrative professional (other than cash, of course) include:

Administrative Professionals Day is soon! We haven’t talked about it in too long, but I’d love to hear how things have changed regarding your support staff over the past year — if you work with an administrative assistant, please chime in!

I know a lot of readers have noted the disappearance of the administrative assistants from their workplace, even before the pandemic. According to The WSJ in January 2020, there had been an almost 40% decline since 2000:

More than 1.6 million secretarial and administrative-assistant jobs have vanished since 2000, according to federal data, an almost 40% decline, comparable to that in manufacturing. The losses haven’t garnered much notice. Unlike a plant closing that leaves thousands of Americans unemployed in one go, jobs in a traditionally female sector have evaporated in dribs and drabs.

I’m sure the move to remote work further condensed things for a lot of offices — I cringed at the SNL skit about secretaries struggling with a Zoom call.

That said, I saw a really interesting TikTok from Dr. Kimberly Douglass, who talks a lot about neurodivergence, ADHD, and similar issues in the workforce. She was noting that the elimination of administrative support makes things harder for people who struggle with focus and attention.

Her point was that spending time and energy to do things like remembering events, hosting events, and making travel arrangements can be draining — and she encouraged her followers to seriously look at the absence or presence of administrative support when considering new jobs or accommodations for a current position.

So if you do still have an administrative assistant, show him or her some gratitude next week!

Some great gifts to get for your administrative professional (other than cash, of course) include:

Readers, let’s hear from you — do you work with an administrative assistant or have another form of administrative support? How has that changed if you’ve been working remotely? (Do you see truth in Dr. Douglass’s thoughts on administrative support?)

The post PSA: Administrative Assistants Day is Next Week! appeared first on Corporette.com.