Seth Godin recently posted about uniforms, and the image they present to customers and others. He asks why normal companies don’t have the office folks wear them, and talks about a secret project to begin doing just that at his own company.
As it happens, at my company we’ve been wearing uniforms for more than a decade.
One of the many things that makes QuadGraphics and their subsidiaries stand out from other companies is that we wear uniforms to work. The “Quad Blues”, as they’re often called, are your typical uniform of indestructible polyester, dark blue pants and shirt, logo on the shoulder, with our name on the right side of our chest. Everyone, from the Quadraccis on down wears them.
The pros are easy: Everyone’s dressed alike, so it’s much easier to see everyone as peers which breaks down barriers. It’s also very inexpensive, as the uniforms are a lot less expensive than suits or business casual wear. There’s no choosing what to wear in the morning. Security is a little easier – walk-ins really stand out. So do customers and VIPs. It’s both impressive and imposing to outsiders walking through.
The cons are fairly minor: Folks stop you in the store to ask where things are. It’s pretty intimidating when you’re a new employee, not having a uniform to wear, and you can’t hide your identity ;-) I remember the first time I walked in for an interview, and saw a whole roomful of uniformed people. I swear they were sitting at perfect attention, and I thought to myself “I’ll never make it here – I’ll get canned for being late, or not sitting at attention for sure.” That was over nine years ago.
A while ago we started having Kaizen events as a way of propelling change throughout the organization. There was a strong desire to make participation in those events something to be proud of, so Kaizen participants are given orange (ok, “melon”) colored polo shirts, embroidered with our names, and some info about the Kaizen event. Those shirts can be worn in place of a regular uniform shirt, and are they are to be worn on Fridays when Kaizen teams are giving presentations.
The intent was to make Kaizen participants stand out, and to slowly see the company transform from blue to orange (I mean, melon) on Fridays as more and more employees become involved. It’s working, except for a few people like me – the melon shirts lack pockets, and I’m dead without my PDA 8–) It’s a strange sight because the blue and orange are so striking. Like the Fighting Illini have come to roost.
Overall, they are a good thing and more businesses should consider them.
But, does it help tell the story? Yes, I think it does.
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Its great to hear people’s perspectives from other industries. I work in the school uniform industry, and there are a lot of people opposed to it. Not all of their reasons are bad, but there are some very goods reasons that have to do with the discussion above. Here are some of the main things we run into:
Professional:
Some say that a child in a uniform is more likely to take school seriously. Putting on the uniform signals he or she is going to school just like dad dresses up to go to work. Schools report that when students dress in “work clothes” rather than “play clothes” they take a more serious approach to their studies.
Promotes Good Discipline:
Many think that a school uniform helps maintain school discipline, decreasing the amount of discipline problems. The argument is that children today are lacking in self-discipline because parents refuse to discipline them. This makes it more difficult on the teacher who has to deal with classes of 25-30 students at a time.
Reduces Fighting and Violence:
Schools report that uniforms decrease fighting and violence that arrise out of arguments over fashionable clothes. Children invariably tease those who do not have trendy clothes. Those who can’t afford name brand clothes are often sensitive about their clothing. Schools struggling with gang problems report that school uniforms help ease tensions.
Distractions:
Many parents believe that students wearing school uniforms look nicer and that a school uniform policy ensures that children will come to school in appropriate clothing, avoiding distractions such as fads considered to be outlandish or overly revealing. Some students have turned school into an unending fashion show. This disctracts from learning, as some kids spend more time focused on their clothes than on homework.
Uniforms are one of the most tangible and immediately communicated â??proofâ?? of the brand, especially in the service industry.