POLISH with Julie and Casey: Unruly bodies, "good speech", and confusing costume with competence
In this special three-part series, Julie and Casey sit down together to look at the elements of executive presence: Polish, Poise and Power . . . what they are, what they represent, and where they go wrong. They also look at new tools and alternate pathways as we work toward a more inclusive definition of leadership.
Episode 1: Polish
Calling someone “polished” seems to be shorthand for:
Looking the way we expect you to look — looking expensive, “understated”, “neat”, fitting into whatever spoken or unspoken standards this industry has for clothing and appearance
Speaking the way we expect you to speak — eliminating accents, regionalisms, speech we consider too “youthful”, slang, and dialects like African American Vernacular English; eliminating “problem words” like just, like, sorry; eliminating verbal fillers; using “good speech”
Acting the way we expect you to act — knowing your cultural etiquette, manners, and hierarchy. Being rehearsed . . . but not in any visible way - effortlessness is key
Translation: Polish is about looking (and sounding) financially well-off, about pretending human beings never sweat or get dirty or disheveled, and about pretending that we come from the same culture (or at least can learn to seamlessly fit into the dominant culture).
The problem is that this extremely narrow definition often only leaves room for those who learn to dress, speak, and act like those who are ALREADY leaders: i.e. white, wealthy, cisgender, straight, conventionally attractive, able-bodied men (and ocasionally women). This has enormous consequences for anyone who falls outside any of those categories. If you are seen as lacking traditional polish, you may not advance.
Join us as we dissect, laugh, call bullshit, and brainstorm some practical strategies and solutions to what for many is a minefield of double binds.
Thank you to our Season 3 sponsor, Armoire! If you're ready to try a new look, Armoire's high-end clothing rental service (full of amazing women-owned brands) will hook you up! For 50% off your first month's rental + a free item, go to http://armoire.style/voiceis and use VOICEIS in the referral box!