Using Informal and Formal Status Symbols in Your Orgazination to Advance Your career

In this blog post we will explore the use of informal and formal status symbols in your organization. How to correctly use them, and some of the other things you should know about them.

After reading this post you will be able to identify different informal and formal status symbols, understand their uses, recognize why they can be upsetting for others without one, know a little bit about what could happen if your organization isn't using them properly. You might also learn a thing or two about how to change the way that people are treated by using these symbols. But most importantly, you will be able to talk about these symbols in a clear and concise way to your friends and workmates, without looking like an idiot.

Context:

Cleaning Your Closet or House

In our homes we have clothes that we are either going to wear or wear again. Depending on the season or the occasion, they might be dirty and need some cleaning, they probably need some clothes hangers but they are still in good condition; maybe they just need some washing. So how do we decide which clothes to buy? Well most of us know how important it is to clean our closet and our closets can be pretty chaotic if you allow them too. It starts with a lot of clothes, but after wearing them once or twice they just don't get worn that often anymore. We have some clothes that we know we will never wear again and they even include our other clothes. Getting the right articles of clothing and looking presentable is pretty important in our society so why do we have so many clothes in our closet?

Now let us apply this to a corporate environment:

You might not realize it, but you have an informal and formal status symbol in your organization. This can be unsettling for others without them or who are not aware of how to use them properly. For some people, they go through their career in their organization without ever noticing this. They are unaware that they are not getting the same benefits and opportunities as others because they do not recognize that in your organization there is a formal and informal status system that you need to be aware of. They don't know how to work it or change it. Maybe they were never told about it, or perhaps they don't understand how to use them properly.

What Are Informal vs Formal Status Symbols

There are two types of status symbols in an organization or company, informal symbols and formal symbols.

Informal status symbols can be awarded to a person in the company without any official management approval. They are typically awarded just by the way you are treated by others. They are used by others to determine and recognize who they should have lunch with, who they should invite out after work, who they should help out when under stress or pressure, who they can make fun of, or even talk negatively about. We also use them to decide if we will listen to what you have to say. These informal status symbols can be simple like the color of a tie that someone wears or it might be something as elaborate as a membership on an exclusive golf course that is only available for those executives who belong.

Formal status symbols are usually awarded through a management approval process or have a set up procedure. These symbols might include a corner office, an extra parking spot, or they way you enter the building and the kinds of access codes that you have. In some instances it can be something as formal as an award for your work or an honorary degree for your knowledge of the field.

The real power behind these informal and formal status symbols is not the article itself but how it is used to show favoritism for certain people in the company. Just because you are awarded something does not mean that everyone else does not deserve it too. Even though the informal symbols are better than formal symbols, it still shows that someone is more important or more valuable at work than others.

How Can You Use Them To Get Ahead?

Now you might be sitting there thinking, "I don't have any of these formal or informal status symbols in my organization." That's where you are wrong! Every job in every organization has them. If they did not, then we would all behave equally and equally. This is just not possible because there are always going to be some people who do a little bit more work than others, or who work harder and longer than others. In this case, everyone gets out of work what they put into it. You won't get to the top or stay there without using these status symbols as a way to motivate other people in your organization. They are a very powerful tool and you will have much more success if you know how to use them correctly.

So now that we understand what we can do with these symbols, let us take a look at some situations where these symbols would be appropriate in an organization and some situations when we might want to avoid using them.

Types of Status Symbols Used at Work:

The color of your tie is an example of an informal status symbol that is used on a regular basis . The color of your tie shows others in your organization what team you are on. It can easily be used by someone with an informal status symbol to show off to others in the organization that they get more perks for the same level of company performance. This can also be shown when one is wearing a special outfit or piece of jewelry as a way to say "I am here." The tie or outfit might say that they are successful and they have achieved something at work.

These types of clothing items are not just limited to ties, but could include any type of special jewelry such as earrings or necklaces, a designer belt or watch, a manicured beard or hairstyle, etc. The only thing that they have in common is that they are not required in the workplace, but are worn by the individual to show that they stand out among their peers.

Let us say that you are very close to your manager and you want to help him or her out by doing some extra work. By doing this you will receive more recognition from your manager, but what does that really mean? You might be rewarded with an informal status symbol for doing this for your manager. This could be something as simple as a pat on the back or a handshake from your manager, but it could also be something as formal as being invited to lunch or giving you a personal mention in his or her presentation reports.

"Help me out" usually means "I want some special treatment." There are times when this would be appropriate, but it's always better to ask for it off the record. Always try to give explicit goals to your manager so that he or she can clearly see what you want to accomplish and how you plan on going about it. This will help them better understand how it will benefit them as the manager and not just you as an individual.

Ask yourself if you should put a red tie on today. Red is a very formal color and signifies leadership in many cultures.

Conclusion:

Status symbols are very important in an organization. In some instances they are used for good, in other cases for bad. You must always remember that someone is going to be better off when you do or don't use them. Always choose the right ones and use them wisely.

About Warren:

Warren Kinsella is a professional motivational speaker and author of the book "Getting Motivated The Artist's Way". Warren speaks to people all over the world on how they can motivate others to work harder and achieve their full potential through thought leadership and their personal vision. You can learn more about Warren at his website www.wmonthlyburner.com, or follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.