It has been said that clothes make the man (or woman), but what exactly does the phrase dressed for success mean, especially as it relates to business?

Long ago the rules were formal and precise. Men sported dark suits with pressed shirts and ties; women wore conservative dresses or skirts with sensible heels and hose. For both sexes, shoes were polished, accessories were modest and hair was neatly trimmed.

The tide shifted several years ago when companies began to embrace casual Fridays. Dress codes in all industries were relaxed. Men arrived for work in khakis and collared sport shirts; women wore slacks and sweaters. Casual Fridays then went berserk—basically occurring Monday through Friday.  Employees became increasingly lax about their wardrobes, often showing up to the office in T-shirts, jeans and sneakers.

A New Trend of Dress for Success

Blogger Sherri Scheck-Merrill suggests that times are changing again. In a post on hotelsmag.com, she happily notes that the days of workers wearing pajama bottoms and Uggs seem to be over, at least among younger workers.

Business professors and Internship programs “are spearheading a movement where students are encouraged to dress in business attire… in class, while participating in job interviews (mock or real) or attending intern and career fairs,” she writes. They are recognizing that when they sport proper business attire as opposed to casual wear, co-workers tend to act, speak and think differently towards them.

According to Scheck-Merrill, research confirms that the way people dress affects how they act and feel. “The psychological association between business attire and possessing traits of intelligence, confidence and charisma are actually installed during childhood. And the same holds true for casual attire and its association with being easygoing, laid back and easily approachable. Ironically, the same psychology can be applied to how society views those dressed in a uniform—whether it’s a police officer, flight attendant or front desk attendant,” she writes.

Hotels Are Re-Examining Uniforms

Most hotels require employees to wear standard uniforms, however a growing number are revamping them to suit the style of the millennials who sport them. In a recent posting on travelandtourworld.com, 93% of millennials say they want a job where they can be themselves at work, which includes dressing in a way that makes them feel comfortable and stylish. In response, many hospitality companies are moving to more fashion-forward uniforms.

At the JW Marriott Grand Rapids in Michigan, male employees are wearing fashionable suits with colored pocket squares. Like the sleek, downtown hotel, the attire is sophisticated and polished, yet unpretentious. In Florida, Hilton West Palm Beach has gone casual chic; valets sport black Adidas shirts while bartenders have leather vests and baristas wear trendy flat caps. In sexy South Beach, employees who work at the W South Beach WET deck are draped in a collection by Wet & Sea, a local Miami brand, and sport eyewear by designer Garrett Leight.

The strongest organizations excel at building great teams. While there is no set formula for building great teams, there are certain tips planners can use to improve their chances. A recent blog posting on HubSpot offers the following 9 hints:

1. Seek out potential stars in your organization that have high standards and want to contribute to a project where they can have real impact.

2. Look for those who embrace debate. When handled civilly, disagreements actually bring cohesion to teams.

3. Avoid individuals who tend to dominate discussions. Concentrate on those who are not afraid to contribute to a conversation, but also possess good listening skills.

4. Welcome diversity. Include team members of different ages, genders and races who have different backgrounds and strengths.

5. Certain people possess the ability to read others’ emotional states. This can be a very valuable trait. When assembling a team, look for those with high emotional IQs.

6. Focus on workers that are committed to doing their best on a daily basis.

7. Ego can get in the way of achieving corporate goals. When building great teams, handpick those who consistently focus on what’s best for the company rather than their own individual goals.

8. Choose team members who will value and maintain a work-life balance. If they are going to work hard for the company, they will need to devote equal time to their families and social lives.

9. Create informal opportunities for group engagement and communication outside of formal workplace settings.

Exhibiting at trade shows is a guaranteed way to increase business and find new opportunities to share products and services. But it can also be a daunting task. With hundreds of people walking by your booth and several other groups clamoring for attention, it can be a challenge at times to stand out from the crowd. Thankfully, there are a few simple ways to make sure your next trade show experience is a successful one. Nicole Lininger of InventHelp is an expert at pitching ideas and preparing for trade shows.

She offers these five trade show tips for exhibitors:

1. Pitch Perfect— Companies want to hear why your product should be in the market place. In order to draw visitors to your booth, you need a hook that includes product features, benefits and statistics to back up your statement. Finish your pitch with a call to action, such as offering a business card. Because trade show attendees are walking by several booths in a short span of time, keeping pitches less than 2 minutes is crucial.

2. Appear Approachable—Remember to stay calm and have an approachable persona even if you are feeling frazzled. Let your personality shine through and be passionate about your business. Body language is everything—avoid crossing arms and stand up straight to exude confidence. Maintain eye contact to appear genuine. Every first impression is essential to building your brand and business, so make it count.

3. Booth Buddies— Trade shows can often be overwhelming, with numerous events happening in the course of the day. That’s why it’s helpful to bring a business partner who is equally knowledgeable about your brand and services, and can also man the booth. While networking with another company or attending scheduled meetings, someone can keep a presence at your station in order to avoid losing potential business or exposure. Having another person by your side also gives you the chance to take breaks and stay positive.

4. Be Memorable—You don’t have to spend a lot of money to make your booth an inviting place. But it is important to keep it looking professional and reflective of your brand and services. Make sure to provide business cards or flyers with your information. This could include meeting apps, mobile networking devices and QR codes that make it easy to exchange contacts and keep track of whom you’ve met. Treats and giveaways also help increase foot traffic to your booth.

5. Network with Everyone—Some exhibitors might think that it’s unhelpful to network with fellow competitors, however this is not always the case. Trade shows are in opportunity to talk to everyone and take advantage all the opportunities and resources available. You never know when a connection could be of service in the future.

Ask any employee how they feel about meetings, and the responses might be less than enthusiastic. The number of meetings that occur in a day can have a detrimental effect on the amount of productivity that happens in the workplace. On the other hand, meetings are often the most effective way to share ideas and make sure staff is on the same page. But fear not, because there is a happy medium.

Stand-up meetings, also known as scrum meetings, are changing the way group discussions take place. Simply by the mere act of standing instead of sitting, these types of meetings are shortened to avoid the discomfort of standing for an extended period of time. Stand-up meetings typically last around 15 minutes, making it imperative that participants stay on topic and keep conversations short and to the point.

For optimal results, follow these eight pointers for productive stand-up meetings.

1. Schedule a regular time and place for meetings to occur. This way, group members can anticipate issues that need to be addressed and come up with questions and talking points beforehand.

2. Regular stand-up meetings can be structured to promote follow-up conversation and identify problems early on.

3. Take turns speaking and avoid interruptions by passing an item around to show whose turn it is to speak.

4. Discuss progress made since the last stand-up meeting, and plan for any future challenges. It’s also a good opportunity to ask for help or collaborate.

5. Keep number of participants to as few as possible to increase engagement and allow enough speaking time for everyone.

6. Take account of slowly progressing items and immediate deadlines to determine what actions can be taken.

7. Hold stand-up meetings across different departments to transmit important information at once, thereby lessening emails and improving communication.

8. During conferences, hold breakout sessions around standing-height tables to reap the benefits of scrum meetings and stay within session time limits.