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BUSINESS: The Ultimate ResourceApril 2003 Upgrade #7

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 2003

ACTIONLIST

Managing Others Perceptions

Getting Started

We all hold differing views of the world, partly because of our different cultural

backgrounds, life experiences, and personal values. Naturally this colors our

interactions with others. Our personality, level of social skills, style, and approach

further affect our relationships. In the workplace, particularly among managers and

supervisors, it is becoming increasingly important to be able to understand and

manage the perception others have of us.

This is not as difficult as you might think. Although it requires a good deal of thought,

motivation, and self-awareness, with practice youll find it easier to communicate

with people, to motivate and lead them in a desired direction.

FAQs

Isnt managing perceptions a manipulative activity?

Most techniques can be either positive or negative, depending on context. We live in a

culture in which people and organizations spend enormous sums of money hiringothers to manage perceptions. You can employ the same skills used by advertising

and public relations companies to change perceptions to influence people around you.

At the very least, you should be aware of the impressions your behavior creates. At

best, you can develop skills that allow you to manage your behavior in a way that

furthers your career.

Why is perception management important to my career?

Careers are no longer managed by organizations, but are directed by individuals

themselves. You are judged not only on what you do, but on how you do itthus

other peoples perceptions and evaluations of you play an important role in yourcareer. People who know how to influence others perceptions of them have a much

better chance of controlling their own destiny.

Why do I find it so hard to change others perceptions of me?

Changing how others view you requires a consistent flow of new messages. People

generally hold on to their first impressions, and its difficult to replace them with

something more to your liking. It takes persistent awareness and self-evaluation

both of which take time and energy to develop.

If you wish to change someones impression of you, you need to understand both that

persons existing perception and the one you wish to create. You then need to create abridge between the two. Observe the persons values and behaviors and find an


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opportunity to convey a different message. The persona you put forward must,

however, be authentic. If you create an impression that is not essentiallyyou, the

deception will be easy to spot, simply because living a lie is extraordinarily difficult

to sustain.

I dont particularly care what other people think about me, I just want toget on with doing a good job.

Fine, but common wisdom suggests that you should take care of your relationships as

you move up the career ladder, because you may run into the same people later when

youre on the way back down. People can harbor grudges for years, and you dont

want to risk encountering an unforgiving individual in a position of influence. If you

find it impossible to change your attitude, youd better have skills that make you

indispensable!

Making It Happen

Understand Yourself and How You Are Perceived

To understand how others view you, you need to have an accurate understanding of

yourself. Building self-awareness requires courage, commitment, and forgiveness.

The first stage is to spend some quiet time with yourself each day, when you can

begin to see what is the true you and what is not. The next step is to encourage

informal feedback from trusted peers and managers. Remember that people will give

subjective views based on their opinion, which may not resonate with youso you

may be surprised at the way you are perceived. Try to remain objective and explore

where these views have come from.

You can use more formal tools that enable you to understand yourself, such as

psychometrics and personality profiles. The feedback from these is sometimes easier

to manage because its objective and has no third-party relationship standing in the

way.

Sometimes 360-degree surveys are used to gather the views of different audiences,

both inside and outside the business. These tend to focus on behavior and skill level.

Be aware of the differences between the two. While both may be learned and

modified, changing behaviors usually involves altering personality traits and

perceptions and may be more difficult than acquiring new skills.

When reviewing test results, try not to concentrate only on personal information that

feels hurtful. Look for patterns in your feedback, and reflect on when and why these

may have arisen. Stress often allows unintentional behaviors to surface. Behaviors

you havent even been aware of may have given rise to the impressions that you

would like to change.

Determine Your Strategy

Before embarking on any perception management strategy, decide what your goals

are, how you intend to accomplish them, and how to monitor your progress. Dont be

too ambitious at first: focus on one thing that you can change that will create a quick

win.


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Think of the context in which youre working, and use your feedback to select your

initial goals. While there may be indicators and encouragement to change your

behavior, remember that there may also be reactions to those changes. People are used

to the old you and may have difficulty adjusting to the new you. It will help if you

concentrate on four tracks:

communicate your intentions to people who may be affected. If you have aformal annual performance appraisal, make it a learning objective; this is

likely to win more support and understanding if things dont work out quite

the way youd planned. Youre also likely to receive more praise when youre

successful.

gain support from your manager or key members of your team to help keepyou focused. A good support group is essential when youre seeking to change

something about yourselfwitness groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous

and Weight Watchers.

find a coach to provide ongoing guidance. A coach can offer impartialobservations and encourage you to continue, or change, your strategy as you

move forward. Coaching takes time and commitment, so allow for this in your

work plan.

evaluate your progress at each milestone in your plan, either formally orinformally. You may wish to keep a daily journal, writing down the kind of

details that tend to slip away if theyre not recorded. Frequency is important in

gathering informal feedback, but make sure you give people enough time to

observe your new behavior before asking them for it. You might warn those

whom you intend to approach for feedback so they can consciously pay

attention to your behavior. A more formal option is to revisit the 360-degree

questionnaire and see whether others have noticed the change.

Dont lose heart if the changes you succeed in bringing about arent immediately

recognized by others. It may take months, so consistency and perseverance are key.

A Quick Guide to Perception Management

Do Dont

Increase your own awarenessReact emotionally to the feedback you

receive

Be aware of the impact you have on

others Act defensive

Learn to interpret other peoples verbal

and nonverbal signalsGet demotivated

Know the effect that stress has on you

and how this looks to othersBe ingratiating

Be visible at strategic momentsBehave aggressively and try too hard too

quickly

Encourage feedback from people you

value, without making unreasonable

demands

Expect too much

Allow others to make their own choices Embroil others in your views of yourselfGive yourself adequate time and make Pester people for feedback


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perception management part of your

personal management toolkit

Be consistent, patient, and forgivingBe political or manipulative in your

behavior

In a nutshell, perception management is all about creating an impression through

conscious activities and awareness of your audience and the impact you have on them.

To be successful, define your target audience, overlay your values with theirs, adjust

your communication style, encourage feedback, and be aware of how you adapt as

changes are implemented.

Common Mistakes

You Become Impatient

Its easy to get impatient for results and give up too quickly. Behavioral change is not

as easy as learning a new skill; it requires dedication, commitment, and consistency.

Only constant repetition and reinforcement of your new behavior will change peoplesperceptions of you.

You Dont Ask for Feedback

Some people are embarrassed to ask for feedback and advice, particularly when they

find themselves in management roles. Remember that many behaviors are habitual,

and some may even have contributed to previous promotions. But behaviors

appropriate in some roles arent always right in others. When you move into a

management position, for example, relationships suddenly become much more

important than technical skills. A recommendation in this situation: use a new project

or a particular aspect of your new role as a vehicle for conveying new behaviors.

You Go Too Far

In trying to change behaviors its easy to overdo it and alienate the people youre

trying to influence. Pursue your goals for change, but err on the side of subtlety.

For More Information

Books:

Delisser, Peter.Be Your Own Executive Coach: Master High-Impact Communications

Skills for Dealing With Difficult People, Improving Your Personal Image, LearningHow. Worcester, MA: Chandler House Press, 1999.

Henry, Jane. Creativity and Perception in Management. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage

Publications, 2002.

Rosenfeld, Paul, Robert Giacalone, and Catherine A. Riordan.Impression

Management: Building and Enhancing Reputations at Work. 2nd ed. Florence, KY:

International Thomson Business Press, 2001.

Web sites:

All About Human Resources:http://humanresources.about.com

American Management Association:www.amanet.org

Documents

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