FAQ Series: How to Survive and Thrive in the Workplace

Perception – Young woman or older woman?

“There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception.” – Aldous Huxley 

The other day in a leadership workshop I was asked this question. “My boss gave me feedback that I am not seen as a team player, that I don’t include others ideas on key projects and that I come across as aloof. I certainly don’t agree with him. I see myself as having high standards for my work and those on my team, am laser focused and very professional when I deal with my peers. What can I do to get him to see me as a team player?” My response, “It’s not who’s right or wrong. It’s about managing the perception “gap” that you and your boss have. To do so, it’s important to learn the skills that enable you to understand and manage other people’s perceptions of you.

Why is perception management important?

At work, you will always be judged not only on what you do, but on how you do it. The judges are your manager, peers and others with whom you interact. While no one can prevent people from having opinions that lead to perceptions, it’s important to manage your workplace image and executive presence to ensure that reality and perception are as closely linked as possible.

Perceptions are formed by a combination of observations that others make. They often include the opinions of many who may have varying levels of information about the situation and/or you. It may be comforting to believe that perceptions aren’t as important as the work you do, unfortunately the reality is that perceptions do matter. Success at work starts with positive perceptions. That’s why it is so important early on in your career to take charge of the way you are perceived in your organization. Other people’s perceptions and evaluations of you play an important role in your career growth.

Do you want to know how to change Other’s perception of you at work?

If so, the first step is knowing exactly how you are perceived at work. How are you perceived? What type of interactions do you have at work? What type of feedback are you given during regular update meetings and end of year performance reviews from your manager? You can easily find out about how you are perceived during these situations. How? By asking your manager, peers and those you trust for feedback. Questions like: How did the others in a project update meeting hear my message? What could I do to be seen as a team player-(ask your boss)? What does senior management think of my potential as a leader-(ask your boss and other managers)? Here are other strategies and skills that will help you manage others perception of you.

Having the skills to know how to change other people’s perception of you at work is critical. People with the skills to influence other people’s perceptions will have a far better chance of controlling their own destiny where they work.

How to Manage Others Perception of You.

• To understand how others view you, you need to gain an accurate understanding of yourself. Encourage informal feedback from trusted peers and managers. You may be surprised at how they perceive you. Try to remain objective and explore how you may have influenced these views.
• Take assessment tools like Everything DiSC®, or Myers Briggs. These personality profiles are helpful to understand the characteristics of your and other colleague’s styles.
• Ask to have a 360-degree survey completed at work. This survey collects the views of colleagues, both inside and outside the company and focuses on your skills as well as behavior.
• When reviewing assessment results, look for patterns in the feedback. Consider the context-when something happened and why. Stress often allows unintentional behavior to surface. It is possible that you have been completely unaware of the behavior that has created the impression you want to change. These are referred to as “blind spots”. These are important to be aware of as they have significance in creating unknown perceptions.
• Be aware of the impact that you have on others. Monitor your verbal and nonverbal communication skills. Consider your vocal pitch, tone, accent, rate of speech, use of grammar, and what you disclose. You should also consider your appearance, your demeanor, and your attitude. Think about if you want to strategically alter any of these depending on the situation. That said, sometimes actions speak louder than words. It’s important to learn to interpret other people’s verbal and nonverbal signals.
• Know the effect that stress has on you and how this looks to others. Are you aware of what happens to your expressions, tone of voice, movement and communications with others?
• Know the stereotypes that are at play. You probably fit into a category where stereotypes have affected your image. Your age, your race, your gender, your line of work, your hobbies, your appearance, your educational background, and your past behavior are all things that may distort the image of your true identity. Many times these biases aren’t intentional, they are a part of human nature, so it is important to acknowledge and address them.
• Think about your job performance. It is important to identify your individual contribution, your teamwork and collaboration, your rapport and relationships with others, the optional things that you do above and beyond your job description, and your internal and external network.

Remember perception matters. Build credibility but maintain authenticity. The key to managing your professional image is to use these tactics to build credibility while still maintaining authenticity. Your career is yours to manage. Your organization cannot manage your career for you.

Have you succeeded in reinventing yourself or changing how others perceive you? What strategies did you use? Let us know.