Whether you’re an anxious person who is worried about how people will perceive you or someone who’d like to do damage control after making a bad first impression, know that it is totally possible to turn things around and adjust everyone’s opinion of you. It may sound impossible at first, especially if you feel like you’ve already made quite a negative impact. But trust me when I say there are lots of little ways to show more confidence, appear more self-assured, and thus project a better image to the world.
Behaviour in the workplace is based on people’s perceptions of the workplace. There are many factors that influence how something is perceived. Factors pertaining to the perceiver can involve the person’s attitudes, motives, interests, experience, and expectations. Contextual factors can involve time, work setting and social setting. Finally, factors related to the actual target can involve novelty, motion, sounds, size, background, and proximity.
Well, there are various ways that a person can perceive a situation in the work environment that can lead to problems. For example, the following can occur amongst people in the workplace on a daily basis:
- Fundamental attribution error: The tendency to underestimate the influence of external factors and overestimate the influence of internal factors when making judgments about the behavior of others
- Self-serving bias: The tendency to attribute one’s own successes to internal factors and blame one’s own failures on external factors
- Selective perception: The tendency to selectively interpret what is seen based on one’s interests, background, experience, and attitudes
- Projection: The tendency to attribute one’s own characteristics to other people
- Stereotyping: The tendency to judge someone on the basis of the perception of a group to which that person belongs
- Halo effect: The tendency to draw a general impression about an individual based on a single characteristic
Though we are all human and have a background and a particular perspective on which we rely when perceiving things in the work setting, it is important to be aware of the various factors that influence our perceptions, especially when making important decisions that affect the organization.
Learn to feel more comfortable, give off positive vibes and completely change how you are perceived:
1. Associate with people who are respected by others.
If you hang out with people who gossip, you will be perceived as someone who likes to gossip. Try to spend more time with those who are respected by their co-workers and managers and avoid spending too much time with colleagues who are perceived negatively by others.
2. Go above and beyond
It can be tough to change people’s minds so when your reputation is on the line, you must overdeliver. If you have a reputation for showing up late to work, getting into the office at 9:01 AM is a problem, because you are proving people’s assumptions right. Instead, you need to get there at 8:45. If you believe you offended someone with an offhanded comment, you must be especially vigilant about watching your tongue. And if your manager thinks you’re the meekest participant in meetings, you need to now offer up frequent, thoughtful contributions. Over time, once people’s perceptions begin to shift, you can migrate back toward the center where it feels more comfortable.
3. Be upfront about the issue
When you know you have made a poor decision, or you believe you are being unfairly branded, it can be useful to address the misperception head-on. If you think you may have offended a colleague, reach out to apologize. If you were late delivering two reports in a row, approach your manager to say you know it’s an issue and that it won’t happen again. Naming the issue shows you are aware of it. It can also start the process of changing how you are perceived. Otherwise, the negative association just keeps festering and strengthening in people’s minds. However, you don’t always have to discuss the issue directly.
4. Don’t get defensive
If you do address the misperception directly, make sure not to get angry or cast aspersions. You can’t go into the conversation saying, ‘You know, I think from our last encounter, you see me like a jerk, and I’m not. You’re basically accusing them of getting you wrong. Instead, accept that they feel a certain way about you and apologize if necessary. Then pour your energy into building a standing that you think is more reflective of your actual self.
Principles to remember:
Do:
- Address the issue head on, especially if you were in the wrong.
- If you want a more positive impression to stick in someone’s mind, you have to offer it up repeatedly.
- Look for characteristics you share with the person. Common ground will help soften their stance.
Don’t:
- Accuse the person of being wrong about you. Their perception is their perception, and it’s up to you to help “correct” it.
- Avoid working with the person. The more you’re in front of them, the better.
- Expect people to change their minds on a dime. Shifting someone’s perception often takes