Manager or not, how people perceive you is how they will respond to you. For many of us, how we perceive ourselves is vastly different to the way others perceive us.
The difference in perceptions can be thought as ‘blind spots’. It’s the gap in information in what others know about you, but you don’t. Blind spots are a bit like noses, we’ve all got them, but they just vary in size.
As a manager, if you have a large blind spot, your understanding of how your behaviour is impacting those you manage is poor.
When your awareness is poor, your ability to motivate and engage those you lead and manage will be negatively impacted.
Understanding How People Perceive You Is Important
For many of us, how we perceive ourselves is vastly different to the way others perceive us.
For example, you may consider yourself to be an uber consultative manager with a contemporary democratic leadership style, whereas others may describe you an indecisive manager lacking confidence just wanting to please.
Often the biggest disparity in perceptions is seen in environments where feedback and communication is poor.
Understanding How You’re Impacting On Others
The ability to understand how your actions and behaviour impacts others is key as a leader and manager. The reason why being, because as manager, the first thing you need to manage to be effective is yourself.
The better you understand how others perceive you, the more successful you will be in developing and adapting your behaviour as you have a greater level of self-awareness.
When we are self aware, we have a good sense of who we are. It provides insight into our strengths, and challenges which enables to us change and adapt when needed to improve our effectiveness.
Difference Is Good, So Long as You Can See It
Everyone is different and that’s not just ok, it is actually really good.
Difference is part of what makes effective teams tick. The quicker a manager can recognise and understand the differences of each individual team member, the better they are able to manage both individual, and team performance.
We each have natural or more dominant behaviours, just as we each have a natural leadership style. Yours maybe a result of your personality, values or strengths, or perhaps your own experiences.
The problem is, as good as it may be, the style you’re naturally inclined to may not always be appropriate.
Knowing Your Natural Style Is Important
When you understand your own natural style and behaviours your self-awareness increases.
Self-awareness gives you the ability to manage your own emotions and actions, and understand how they affect the emotions and actions of others.
There is nothing wrong with difference so long you can recognise it, and understand it so you can adapt and change as needed.
Blind Spots, We’ve All Got Them
These differences in perceptions, or blind spots, are the gap in information in what others know about you, but you don’t.
The bigger your blind spot, the poorer your awareness and understanding of how your behaviour impacts those around you.
When your awareness is poor, your ability to motivate and engage those you lead becomes a whole lot harder.
The ideal scenario is to reduce the blind spot and increase the level of self-awareness. The best way to gain an understanding of the perceptions of others is through feedback. To do this, you need to ask for it.
Start By Uncovering Your Blind Spots
You can’t change or ‘fix’ something that you can’t see or don’t know about it.
Having awareness and knowledge of what needs to change will help focus your effort and development. The best way to understand how people perceive you, and identify areas you need to work on or change is to ask.
Start with asking for feedback from your manager, then from those who are important to you and are in a position to see you in action.
Don’t be put off at the prospect of discussing your weaker areas. While it isn’t always easy to hear change is needed, without it you won’t improve and grow.
While you may not agree with what you are hearing, it is important to listen respectfully, after all it is how ‘they’ perceive you.
Asking For Feedback
Feedback is one of the most important activities you will undertake as a manager. But it is not always about you giving it, it is also about you asking for it. Feedback is crucial for self-development and building effective working relationships.
Feedback helps you to develop healthy professional relationships that are based on honesty, openness and transparency. When things are left unsaid in work, it can be detrimental to relationships and productivity.
When you ask for feedback you are choosing to learn more about yourself and to seek the advice of others, it shows you value and respect their thoughts and opinions. Showing value and respect for people’s thoughts and opinions is also improves your influence on others.
If you are making a habit of asking for feedback, and receiving it in the spirit intended, it will make the feedback process feel more normal and comfortable, for both you and those giving the feedback. It also makes it easier and more comfortable for you to give feedback.
Take the Time to Prepare Yourself
To get most out of the conversation, prepare in advance by reflecting on what specific skills or areas you want feedback on, and preparing questions to ask. The best questions will help you discover your strengths and areas for improvement for your current situation.
It is always a good idea to later reflect on feedback. Whether you agree with it or not, it has been given for a reason. You may want to restart the conversation for further clarity or explore ideas for change. You may even want to get the perspective of others.
Try Some Self Reflection
The ability to self reflect, while uncomfortable, is an important skill in itself. Most managers will uncover biases and patterns of behaviour that they need to manage around or change.
Behaviours that have worked for you in the past may no longer be appropriate, and may need to change as you progress and grow.
A self-assessment can be a useful way to start to better understand yourself, and your management capabilities and where to focus your development.
If you have never reflected much on your natural style and behaviour, and how it impacts others – you are well overdue.
Don’t let your blind spots hold you back, take control of your success and get an understanding of how others perceive.
What you discover might just surprise you.