Article: How Are You Perceived at Work? Here’s an Exercise to Find Out
All too often, people struggle to understand how they are perceived by those around them. To get a clearer picture of how people really see you, the author suggests following this four-step process. First, select five people who see you repeatedly in relevant work situations, such as bosses, executives, direct reports, peers, or even former colleagues. Second, ask for a face-to-face meeting. Be clear that you’ll keep whatever the person tells you confidential, which will encourage honesty, and that you’ll be collecting feedback from several people to find themes, in order to lessen the burden on any one individual. Third, during the meetings, ask about what people’s general perception of you is, and what you could do differently that would have the greatest impact on your success. Finally, manage your reaction. Once you’ve done completed this process with several people, you can start to look for patterns in their responses and make a commitment to change.
