Perception Is Reality

Perception is Reality

As Harrison Monarth describes the laws of perception in his book Executive Presence: The Art of Commanding Respect Like A CEO, I think of the well-known quote, “Perception is Reality”. People filter information during conversations and they tend to hear what they want to believe is reality. To gauge perception of those around you, use emotional and social intelligence, as well as personal brand awareness. Another important factor is strategically preparing for positive and negative Public Relations interactions. Lastly, manage your social media to influence positive perception. Ultimately, other people’s perception of you becomes reality.

Many times parties are not sensitive of any perception variances. One party may believe they get their message across without room for misinterpretation, while the other party leaves with a different understanding of the assignment, task, etc. The book depicts an example during a presidential election debate where John McCain used unfavorable body language and eye rolling (Monarth, Pg 11). More than likely, he believed he was coming across as calm and collected; however, voters were rapidly losing confidence. Once coached on his behavior, he was able to identify and adjust his body language to regain assurance from voters. Perception plays a very vital role in the workplace. Mangers provide assignments they may feel have clear objectives, while employees may leave with something different in mind. Being aware of how others perceive you is a significant part of maintaining productivity in an organization.

In my current position as a trainer, it is very necessary for me to be aware of how people perceive my actions. When interacting with staff at all different levels, it is important that I understand my audience and their needs. Each individual has different requests and are at different stages with what they need. I try to incorporate various learning methods for each group that I work with including, standard training, handouts, job simulations and on the job mentoring. Combining these types of learning experiences helps staff comprehend how to perceive the material, leaving little room for misinterpretation.

The basis of how others perceive you is by understanding your level of emotional and social intelligence. It is important to know the areas for improvement while interacting with others. Being aware of these areas increases social intelligence, and consequently improves management skills. Social intelligence becomes the center of one’s skill and managers need it to lead, sell or create a culture (Monarth Pg 25). A 360-degree assessment allows others to rate their experiences as a peer, manager or direct report. This feedback contributes to social intelligence since it can assist in understanding people’s perceptions.

To develop my social intelligence, I provide 360-degree assessments after every training