Managing Perceptions In the Workplace
Over the years, many articles have been written about perceptions in the workplace. Countless soapboxes have been rendered espousing the evils of such things like inappropriate clothing, workplace romances, and whispering or gossip. Managers everywhere have attempted to use these articles as weapons against a generation of subordinates, suggesting that these employees are somehow supposed to placate the perceptions of others in every one of their workplace decisions. I have to wonder if any of these managers have ever stopped to consider how their own choice of weaponry is perceived by their workers. We are, by the way, suggesting that each individual is responsible for how their statements and actions are perceived by those around them. Why wouldn’t managers too be included in that reflection.
A manager’s choice of weaponry that includes the chastisement of workers for their personal appearance, personal relationships, or personal discussions is not well received my modern workers. What managers intend to be a means of direction in order to create a more professional and congenial workplace is often received by those same workers as an out of touch manager neglecting to see the true value of their employees abilities. The consensus my employees is, “I don’t care what you or anyone else perceives about my actions.” “My actions are not about you.” ”
What this generation of employees, many of whom are becoming managers themselves, understand is that perceptions are entirely individual. Perceptions are generated based on each individual’s experiences and interpretations. Because of this, the way something is interpreted will vary greatly from one person to the next. Interpretations are impossible to anticipate or control. A person who was raised around respectable people of all nationalities will perceive the actions of the dark-skinned man walking into the gas station with his head low and hands in his pockets entirely differently than the person who was raised in the ghetto.
A great example of this dilema first presented itself to me when sitting in a high profile project coordination meeting with city officials…
I was in my mid-twenties acting as a project engineer for the installation of a new access control system for several Water Treatment facilities. The engineer for the city was a gentleman about thirty to forty years older than me. After these meetings, this engineer would walk me out with his hand on the small of my back. Having been raised in southern California rather than The South, my perception of this man’s intentions were drastically different than his intentions. My first thought was, “Uh, he’s touching me… Creepy!” and my first reaction was to scoot away. It took a conscious effort of my part to not react based on my own perceptions, and instead to consider the fact that not only was this engineer from an older generation but he was also from The South with a whole different approach to kindness and respect. There was nothing inappropriate about this man’s gestures and once I made the effort to see that, I soon came to enjoy working with him.
Consider the fact that you cannot control the perceptions of others. It is more important to see people for who they are and where they are individually without forcing our own expectations upon them. If someone perceives the whispering in the office as gossip, he or she most likely has his own issues constantly worrying that others are out to get him. Another worker in the same environment may perceive the whispering as a sign of great excitement and possibilities, and still another individual in the same environment may not even care or notice the whispering… If one client perceives the way I dress as unprofessional, another client may perceive the way I dress as energetic and relateable… The relationship between two co-workers may be perceived by some as opportunity for favoritism between two symbiotic departments. There is a great difference between fact and fear…
It is not reasonable for every individual everywhere to accommodate the perceptions, biases, and fears of everyone in every situation. It is impossible to anticipate the thoughts of each person you encounter throughout the day. I firmly believe that workers and managers alike, are more evolved today and capable of building a workplace culture that encourages employees to put their own perceptions aside and view people and situations for what they are. It’s time that we, as managers, remind our people that what they perceive is going on with other employees in the office, is really none of their business until it is brought to them directly. It is time we make the effort to dismiss the gossip and turn the focus on business.
