Perception is reality
2 min read hello world soft skillsPerception is Reality
Recently we had a production issue that spanned multiple companies or partners. While every company tries to prevent them, it is something we have all encountered. How you act and react when these situations occur can make a difference in how you are perceived when trying to move forward in your career.
The cold hard facts are:
- Perception is reality
- What we remember from a stressful episode appears to be determined by the strength of the association between the stressor and the material to be remembered. Reference
- Perceived threats to goals (successful deployments, etc.) are more likely to be remembered “[…] to avoid unpleasant outcomes in the future” Reference
People won’t forget if you lose it during an emergency and appear to be apart of the problem than apart of the solution. To some, it will not matter how awesome you were the week before or the week after. At the moment that things were going FUBAR if you are seen as a problem, then you may have to put in extra effort to counter that negative impression. And for some, you may always be seen as the one that you don’t want to be stuck with, in an emergency.
Do’s and Don’ts
Here are some Do’s and Don’t when faced with stressful situations.
| Do | Don’t |
|---|---|
| Listen to concerns expressed | Be impatient when listening to concerns. There may be information you would otherwise miss. |
| Be clear and concise about what you are doing and why | Go silent while trying to figure out what you are going to do. You are not just providing solutions; You are assuring others that your answers will work. No news is NOT good news |
| Set expectations and specify any potential gotcha’s/pitfalls related to short term solutions | Tell everyone it is going to be perfect and beautiful, then deliver moldy pizza |
| Display calm, focus, attentiveness, and confidence. | Show nervousness, frustration, anger |
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