Winning in the Workplace: Optics
There's an old saying that "It's not what you know, it's who you know." It speaks to the importance of having a strong business and personal network. An equally true saying might be "It's not what you do, it's what others see."
Have you ever wondered why some people seem to get all the breaks, while other equally talented people toil away with their efforts unrecognized? Have you ever wondered why bosses or coworkers never seem to appreciate the work some people do?
A lot of times the unfairness in the workplace that we attribute to favoritism or "office politics" is really something much less diabolical. You may feel that people don't appreciate what you do - but perhaps they really just don't know what you do. It is also possible that people might be misinterpreting your actions. For example, people might perceive your thoughtful silence in a meeting as disinterest. They may perceive your 'devil's advocate' approach to being objective as 'not being a team player.' They may think that because you're off-site a lot that you don't do much work. They may not have an understanding of how important your job is to the organization or the types of challenges you face.
Optics, the way people perceive things, are important to success in a work environment. The more positively people perceive you, the greater respect you earn, and the easier it is to get things done. The more of your successes people are aware of, the more valuable you become to your organization. And when you can combine quality performance with positive optics, everyone wins - you and your organization.
Here are a few basic rules for improving your optics:
1. Let people know of your successes. Don't be a braggart - but don't be unnecessarily modest either.
2. Think before you speak. Frame everything as positively as you can.
3. Acknowledge other people's successes (they, in turn, will be more likely to notice yours).
4. Pay attention to your body language. Even when your mouth isn't talking, your body is.
5. Don't be afraid to stand out from the crowd occasionally.
Courtesy,
Rajendra Deshpande.
From India, Coimbatore
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746There's an old saying that "It's not what you know, it's who you know." It speaks to the importance of having a strong business and personal network. An equally true saying might be "It's not what you do, it's what others see."
Have you ever wondered why some people seem to get all the breaks, while other equally talented people toil away with their efforts unrecognized? Have you ever wondered why bosses or coworkers never seem to appreciate the work some people do?
A lot of times the unfairness in the workplace that we attribute to favoritism or "office politics" is really something much less diabolical. You may feel that people don't appreciate what you do - but perhaps they really just don't know what you do. It is also possible that people might be misinterpreting your actions. For example, people might perceive your thoughtful silence in a meeting as disinterest. They may perceive your 'devil's advocate' approach to being objective as 'not being a team player.' They may think that because you're off-site a lot that you don't do much work. They may not have an understanding of how important your job is to the organization or the types of challenges you face.
Optics, the way people perceive things, are important to success in a work environment. The more positively people perceive you, the greater respect you earn, and the easier it is to get things done. The more of your successes people are aware of, the more valuable you become to your organization. And when you can combine quality performance with positive optics, everyone wins - you and your organization.
Here are a few basic rules for improving your optics:
1. Let people know of your successes. Don't be a braggart - but don't be unnecessarily modest either.
2. Think before you speak. Frame everything as positively as you can.
3. Acknowledge other people's successes (they, in turn, will be more likely to notice yours).
4. Pay attention to your body language. Even when your mouth isn't talking, your body is.
5. Don't be afraid to stand out from the crowd occasionally.
Courtesy,
Rajendra Deshpande.
From India, Coimbatore
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Dear Shaun,
Thank you for pointing it out. This material also appeared in 2008 on http://citehr.com <link updated to site home>. Many bloggers receive such information as email attachments from friends and repost it here without verifying the source through a web search.
Some bloggers have suggested that it is acceptable to publish the material in India unless one holds International Copyright. However, I do not agree with that perspective and have been working on educating bloggers about avoiding plagiarism.
Have a nice day.
Simhan
A retired academic in the UK
From United Kingdom
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Thank you for pointing it out. This material also appeared in 2008 on http://citehr.com <link updated to site home>. Many bloggers receive such information as email attachments from friends and repost it here without verifying the source through a web search.
Some bloggers have suggested that it is acceptable to publish the material in India unless one holds International Copyright. However, I do not agree with that perspective and have been working on educating bloggers about avoiding plagiarism.
Have a nice day.
Simhan
A retired academic in the UK
From United Kingdom
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