INITIAL impressions are hard to shake. But
if your colleagues have a negative perception of you, it is not
impossible to change their views. Here are four ways you can begin to
overturn their entrenched beliefs.
1. Surprise them:
The reason that people do not often change their initial impressions is that our brains are optimised to conserve energy; if there is not a compelling reason to re-evaluate something, we will not. You cannot expect to overturn negative thinking with subtle gestures. You need a bolder strategy. If you have developed a reputation for being quiet, for example, it will not suffice to talk once in a meeting. Instead, make a point of being the first to speak, and making multiple comments.
2. Overcompensate over time: A forceful change in behaviour may get your colleagues to take notice. But if you only do it once, they can write it off as an aberration. Instead, keep up your new behaviour, and recognise that in order to change perceptions, you will need to do it far longer than the original behaviour.
3. Get closer to them: If you have started out on the wrong foot with a colleague, it can be tempting to avoid the problem by staying away from them. But this is likely to exacerbate the problem because it will only reinforce their existing perceptions. Instead, find ways to get to know them better. Psychologist Ben Michaelis says that when it comes to changing perceptions: "Don’t use words; use actions. Once people have a point of view, the best way to shift it is through mounting behavioural evidence rather than just halfhearted niceties."
4. Wait it out: Finally, sometimes the bad impression your colleagues may have formed has nothing to do with you. But if you are patient and continue to act in ways you are proud of, most people will come around.
(Adapted from "4 Ways to Overcome a Bad First Impression" from HBR.org.)
© 2016 Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation
1. Surprise them:
The reason that people do not often change their initial impressions is that our brains are optimised to conserve energy; if there is not a compelling reason to re-evaluate something, we will not. You cannot expect to overturn negative thinking with subtle gestures. You need a bolder strategy. If you have developed a reputation for being quiet, for example, it will not suffice to talk once in a meeting. Instead, make a point of being the first to speak, and making multiple comments.
2. Overcompensate over time: A forceful change in behaviour may get your colleagues to take notice. But if you only do it once, they can write it off as an aberration. Instead, keep up your new behaviour, and recognise that in order to change perceptions, you will need to do it far longer than the original behaviour.
3. Get closer to them: If you have started out on the wrong foot with a colleague, it can be tempting to avoid the problem by staying away from them. But this is likely to exacerbate the problem because it will only reinforce their existing perceptions. Instead, find ways to get to know them better. Psychologist Ben Michaelis says that when it comes to changing perceptions: "Don’t use words; use actions. Once people have a point of view, the best way to shift it is through mounting behavioural evidence rather than just halfhearted niceties."
4. Wait it out: Finally, sometimes the bad impression your colleagues may have formed has nothing to do with you. But if you are patient and continue to act in ways you are proud of, most people will come around.
(Adapted from "4 Ways to Overcome a Bad First Impression" from HBR.org.)
© 2016 Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation
No comments:
Post a Comment