Much of the coaching work I do with clients is about how their behavior shapes the perceptions that other people have about them. And those perceptions tie directly to performance appraisals, promotions and other opportunities.
It is really about professional image or professional brand. Have you or your staff ever made any of the following statements:
“I just don’t understand what my management really wants from me. I get the work done, isn’t that enough?”
“I am a valuable resource; my work should speak for itself. But I am not getting the recognition I know I deserve.”
Getting the work done isn’t enough. You may know this, but some of your staff might still be learning.
I was a few years into my career as a computer programmer before I really thought about how my actions impacted my professional reputation. I thought that if I showed up on time, worked hard and my programs had no bugs, I was in great shape.
My Wake Up Call
One day a customer was having a problem with the application I supported. They were being bounced out of the system. After exhaustive testing I concluded this could only happen if they hit a specific key on the keyboard. In a conference call I delivered this information to them. They were convinced that they were not hitting that specific key. So I went back to do more research. My findings were still the same. In a brainstorming meeting with my manager and his boss, I blurted out “Well, I could call them and tell them we know they are lying.” You could have heard a pin drop.
Anyone who really knew me would have known that:
• I would never speak to a customer that way
• My humor tends towards the sarcastic
• I was joking to ease the tension of the moment
But both my manager and his boss thought I was serious. I had worked for them for over one year and they really thought I would call a customer a liar. They never believed that I was joking. In fact, even after they sent someone else to work with the customer and it was discovered that I had been right; I still took a hit for this on my review. They did not remember that I was right; they only remembered that they thought I would call a customer a liar.
I could make this about them. I could make a case that they did not bother to get to know the people who worked for them. I could write it off by saying, “Well these were not the right people for me.”
However, I had a responsibility here too. I should have built a reputation with them that clearly defined me as a person who would never call a customer a liar. And let’s be honest, I should have known them well enough to understand that my sarcasm would not be appreciated.
Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register. |
