The Influence of Perception
Communication is vital. However, it is important to remember that it is multi-faceted and influenced by many different factors. Perception is the way we interpret actions, signs, and signals around us. Perception greatly influences our view on people, situations, and actions. It is a powerful influencer that is sometimes overlooked. So often we do not correctly hear or see what someone is trying to communicate because we get the gist and fill in the gaps according to our own experience and perception. We are listening to respond, instead of listening to understand. I have heard it said that reality is an illusion and there is only individual perception. Think about that, we all don’t see people, situations, (even the world!) in different ways.
Let’s think about how perception influences job settings. We have all heard the saying, “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.” What this means is usually negative situations get more of our attention. This is due to the natural reaction, or our perception, of something being “wrong” and our responsibility to fix it. But, what if we challenged this perception based expectation and focused more attention on the team members that were identified as having untapped potential and the thriving employees, and focused on nurturing and building up these POSITIVES in order to more strongly support the challenges?
If we want to truly understand what someone is saying (both verbally AND non-verbally) we need to concentrate with our attention using all sensory cues so that we get as much direct, reliable information as possible and can use this to ensure that we are listening and communicating to our highest ability.
We must be open minded and aware that each of us have a different set of experiences and expectations that are influencing our perception of everything. This understanding and acceptance leads to strong communication and understanding. A successful leader does not want a team of people exactly like his/herself. A leader wants a team of unique individuals with their own strengths and ideas. If we understand that unique perceptions translate into creativity and innovation, the world of possibilities becomes endless.
This is spot on. We do this as parents, teachers, coaches! Build around the strengths💪