Do you see what they see?
Does the world see you the way you see yourself? Maybe?
Undoubtedly, you’ve heard the phrase “Perception is reality.”
I’ve thought about this statement a lot.
What is perception based on? How is it formed? And how can we impact on it? How do we know if the world is seeing us the way we see ourselves? And, if the world isn’t seeing us the way we see ourselves, how can we change that perception?
A model I’m working on at the moment is the Reputation Quotient (RQ) or Perception Alignment Diagnostic for Leaders and Leadership teams, where I measure the difference between how someone is seen, and how they see themselves.
There are 12 key characteristics to consider in measuring this alignment:
I see you as/I see myself as:
- Reliable
- Accountable
- Trustworthy
- Responsible
- Ethical
- Inclusive
- Empathetic
- Insightful
- Brave
- Honest
- Clear
- Authentic
Further to this, there are clear characteristic types associated with each set of characteristics:
- You do what you say - Reliable, Accountable, Trustworthy
- You do the right thing - Responsible, Ethical, Inclusive
- You say the right thing - Empathetic, Insightful, Brave
- You say what you mean - Honest, Clear, Authentic
And then when you plot this on a compass, these characteristics identify themselves as inward facing (you) vs outward facing (them), or speaking (what you say) vs doing (the actions you take).
Measurement is made through asking three specific questions per characteristic, giving a low-high score of 1-10, before taking the mean score.
This is done by both the individual and their peers, revealing the Perception Alignment differential.
When you break down reputation of Leaders in to these 12 key characteristics, you can start to navigate, through coaching and strategic decision making, how to seek greater alignment between how you see yourself, and how you want the world to see you.
So, perception is the reality you allow it to be. We are actively involved in informing our audience of who we are.
Through our actions and words, about ourselves and of others, we create the perception - that becomes our reality.
#reputationmatters #personalbrand #perception
