“Some people see the cup as half empty. Some people see the cup as half full. I see the cup as too large.”

This poignant quote from the comedian George Carlin puts in perspective that in the simple act of sensing that there are multiple possible perceptions of the same event, person, situation, etc.  rendered by the observer.  All of them can be correct in the absence of additional inputs. The observer defines the frames of reference for if and how they will go about finding the inputs and interpreting them.  You actually deal with this on a daily basis in all aspects of life.

Have you ever thought about the need to deal with this topic in your role as a lab leader? Perceptions can become the reality in people’s minds and impact your ability to lead and your career.

Ensuring that others don’t rely on their perceptions of you can be challenging.  We need to understand how these perceptions manifest through our various interactions with management above you, peers, your staff and all other personnel who you routinely interact with.  Clarifying situations around you and being self-aware are areas to focus on to ensure that you get the proper inputs for yourself as well as knowing how to provide to others the reality of you.

To learn more, join Richard Durand at ALMA2019 Leadership Development Conference for his presentation, Managing Perception to Ensure the Reality of You as a Lab Leader.