Perception: what you see is what you get

A headline in this morning's news got my attention:
CBS 'The Early Show' executive producer David Friedman doubles the size of his office while staff face layoffs and cost cuts

The article, on the New York Post web site (1), reveals the dismay felt by the remaining staff. Apparently Mr. Friedman, son of a top CBS executive, flew to London to fire staff there a month prior to expanding his office. 

Mr. Friedman has two things working against him: he recently laid off people and he is the son of an executive.

He should expect to be scrutinized. As an executive himself, he should be aware of others' perceptions and how they are formed. Now, he should expect backlash for his decorating decision.

They say perception is reality. The perception that Mr. Friedman is insensitive to effects of layoffs, aloof, and a poor decision maker could be defended by him and his supporters; however, the reality is that he'll have to deal with that perception. He will have to purposefully overcome the perceptions of himself if he intends to be productive and influential at CBS going forward.

Why bother?Mr. Friedman should bother because perception affects judgment, which affects behavior. Perception is "the process of interpreting and understanding one's environment."

The staff of "The Early Show" interpreted Mr. Friedman's actions and will base decisions about him on their interpretation, just as employees all over the country do in their own offices daily. People respond to others based on their own perception of them and the environment.

A manager whose first words of the day are, "Don't talk to me until I've had coffee!" will be perceived as less calm, friendly, or reliable than a boss who arrives in a satisfactory mood. A project manager who exclaims, "Why can't those architects finish on time?" every time there is a client delay will be perceived as inflexible and not service-oriented.

To ensure the perceptions others have of you is positive and productive, ensure your actions are congruent with your intentions. Their perceptions will impact your influence, so impact the perceptions carefully, consciously, and cautiously. Since what you see is what you'll get, awareness of others' perceptions can lead to more influence and productivity. Or, less.

[What do you think? Have you worked for someone who made a similar mistake as Mr. Friedman? Were the perceptions similar or different? Did the manager overcome negative perceptions following the mistake? Your comments would be welcome and appreciated.]

POST SOURCES:
1. The article can be found here: http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/staff_office_early_layoffs_executive_dfDQ0jg8F581zxUYuUVx5M?CMP=OTC-rss&FEEDNAME=
2. Management; Kinicki and Williams; McGraw Hill 2009)