Fully understanding the power of perception is an essential step towards effective leadership.

Perceptions may not always be based on accurate assumptions but it’s important to remember that perception is reality to the perceiver. And it is that reality that we, as professionals, may find crucial to consider when identifying our own strengths and/or development opportunities.

The positive and/or negative perceptions of others have an impact on our ability to be successful. More important, is our ability to understand how we are helping to create those perceptions.

Are you Linked In? Do you Tweet? Are you on Facebook? Well, if you are or aren’t, there are plenty of places to learn more about the benefits of social media these days. A flurry of instructional and resourceful seminars are available. Tons of information are available on line. Or, you can simply connect with your current colleagues and ask around about the mechanics and benefits of on-line networking. And you’d better hurry. The wave of technology-based networking is moving at warp speed.

I’m active on LinkedIn for professional connections, Facebook primarily for family and extended family contacts, and although I am a member of Twitter, I’ve not yet been tweeting. The primary challenges for me are the time it takes to learn, navigate and make the most of the sites, and the time it takes to connect with past colleagues and friends. And I’m struggling a bit with the increasingly blurred line between my professional and personal networking and disclosure (fodder for a separate blog entry, I’m sure.) I’m not the only one, right?

For all of its challenges though, social media provides an incredible opportunity to connect with others and market yourself and/or your business exponentially. And if you want to thrive in the current business environment, you’ll want to get on board.

As for the time challenge, perhaps we simply need to reconsider the value of time well spent.

I met with a colleague this week and our conversation turned to those times when we may need to walk away from business because we’re not aligned with what’s being asked of us. Or we just have that gut feeling that we need to rethink the direction we’re going, or an approach we may be considering. I call it my Red Flag and I consistently benefit when I pay attention to it.

Reflecting on this prompted me to want to share a brief article I wrote on How to Get Better at Intuitive Decision Making. Perhaps you will relate both personally and professionally.

It’s great when an individual takes the personal initiative—out of a genuine desire for continuous improvement—to retain and work with an external coach.

It’s not unusual however, for the outreach to come from the Director or Vice President of Human Resources, or the mid or executive-level manager, to retain a coaching resource for his or her employee.

Regardless of who orchestrates the initial outreach for coaching services, or who is paying the bill—in order to be most effective—the individual client/coachee must have resource options and be fully involved in choosing and extending an invitation to the coach. And it’s the individual client/coachee who must first and foremost be provided confidentiality, support and service. 

This authentic offering to serve the individual receiver above all, will help to build the foundation for the coachee’s full engagement in his or her own development and the coaching process. 

The success of a coaching relationship is measured by the coachee’s ability to identify and acknowledge development areas, leverage strengths, develop skills, and experience successes. These successes impact the individual, his or her manager(s) and the organization. —Ultimately, a great return on investment.

Have you found yourself stalling when you’re facing a seemingly overwhelming task or project?  Of course you have. Or perhaps you have some great creative ideas—so many ideas, that few to none are actually being implemented.

I’ve  found that when we’re confused, overwhelmed, or on overdrive, we often stand still. Great ideas and countless pressures recycle themselves through our minds while stress builds and little is actually being accomplished.

However, when we have simple easy tasks ahead of us we not only tend to get them done, we may find ourselves gravitating towards them—enjoying the simplicity and validation of getting something done! 

So how can we shift into action—or engage others in action—towards big picture goals? Chunk them down into small, small, small steps each of which are easy to assign and/or accomplish. 

Not sure what the components for action are? Begin dumping (documenting) those few small steps that you know need to happen (i.e., ask John about ….; need cost analysis for…..; check budget numbers relating to…..; identify 3 individuals who might be able to help me with this project; etc.) 

Place some target dates on the small steps and watch your project or strategies come to life. The formula is simple: Chunk it down. Small steps are guaranteed to move you and your project forward.

Some organizations recognize the importance of reinforcing the value of work/life balance. However, it’s become such a necessity and an acceptable trend to work extreme hours to meet increasing demands with less people, that it seems we’re sometimes at a loss as to how to turn it around. Here are a just a few small-step leadership strategies you can take to minimize burnout and validate the importance of life and work balance in your organization during challenging times:

- Be cautious about contributing to an “everything is urgent” mentality. Work with your managers regularly to decipher the difference between true immediate priorities and negotiable demands.
- Ensure that your managers are well-coached on effective delegation and require that they consistently do so. Even when a team is lean, poor delegation could translate to untapped talent or bandwidth.
- Be a role model. Whenever possible, avoid sending requests or emails that carry a late night or weekend time/date. You may complete a request at midnight, but you may want to send it first thing in the morning.
- Avoid language and inferences that encourage and accept extreme hours as an acceptable norm in your organization.

Research tells us that Millennials—our future leaders who were born in the 80s and 90s—site well-being as a core value. Perhaps there’s hope for us after all.

When we find ourselves frustrated with a situation or an individual, it may help to ask ourselves what contribution we may be making to the very dynamic that’s causing our frustration.

Are we bringing negative energy or apprehension into a conversation or situation simply because we’re dreading or anticipating negative behavior or energy from the other person(s)? Are we failing to address concerns directly with the individuals we’re challenged by, and then wondering why they’re not aware of the impact of their own behaviors?

Of course our positive contributions to our successful relationships are just as meaningful. But either way, it may be helpful to remember that it takes two to tango.

Looking to experience the maximum return from your investment in a consultant or coach? Keep your external partners well informed. 

Team, departmental, or organizational events or situations that may have an impact on morale or business relationships serve as important information for your consultant or coach to consider when offering recommendations. Timely communication with your external partners offers them the real-time perspective and outlook that will help them best collaborate with, and help, you. 

Adding your personal commitment to the external relationship being a true collaboration will enhance its value to you, your employees, and your organization.

It goes without saying that we feel compassion for individuals who are laid off as part of a downsizing. We understand how unsettling it must feel, even if we’ve never experienced it personally—the shock, the rejection, the financial fears and insecurities.

But what about those individuals left behind? We may naturally understand the pressure of increased responsibilities due to the redistribution of work—along with the feelings of insecurity that downsizing must generate. But are we as sensitive as we need to be about the emotional impact downsizing has on those left behind?

Someone recently shared his feelings with me about the experience. He said that the shock of the news, and the absence of  his colleagues at their desks and in the halls, felt similar to experiencing their deaths, as the realization set in that he probably wouldn’t be seeing most of these people again. He experienced guilt for his being able to stay on as others were let go. And the distraction of it all caused a slow down in production and efficiencies which began to wear on his confidence and his own perception of his value. 

I thought this example may help us acknowledge and remember that the significant emotional impact of downsizing—on those left behind—deserves our compassion and understanding in order to successfully lead those remaining through change.