Nielsen: The Perception of Your Behavior

We are in a study of Marshall Goldsmith’s excellent book, What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful.  The book is relevant to all healthcare executives who desire even greater success in the future.

As Goldsmith points out, it’s not that successful people don’t know who they are, where they are going, what they want to achieve, or lack self-worth.  “What’s wrong is that they have no idea how their behavior is coming across to the people who matter – their bosses, colleagues, subordinates, customers, and clients.”

After having coached hundreds of senior executives on a one-on-one basis, from the largest corporations around the world, Goldsmith writes the following regarding many of these highly successful senior executives:

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  • They think they have all the answers, but others see it as arrogance.
  • They think they’re contributing to a situation with helpful comments, but others see it as butting in.
  • They think they’re delegating effectively, but others see it as shirking responsibilities.
  • They think they’re holding their tongue, but others see it as unresponsiveness.
  • They think they’re letting people think for themselves, but others see it as ignoring them.

 

Goldsmith answers the question as to why this happens to such successful people.  “More often than not, it’s because people’s inner compass of correct behavior has gone out of whack – and they become clueless about their position among their coworkers.”

Closely examine your behavior and the honest feedback of all people with whom you work and live.  Even though not intentional on your part, do people see and perceive some of your behavior as arrogance, butting in, shirking responsibilities, unresponsiveness and ignoring them?  

Never forget, a person’s perception is their reality!  If they see it and perceive it to be so, it is reality to them!

What Got You Here Won’t Get You There!  And, the appropriate and necessary changes are up to you.  Once again, one of my favorite quotations is in order, “If it’s to be, it’s up to me.”  And so it is with you.

More on What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful next week.  Join the journey.

Copyright © 2011 by Dan Nielsen

Founder, National Institute for Healthcare Leadership  www.nihccl.com   

Cell 214-695-1292