When it comes to how you’re judged at work, you might think that the quality of your work is all that matters. But human perceptions are a lot more complicated than that, and you might be sending signals that you are unaware of.
Here are some signals you may be inadvertently sending about yourself at work , and most importantly, how your boss and co-workers might read them.
1. The peers you hang out with
No matter how good your work is, if you’re always hanging around co-workers who only do the bare minimum, have a whine about everything or don’t get along well with others or their managers, you’re likely to be perceived as sharing those same traits – even if you don’t!
Likewise, if you spend time with the office’s high achievers, you’re likely to be perceived as having a similar work ethic and values (and those things can rub off on you in reality too).
2. Clock watching and the time you leave each day
If you watch the clock and leave every day right on 5 p.m. or start to pack up around 4.30pm, prepare to be seen as someone not especially committed , and only applying the bare minimum effort in what’s absolutely required. This perception can impact on you when it’s time for raises or promotions. On the other hand, if you always stay hours longer than everyone else, you might be seen as committed – which is a double-edged sword as you might seen instead as someone struggling to handle her workload. Better than each of these is a more balanced approach – not running out the door at the stroke of 5 each day, but leaving around the same time most other people do. Oh and don’t forget to early arrivals at work!! Those who are consistently late are ones that DO get the wrong sort of attention!
3. How you dress
“Dress for the job you want, not the job you have” is an old saying for a reason. You might get away with wearing jeans and ratty shirts in your role, but if the people above you look more professional, you’ll increase your prospects by wearing more corporate style clothes. Fairly or not, people have an easier time picturing you managing others, doing higher-profile work and dealing with clients when you look polished and well put together. General rule – the less flesh the better!
Rather than thinking of the dress code as telling you the minimum you can get away with, think of your work clothes as telling other people how you’d like to be perceived.
4. Your behaviour in meetings
If you sit silently in meetings without participating, you’re signaling that you don’t have much to contribute, or that you don’t care enough to contribute. Even worse, if you spend most of the time checking texts on your phone or reading sports scores, you signal that you’re disengaged! And maybe don’t care! So try to participate if you can – at an absolute minimum, make sure you look interested.
5. The state of your office space
If your office is bereft of anything – Spartan with no photos, no décor, no evidence that someone works there – you might signal that you’re just passing through, that you’ll be on your way as soon as you find something better. Bring in an art print for the wall, and it will make a difference in how people see you. On the other hand, don’t go nuts and reveal way too much about yourself: If every surface is draped with photos, art and teddy bears etc, you’ll appear too flippant and not really interested on work. Avoid the messy office, which can make you look disorganized and frivolous.
Ivana Agapiou
Eather Recruitment Pty Ltd