Lets look at both...
Perception is Reality
Quite simply put this is the process where the first impression of something is what is reality to the beholder. That "something" can be, amongst many things:
- an employer
- a company
- a product
- a person
Reality is Perception
This is not in my minds eye like the opposite, i.e. perceptions are not necessarily real even though they create that reality. This though is the most dangerous since in the opinion of the person who has this mindset it is not a perception, it is FACT!
Like my other blogs, before and after this one, what is the moral of this story? First it is amazing to me how so many companies and CEO's/C-Level folks are able to utter the words and thoughts and process of "walk the walk" yet all their most public actions are that they are simply very good at "talking the talk". Take for an example how the CEO of company XXXXXX continually touts having an "open door policy", etc., blah, blah, blah. By attempting to endear himself to the employees he created the perception that he will work with them, experience their wins and failures, pain and joy. Of course the employees eat this up. Where this reverses is when things are not so good and the REAL reality comes to light; the CEO is better than the employees. Did he take a pay cut when employees were laid off? Nope. The cascade has started and stopping it will be extremely difficult, maybe impossible. As employees become disgruntled and worried about their jobs they realize it is not a team effort and thus begin actively looking for new jobs in anticipation of being laid off and/or not being fulfilled on top of disillusionment in upper management. Keep it up and another round of layoffs will not be necessary, they will have already moved on to another employer and in the process will spread the "reality" of company XXXXX with others. Competing companies love this and it tells them very clearly what NOT to do in order to have happy employees!
The moral is: If you cannot "walk the walk" then DO NOT "talk the talk". Doing so is a self fulfilling prophecy waiting to happen, and the prophecy is not a rosy one. Remember, people are more upset about not knowing the truth than they are being lied to. Kind of hard to ask employees to make a sacrifice when they see upper management living it up...
What else should managers do or not do?
- Be gracious and sincere to all employees. They can see through insincerity in a heartbeat. If they do not think you care then why should they?
- Show gratitude; Remember the old Texas saying - "Remember who brung you to the dance"
- Listen to everyone and take no negative action against those who disagree with you. Caveats apply in some instances of course.
- Don't be self serving, if you created something fine, take credit for it. Otherwise spread the credit to the team, you will lift the company as a whole by taking care of those below in the management chain and in the process will find that creativity will blossom since employees will know that their efforts will be recognized.
- Crap does flow uphill! While some things are not within your control the buck ends with the CEO and regardless of the cause of a problem it is the top that must manage the course correction.
- Remember your place; employees are not your children
- VC funded? Have outside shareholders? Simple, remember it is not YOUR money! Keep balance and remember they want a return
- Listen to the professional research organizations such as IDC and Gartner but do not take their predictions as the rule
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