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Brain Circuits
Is negative self-perception harming your career?
Women are more likely than men to think that others have lower confidence in their abilities. Find out if this applies to you – and what you can do about it.
Do you correctly predict how others perceive you? Aligning meta-perceptions to reality is important because it can impact our behavior. For example, if I think I have what it takes to occupy the CEO’s office, but I doubt the decision-makers would see it that way, I may assume it’s futile to apply in the first place. This kind of negative meta-perception becomes a self-limiting behavior.
Ask yourself about these three common, self-limiting behaviors and see if you can correct them.
1. Do you make your achievements at work known to others?
If not…
Take credit for your achievements
Don’t presume that others will invest the cognitive effort to analyze individual contributions as they happen. If you achieved something positive, something beneficial, claim credit for it, especially if you are someone who assumes blame when things go wrong. Don’t deflect credit to external factors or others and own your hard-won achievements.
2. If you think you deserve a raise, would you ask for it? Similarly, if there’s a coveted job opening at work and you are not explicitly asked to apply, would you still submit an application?
If not…
Ask for what you want – and negotiate
Some people are reluctant to overtly negotiate or ask for a raise or promotion. Not asking might be interpreted as a lack of ambition and puts you at a disadvantage.
3. In a first meeting with a group of important people, do you tend to stay quiet to avoid wasting anyone’s time or making an embarrassing mistake?
If so…
Speak up to introduce others to your competence
In a first meeting, speaking up and taking initiative are seen as “competence cues,” signaling leadership potential, since those behaviors are associated with proactivity. The cues can include speaking up to make a point, summarizing data, or just asking a question that stimulates conversation. Being proactive at the beginning of a group’s life is essential since status is ascribed early and group members who initially achieve high status are likely to retain it. Remember this next time you are tempted to keep quiet during a meeting.
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Further reading:
Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
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