What is the professional identity others have assigned us and does it fit how we see ourselves and how we want to be seen?
Lingering identities are old identities that persist rather than adapt to how we are changing.
Our transitions can often be invisible to others unless we help others to see our changes, therefore meaning that we can become trapped by old perceptions of us.
Humans are habitual creatures and it can be difficult to shift what is known and comfortable – including beliefs and perceptions of others.
In this Harvard Business Review article, Darcy Eikenberg and Sarah Mann explore what we can do about this and provide three recommendations.
1. Identify the perception gap.
Gather information to understand how others would describe you and compare this to how you would describe yourself. 360 feedback is a great way to do this.
2. Align your actions.
Ensure that how you spend your time reflects who you want to be and not what you have been.
3. Don’t be shy with your stakeholders.
Have open conversations with stakeholders about your skills and ask them for recent examples of behaviours.
Our Inclusive Leader Assessment combines self-assessment with 360 feedback, enabling leaders to identify the perception gap in how they and others see them. When it comes to inclusion, this gap is often pretty vast. We then coach leaders to understand what they can do close this gap and translate the data into recommendations that are relevant to their everyday working lives.
To find out more contact us at enquiries@inclusiveleadershipcompany.com
You can read the full article here.
