I often discuss the concept that perceptions are unfortunately more important than intentions, and today, I wanted to discuss the impact of those perceptions. In an earlier blog post, I discussed how your inner intentions are not known to the outside world unless you make an outward gesture, and this is along that same concept. When it comes to your side of the story of theirs, (meaning someone else you are working with) the sad truth is that their side often matters more. Let me explain.
Have you ever told someone that you would meet a deadline, or send over the necessary information right away but got caught up in something else? It happens to the best of us, and things that are very important often come up, HOWEVER, to the person waiting on the other end for that information, this is extremely frustrating. In their eyes, you are just someone who hasn’t fulfilled a promise, or someone who is perpetually late. In that moment, while they are waiting and depending on you to continue the work that they need to get done, your side of the story does not matter, what matters to them is that you are slacking (or they perceive you to be slacking). Now we all know that there are emergencies or certain tasks take priority, however making a habit of this, or getting yourself into this sort of situation when you are first starting to work with someone can heavily tarnish your reputation, which we all know is not good for your career.
Do your best to keep others pleased, and they will (hopefully) return the favor. Remember all those group projects in school when you hated your other team mates for not coming through? This is an awful reality for a lot of people in the workforce, so trust me when I tell you that you do not want to be on their bad side! People are people, and we all understand that obligations come up, so if you do get stuck, make sure to communicate! Communicating and letting your work partner know that you need to take care of something else before getting their task done will almost always benefit you more than simply putting their ask off and sending your piece of work over late. Letting them know your intentions will enable them to focus on another aspect of work and alleviate them from waiting around while not knowing when you’re sending the info over.
You may be going through a lot, and I feel your pain, but when at work, how other people perceive your work ethic and time management is much more important (to them) than everything going on in your world. This can be a hard concept to grasp, but the sooner you do, the sooner you will be able to gain the respect and reputation you want in your career! When it comes down to your side of the story or theirs, remember that at work, it’s always theirs.