E D I T O R ’ S L E T T E R

Are You Managing Perception?

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T
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he definition of leadership, ..
.. at the Center for Creative Leadership, ..
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I can personally attest to the benefits
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according to the Center for ..
.. the Leadership Development Model ..
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of perception management. The civil
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Creative Leadership, located ..
.. was presented. This model uses a pro- ..
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and environmental engineering
.. ..
in Greensboro, North Carolina, is as ..
.. cess called assessment, challenge, and ..
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department at the University of Wis-
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follows: “Leadership development is ..
.. support (ACS). In the assessment phase ..
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consin at Madison was awarded,
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the expansion of a person's capacity to ..
.. you seek feedback from others. You ..
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through the U.S. Department of
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be effective in leadership roles and pro- ..
.. look for people who are able to observe ..
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Transportation (DOT), a University
.. ..
cesses. Leadership roles and processes ..
.. your behavior and have an interest in ..
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Transportation Center. This center is
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are those that enable groups of people ..
.. your effectiveness, people who are able ..
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designed to work with the state
.. ..
to work together in productive and ..
.. to speak to you directly, honestly, and ..
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Department of Transportation in
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meaningful ways.” ..
.. specifically. Once you have received ..
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region 5 of the U.S. DOT, which
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We are all leaders to one degree or ..
.. feedback, it is important to take time ..
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includes the states of Wisconsin, Min-
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another. What sets great leaders apart ..
.. to reflect on your experiences and eval- ..
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nesota, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, and
.. ..
is their ability to manage perceptions. ..
.. uate the content of what was shared. ..
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Indiana.
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What people observe or assess as your ..
.. During the challenge stage, we are ..
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Challenges, obstacles, and barriers
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ability to be a leader and your effective- ..
.. reminded that challenging experiences ..
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were shared. By meeting with repre-
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ness becomes their perception, which ..
.. stretch us and foster the development ..
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sentatives from several other state
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in turn becomes reality. Perceptions ..
.. of new abilities. They force us to move ..
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DOTs, we learned that many states are
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that are not managed become rumors, ..
.. out of our comfort zone and help us ..
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of the opinion that universities are not
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then gossip, then backbiting, which ..
.. acquire skills and abilities that may ..
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interested in the needs of the state.
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leads to destruction. Unmanaged per- ..
.. have seemed beyond our current ..
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They feel that engineering schools in
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ceptions become a reality that was not ..
.. reality. ..
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particular are narrowly focused upon
.. ..
intended. ..
.. Mechanisms that provide a sup- ..
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technical problems and are not con-
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Perception management requires ..
.. portive environment include encour- ..
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cerned with the broader issues that
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asking questions and getting feedback ..
.. agement, advice, growth, and ..
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state DOTs must deal with, such as
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from others. Most leaders typically do ..
.. acceptance. These help create an atmo- ..
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social and policy issues. This knowl-
.. ..
not receive feedback very often and, in ..
.. sphere in which learning and growing ..
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edge has enabled us to focus our energy
.. ..
many cases, when given it is usually ..
.. are valued. They open people up to ..
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on overcoming these perceptions based
.. ..
not in the most constructive manner. ..
.. new learning possibilities and enable ..
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upon the direct feedback we received.
.. ..
However, effective feedback provides ..
.. them to handle the challenges of ..
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Perception management is hard
.. ..
information that lets you know how ..
.. development. ..
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work; however, we can all grow and
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you are doing. It involves giving and ..
.. It is critical to maintain positive ..
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develop individually and as leaders as
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receiving, reinforces the changes you ..
.. viewpoints and the motivation to .
..
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we work at giving and receiving feed-
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are making, and encourages you to ..
.. develop. The three areas combined ..
..
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back. The Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu
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continue. It is balanced and positive as ..
.. (assessment plus challenge plus sup- ..
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said, "Knowing others is wisdom,
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well as constructive and corrective. It ..
.. port) add up to growth and develop- ..
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knowing yourself is enlightenment."
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assumes that everyone is not out to get ..
.. ment. The goal of the ACS process is to ..
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As leaders we need to go beyond
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you. It recognizes that each person is ..
.. allow people to focus their attention ..
..
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knowing others, we need to under-
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doing his or her best and that although ..
.. and efforts on learning. ..
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stand our own strengths and weak-
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each of us is unique, we all have a great ..
.. The benefit of receiving feedback is ..
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nesses. This enlightenment will
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deal in common. ..
.. an increased understanding of our own ..
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expand self-knowledge and enhance
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Most of us know that we need feed- ..
.. strengths and weaknesses, and we are ..
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our self-confidence, which will enable
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back but are unsure how to get it or use ..
.. able to confer this benefit on others by ..
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us to work more effectively as leaders.
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it. While attending a weeklong course ..
.. giving feedback. ..
.. —JEFFREY S. RUSSELL

A P R I L 2 0 0 1 2 L ea d ersh i p a n d M a n a g em en t i n E n g i n eeri n g