Use Your Imagination
I am going to ask you to use your imagination to conjure up some mental pictures. We can use them to make some valid points about management techniques.
Picture in your mind an airline pilot. Do you now have an image in your head? Describe him. How does he dress? Is his hair in a particular style? Does he wear a moustache or beard? Think about his uniform. Does he wear epaulets? Now, having created your mental picture, would it be fair to say that all airline pilots tend to look extremely similar? If so why is this?
Hold that thought for a while.
Now imagine a tramp, hobo or drunk lying half awake on a park bench.
Now answer this question. If he were to apply for a career as an airline pilot, would he get the job?
I suspect your answer is no. If this is the case I would now like you to consider why this is.
There is certainly an element of feeling comfortable about how the pilot appears. Most people would prefer to be in total control of their life. Unless you are a trained pilot you will need to relinquish control to some other person and obviously you would prefer that person to be totally reliable and dependable. Certainly not someone that might fall asleep at the controls.
Going back to your mental image of the typical airline pilot – a pilot wears a uniform to indicate he is adequately trained. This badge of office is the epaulet. Gold braid suggests quality. Numerous bars of gold braid indicate rank and experience.
It is hard to imagine the tramp, hobo or drunk making the transformation from Mr Unreliable to immaculate master of the skies. Our opinion of him is heavily coloured by his appearance.
Think about this for a moment. Who would you describe as your best friend? Picture that person now. Now answer this simple question: does your best friend like you?
This seems a blatantly obvious statement, yet it clarifies an important point in human behaviour. We tend to like people that like us. This same rule applies in the work environment. If your employees think you like them, they will like you.
If someone were to tell you that your best friend has been saying unpleasant things about you, then you will quickly begin to question how much you really like your so-called best friend.
Depending on the nature of the information you receive, you may relegate the person from best friend to just friend. If you are particularly low after hearing the comments supposedly said you could go so far as to drop your one time best friend to that of acquaintance.
Think back to the time when you last looked at a group photograph in which you appeared.
Perhaps a photograph taken showing a class you were in at school or university. Who was the first person you look for when initially viewing the picture? I would be surprised if you came up with a name other than your own. Of course you are extremely interested in yourself. We usually love ourselves. If we didn’t do so who would?
Unless our self-love becomes excessive it is perfectly normal. Narcissus was a mystical youth that was in love with his own image when seen reflected in water. To be deemed to be a narcissistic person you are generally considered to be uncaring towards other people and their feelings or needs. Such people tend to favour a ‘me first’ philosophy to the total exclusion of all others. I suspect you do care about others and enjoy the company of a partner or spouse.
Next time you are out and about town take particular attention of young teenage couples. Notice whether they dress in a similar way. Do they have similar physical features?
You will find that very often they do look alike in dress and appearance. You could be forgiven for thinking that they could be mistaken for brother or sister. The only way to be sure that they are not is to see if they are holding hands. Anyone who has teenage children will know from experience that it is impossible to get them to hold hands in public!
I remember my daughter taking her first educational holiday organised by the school. It also happened to be the first holiday without other members of her family.
She telephoned home so excitedly to tell everyone she arrived at the destination, the sun was shining and she was looking forward to a welcome break. After she had spoken to her mother and I, the telephone was passed to her brother who was then in his early teens.
He was at the time in his life where he was reluctant to speak with his sister if at all possible. I insisted he do so in the hope that he might say something nice, like he was missing her. He grudgingly grabbed the telephone to tell his sister, ‘I never knew you had so many interesting girly things hidden in your bedroom’.
Thankfully this awkward stage of adolescence does eventually pass and males acquire a more acceptable relationship and interest in the opposite sex.
People’s interest in potential partners is a fascinating area.
Have you ever considered what attracted you to your partner? Often we will choose a partner or spouse that looks a little like us. I do not mean that my wife wears a beard but that she had similar characteristics to me, which determined my initial interest.
In the United Kingdom teenagers tend to socialise in public bars. Men congregate together, often standing around in small groups and drink beer. Women also tend to socialise in the company of other women.
When I first met my wife it was in a pub in London. She was standing some distance from me chatting to other women. My initial attraction was to her physical appearance. Her nose looked familiar. No wonder, as it was similar to mine.
After the initial introduction pleasantries we then start looking for other similar characteristics. Is the person from a similar social background to me? Are they of a similar intellect, educational level, etc?
Square Pegs and Round Holes
So, in the above section we have run through a wide range of common sorts of behaviour. Now let’s transfer some of what we have been imagining and examining to the workplace. We need to see how the things we subconsciously make assessments on can affect the way we reach decisions and assessments concerning those around us.
It is obviously important to use mainly objective testing against relevant standards when attempting to assess a job applicant’s suitability. How often, in your experience has appearance been part of the criteria used? In its place, as part of an objective recruitment process, appearance has a role to play. Regrettably, I have known recruiters who place an over-emphasis on this aspect and let their personal prejudices skew their assessment of the candidate. It is one thing to have a requirement for a smart, sensible dress code, and quite another to be, for example, totally against all men who wear moustaches, or ladies with white handbags.
Have you ever considered why you were hired for your job? Spend a little time now and think about it.
Unfortunately, on many occasions candidates for a job are selected as they walk through the door of the interview room. As they enter, the interviewer thinks to himself, ‘this is the right person for the job.’ They then waste the next 30 to 45 minutes attempting to find evidence that will justify what was little more than a gut feeling.
Successful managers put some thought into the recruitment process and will understand the need for objectivity in making an assessment.
Let us assume that you have been tasked with finding a replacement for a receptionist who is leaving. Take a few moments at this point to consider what skills and abilities are necessary in the replacement.
You might be thinking along the lines of polite, friendly, reliable, good telephone manner, copes under pressure, works well with others, etc. I am sure you could come up with a much longer list if you spent longer on this.
Of course the one thing managers often lack is time itself. That is why good managers often delegate such tasks to others, who may in fact be better placed to decide the criteria needed.
Let me ask you another question. Whom do you consider to be best placed to list the skills and abilities that are necessary for the job of receptionist?
In many cases, the answer is another receptionist! After all, who knows most about the demands and requirements of the job?
A good manager may well ask employees to list what they consider to be the qualities and skills required for the job that they hold. If you do this as part of an annual assessment program, you will develop a useful insight into how each person sees their job. Naturally, you will need to review the information and adjust it as necessary in the light of your viewpoint as a manager. You may be aware of aspects of the job that you wish to develop in future, for example. If you can put together such a list, you will also have an interview aid that will assist you in checking whether a candidate has the necessary qualities to perform the job.
