Improving self image

The difference between these terms is explained by the observation that people do not buy chocolate truffles in torn wrappers. An exception is possible only if the buyer is hungry, or the candy is sold at a big discount.

Everyone will probably admit that you are doing a good job, but something is wrong with the wrapper. You are strange, with quirks. Or, it happens, laugh out of place. Or quarrelsome - "negative energy." That is, you have a good professional reputation, and, of course, you are essentially a truffle, but your wrapper is damaged.

The cost of promoting a product is often 70% of its value. Of these, a significant part goes to maintaining that very image. In other words, the cost of inventing and creating products is 30-40% of their total cost. Why should it be any different for a product called "labor"?

If we generally agree with this logic, the reputation of a professional is not the main thing in success.

Admit it, how much time do you spend on the growth of professional training compared to working on the image? Many times more, right? Then another question: what image do you have now and what, in your opinion, should it be? People rarely ask themselves the first question, because they believe that others think of them in the same way that they think of themselves, which, as a rule, is not true. But even if asked, it is difficult to get an answer to it. The easiest way is to ask people around, but it also largely depends on their benevolent attitude towards you.

In general, understanding how you look in the eyes of others is not an easy task. But you need it! So look for a way.

But even if you haven't yet grasped this important point, you still need to work on it. And one of the first rules for improving the image is

In 2008, we had the opportunity to watch on TV the behavior of top executives of companies who started to have problems. Particularly expressive seemed Lloyd Blankfein, head of the American of Bank Goldman Sachs, and Tony Hayward, head of the British oil company BP. Both were under extreme stress, but Goldman did not look depressed.

It's hard to say what impact the image had on their careers at that time, but for the average person at the moment of failure, a show of confidence and benevolence is decisive: no one wants to have or hold in their hands a damaged product, and this is how a person with a spoiled mood is perceived.

Think critically about the text of your e-mails and guess how the recipient might read them. The use of words with double meanings can provoke conflict or confusion. Your posts represent you and help build your image. Make sure that the letter sounds polite and demonstrates the qualities of you that you are going to convey to people.

Don't assume that someone remembers them or rightly attributes them to you.

For example, it was not Columbus who created a legend about himself, but Amerigo Vespucci: he put his name under the maps and actually introduced himself as the discoverer, because, in the absence of the Internet, contemporaries decided that he was the discoverer of outlandish lands. He died rich and famous, while Columbus died poor and much less known to his contemporaries. So remember Golda Meir's advice: "Don't be so humble: you're not that great."

Figure out how to compose an interesting message, emphasizing your advantages.

When you argue, you must remember the words of the American politician Daniel Moynihan: "You are entitled to your own opinion, but not to your own facts." People notice and appreciate that you do not distort the truth in order to defend your point of view. The expectation that you will act honestly in difficult situations is an important trait that opens up many opportunities.

How to control external factors

Above we talked about meaningful work on your image. But that's only half the story. The other half is controlling the influence of others on your image.

Difficult situations at work often resemble advanced versions of the game of “broken phone” that you have probably ever watched with a laugh.

"Broken Phone" is ubiquitous. To avoid this effect, double-check how your potential critics (that is, everyone involved in the project) understand what you said.

Given this effect, your ideas must be stated simply and read unambiguously, otherwise they will be distorted.

If someone starts to criticize your ideas, which he heard in someone else's presentation, ask him to repeat what exactly, in his opinion, you said and in what context.

Most likely, it will turn out that the thought is distorted.

In addition to controlling attempts to actively and passively distort your words, efforts should be made not to get into situations that end badly, even if it is not your fault. And you need to do this constantly.

For example, after reviewing a failed situation in which it was not your fault, you should tell everyone that your fault was not found, and not rely on the correct presentation of information by third parties. You have to “cleanse” the minds of others from distorted ideas about you and your ideas. But this should not be done spontaneously, not immediately after the discovery of a distortion, but at a convenient moment after some time.

Being 5% wrong means being 50% guilty.

This rule is contrary to any idea of ​​justice, and therefore is perceived extremely painfully. Recall one of the investigations into organizational failure. Usually these "exercises" are officially called "analysis of how to avoid similar problems in the future", but often they turn into a witch hunt. Reports rarely note who was right. But initially they suspect that everyone was to some extent to blame!

This idea seems simple until you find yourself in a situation where, for example, you were deceived, and the only way out is to share it with an impudent person, otherwise things will not go forward, and you will be blamed along with him for the disruption, even partially listening to your arguments.

Try to understand this situation: you have been deceived, but not by someone, but by a member of your own team, so the whole team risks not reaching the finish line. Others see that your partner is to blame in general, but the team didn’t come! This is how you become an accomplice to failure. And point!

You will immediately point your finger at him, of course, and the boss will say something like this: “Learn to compromise,” “You are out of luck,” “You are always right, and everyone is wrong,” or “You turn people against you, so around you they do stupid things. ” That is, the partner is to blame, but the task is frustrated with your participation. It turns out that you are also dirty ...

That's why, even if you have emails confirming that you are not guilty, someone will find words in them that will cast doubt on your alibi. And even without this, you can be accused of inaccuracies. That is, there is always a way to write off 5% of the blame on you, but because of them you will be on the list of the guilty.

Since such reports most often do not mention the proportion of guilt, and the management of only knows that you are also at fault. This kind of social cruelty, where lack of guilt is mixed with actual guilt, is one of the main reasons why it is better to find a mediocre solution to the conflict than to later explain that you did everything possible to avoid failure, and thereby tarnish your image.

Do not forget how important openness is

In the memoirs of Schellenberg, head of foreign intelligence of Nazi Germany, there is the following episode. Soviet experts, invited to the exhibition of the latest weapons of the Reich, were not particularly interested in the latest developments in German tank building. Because of their sluggish reaction, the Nazi intelligence officers watching them concluded that the USSR had better developments. They were not mistaken: in the USSR, the beginning of production of the T-34, the best tank of the Second World War, was on its way.

In their careers, many seek to develop an image of an "open person", seeking promotion, someone's love or respect.

There are also those who think that by demonstrating their friendliness at a certain moment, they thereby neutralize some misdeeds. Some believe in the generally accepted advice that in order to be successful, you must constantly be "yourself" - both on and off the workplace. Therefore, while the military hide their secret developments with all their might, at the same time trying to unravel the plans of the enemy by hints, in the career field people are striving with might and main to show their “true self”.

Is it right to fully reveal one's essence in order to seem "one's own" or "principled"? The beginning of the chapter suggests the answer. However, this “no” is forgotten when a sudden desire for recognition or regret arises.

"Seductive" situations often develop at trainings or corporate games when people are relaxed. Behavior in such situations has a disproportionate effect on the image, as the participants themselves raise their visor, expecting to see the naked soul of others. And perhaps because of this, expectations draw more important conclusions from observations than the situation really allows.

In all circumstances, try to maintain the image in which you want to be remembered.

For example, in coaching scenario , you have the role of violating some order . You instantly got used to the image and came up with ten ways to avoid responsibility for a misconduct. At the same time, you wanted to show your ingenuity or ability to transform, entertain others and earn praise. As a result, you received praise, and everyone discovered an actor in you ... However, now everyone is convinced that you are capable of duplicity and concealment of facts!

Alternatively: As part of a self-flagellation exercise, your boss asked you to say what you think about him.

And Ostap suffered. But the five-minute openness is over, and then you will live with your boss for the rest of your life.

In other words, at the moment when everyone expects others to be open, it's time to enter into the image of the "ideal hero" and surprise with your integrity, devotion to corporate values, and so on, and not get drunk, care for colleagues of the opposite sex and telling vulgar jokes in order to present themselves in the form of a "shirt-guy".

To improve the image, avoid conflicts

The epigraph to this chapter can serve as a folk advice on this topic: "if you see a drunk - move away, if you see a fight - go around. "

Straightforwardness as a means of achieving goals in our time is valued only in a peaceful context.

Those who resort to "military" actions run the risk of being perceived as quarrelsome or undiplomatic people. Then even after achieving the goal of a particular project, they are removed from success.

Recall that our perception of our own actions can differ sharply from the perception of the same thing by others because, in particular, your views may "offend" the ideas of others.

In some cases, people achieve success by being principled and, from their point of view, "knights", but more often they find that, despite their best efforts to lay railroad tracks into a new future, achievements are attributed to other employees or the team as a whole . And when management, often not privy to all the details, notes that these "knights" annoy the "community", they are paid less for the most important achievements for the organization.

Tactics of someone who achieves goals while remaining pleasant for cooperation

uncompromising position. This rule means that you should not assume that everything will happen according to your scenario, since your partner or opponent may expect the same from their side.

Following this logic, it is better to avoid conflict situations and look for a compromise, even giving up part of what you are personally due - your "half-chunk".

As already mentioned, in the world of constant quality control of teamwork, in tactical terms, it is better to ignore the unprofessionalism or insufficient level of responsibility of the partner and give in to something than to run into a joint failure.

Put yourself in the place of someone whose functions may put him in an uncomfortable position, or ask your partner to put himself in your place.

The recommendation to put yourself in the place of others is crucial in understanding that you will feel like you are in someone else's shoes. The effect of different sensations from one situation is most often reduced with the help, as already mentioned, of direct communication. A simple conversation with others about how they understand a common task clearly shows the difference in perception of the problem, and not the lack of desire to cooperate.

There are people who don't show hostility towards you personally, but are at enmity with your friends. In such situations, you should not succumb to the emotions of friends, but you need to maintain your image as a mature person who knows how to maintain smooth relationships.

To build an image, you have to make a lot of concessions. But it is important not to perceive them as losses, but to remember why you are doing them.

Stalin did this when he gained power over the more popular Trotsky because Trotsky divided those around him into those who were “for” and “against” him. Acting on the principle "who is not with me, he is against me," he amassed much more opponents than Stalin, who in the early stages "fought" only with direct rivals. One of the key reasons for Trotsky's loss in the political struggle was excessive demands on the loyalty of those around him.

If conflicts do break out, don't fight on two fronts. When delays in work or the mistakes of others are repeated or accumulated, your "internal fuse" can fail, and the accumulated irritation can develop into a conflict with several people at the same time. If this happens, at best there will be no one who will reconcile you with the antagonist; at worst, your enemies will unite against you.

In this case, even if your arguments are justified, you will create an image of a neurotic. “Something happened to him,” people will say, forgetting to mention the essence of the problem. There will be no one to explain the episode to you, because everyone will be against you, and the leadership will announce to you that “everyone cannot be wrong at the same time, you are probably the cause of the problem.” Do you need such an image?

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Improving the image of Russia: the task is impossible?

• Yuri Vendik
• BBC Russian Service

April 14, 2015

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The author of the photo, RIA Novosti

Russia's image abroad now depends little on how state propagandists portray it

After the events in Ukraine, it is impossible to improve Russia's image abroad Russia has one independent journalist. The rest of the participants in the discussion, who work for the state, felt that everything was not so bad.

"The set task of creating a positive image of Russia abroad is impossible. How can one speak of creating a positive image in the West if a priori one sees the West as an enemy?" - Nabi Abdullayev, editor-in-chief of the independent newspaper The Moscow Times, told the participants of the round table held on Tuesday "The role of the media in shaping a positive image of Russia abroad".

"Before Ukraine, this doublethink was still possible, but now it is impossible," Abdullayev added.

"Solving impossible tasks ensures immortality for those who try to do it," Igor Girenko, senior adviser to the press service of the Russian Foreign Ministry, objected to Abdullaev with a smile.

According to Girenko, now the image of Russia in the world has both negative and positive aspects.

The phenomenon of "ordinary workers"

Professor of Moscow State University Elena Shestopal explained to those gathered in the library of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry that ordinary people in the West actually feel good about Russia.

"Ordinary citizens, despite being brainwashed, are sympathetic towards Russia. At the level of ordinary citizens, everything is not bad with us," said the head of the department of sociology and psychology at Moscow State University, referring to her conversation with a certain British conservative politician, who is "even closer to Faraj than to the prime minister" and who told Shestopal about the mood of "ordinary Britons".

In addition, Dr. Shestopal believes that the proof of a good attitude towards Russia is that Western scientists and experts communicate with their Russian colleagues in a friendly and correct way.

The Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry brought together speakers who are directly or indirectly connected with the state for its round. But many of them included constructive criticism in their speeches.

According to Andrey Ponikarov, who publishes the investor guide Invest in Russia, Russia's image in the West is badly affected by the fact that it is being promoted by the state media.

"One phrase is enough for a foreigner to turn his back on them: who are they financed by? The state? Everything is 'Kremlin propaganda,'" Ponikarov said.

The peculiarity of independence

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"We need to develop independent media in the first place. In particular, the All-Russian Popular Front has already taken up this," he said.

The deputy general director of one of these state media outlets, Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Yevgeny Abov, spoke, in particular, about the "monstrous lack of professionalism" of the press services of various authorities.

According to Abov, he and his colleagues studied, for example, 143 sites of regional administrations - and only 42 of them have an English version. And for some - such that it would not be better.

Abov cited as an example the site of the head of the administration of Kalmykia, where only the cap is translated into monstrous English using Google translator, and below the news is repeated again in Russian, and they all begin with the words "Head of Kalmykia."

"This is not just money thrown to the wind, this is money that works against it. They create rejection," Abov complained.

In recent years, Russia has been trying to catch up with the leading countries in improving its own image abroad using the so-called.

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