Breaking Free from Outdated Perceptions: How to Ensure Your Colleagues and Managers Recognize Your Full Potential

Outdated perceptions can limit our potential and prevent us from reaching our goals. Communicating our achievements and growth to our colleagues and managers is essential to make sure they recognize our true capabilities. - Unknown

Kyle has been a controls engineer at an automation company for several years. When he first joined the company, he was fresh out of college and had limited experience in the field. His colleagues and managers at that time formed an impression of him as a junior engineer with limited skills and knowledge.

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After a few years on the job, Kyle gained extensive experience and expertise as a field engineer. He took on complex projects, implemented innovative solutions, and received recognition for his work. However, Kyle's colleagues and managers still saw him as a junior engineer who needed more skills and experience to take on even more challenging projects.

Kyle was suffering from others' outdated perceptions of him. He was still considered "the kid" and not taken seriously regarding his advancing knowledge and abilities. Kyle was not allowed to work on higher-profile projects or take on leadership roles within the company. His colleagues and managers needed to recognize his full potential, and he felt frustrated and undervalued after they did not.

Eventually, Kyle resigned from his position to accept a new one at another company where he had no prior history, and his new managers and coworkers had no pre-formed opinions of him. Instead, he was looked up to and respected by all as a highly experienced and very competent engineer.

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Change Perceptions or Change Jobs

When your colleagues perceive you as outdated, they have an old or inaccurate understanding of who you are, what you do, and how you work. This perception may have been formed long ago and may reflect something other than your current skills, knowledge, or accomplishments.

Outdated perceptions can limit and prevent you from reaching your full potential, as your colleagues may need to recognize your abilities or value. It's very important to communicate with your colleagues to update their perception of you and ensure they understand your capabilities and contributions accurately.

Instead of leaving his old employer, Kyle could have scheduled a meeting with his colleagues and managers to discuss his achievements, skills, and aspirations. He could have shared examples of his successful projects and explained how he had grown and developed over the years. By updating their perception of him, Kyle could have gained the recognition, opportunities, and respect he deserves.

Readers' Question: How can I update my colleague's and managers' perceptions of me without appearing boastful or arrogant?

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My Recent Interview on "Engineering Success" (Click)

Marc LeVine is a Syracuse (NY) University graduate with a degree in Industrial Psychology; Marc is currently a Talent Acquisitions Manager at Thermo Systems. He received the Excellence in Talent Acquisitions Award from HR Awards in 2021.

Marc's prior employment includes senior Human Resources and Staffing Industry management roles with Edgewood Properties in Piscataway, NJ; Brickforce Staffing in Edison, NJ; InfoPro Inc. in Woodbridge, NJ and Plainsboro, NJ; and Harvard Industries in Farmingdale, NJ; a former Fortune 500 company. He also served as Director of Human Resources for New Jersey Press, the parent company of the Asbury Park Press, Home News and Tribune, and WKXW-NJ101.5. Earlier in his career, Marc served as Director of Career Services and Placement at Union Technical Institute in Eatontown and Neptune, NJ. In addition, Marc owned and operated Integrity Consulting Associates, a New Jersey-based Human Resources and Social Media Marketing firm, for 11 years. Marc also served as Council President in his Freehold Borough, NJ hometown.