Leadership & Management Reading for Lesson 12: The Power of Perception

Lesson 12 Reading Objectives 1. The student will comprehend the effect of the following on leadership situations: a. Perception a. Perception b. Perceptual biases b. Perceptual biases c. Errors c. Errors

Lesson 12 Reading Objectives 2. The student will comprehend and apply the following concepts: a. Attribution a. Attribution b. Fundamental Attribution Error b. Fundamental Attribution Error c. Perceptual Set c. Perceptual Set d. Self-Serving Bias d. Self-Serving Bias e. Actor/Observer Difference e. Actor/Observer Difference f. Self-Fulfilling Prophecy f. Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Lesson 12 Discussion Objectives 1. The student will comprehend the effect of the following on leadership situations: a. Perception a. Perception b. Perceptual Biases b. Perceptual Biases c. Errors c. Errors

Lesson 12 Discussion Objectives 2. The student will comprehend and apply the following concepts: a. Attribution a. Attribution b. Fundamental Attribution Error b. Fundamental Attribution Error c. Perceptual Set c. Perceptual Set d. Self-Serving Bias d. Self-Serving Bias e. Actor/Observer Difference e. Actor/Observer Difference f. Self-Fulfilling Prophecy f. Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Perception & Observation FINISHED FILES ARE THE RESULT OF YEARS OF SCIENTIFIC STUDY COMBINED WITH THE EXPERIENCE OF MANY YEARS.

Perception & Observation (Cont.) F INISHED F ILES ARE THE RESULT O F YEARS F SCIENTI F IC STUDY O F YEARS O F SCIENTI F IC STUDY COMBINED WITH THE EXPERIENCE O F MANY YEARS.

Stroop Test  Demonstrates brain’s emphasis toward pre-conceived ideas versus true observation.  Demonstrates “conditioned” response and association.  Read the following words as quickly as possible…then the following slide.

Stroop Test (Cont.) Green Red Blue Yellow Blue Yellow

Stroop Test (Cont.) Green Red Blue Yellow Blue Yellow

Stroop Test (Cont.) Blue Yellow Red Green Yellow Green

Perception  The process individuals use to make sense out of the environment by selecting, organizing and interpreting information from the environment: Perceptions vary because individuals differ in what they perceive and how they organize and interpret it Perceptions vary because individuals differ in what they perceive and how they organize and interpret it Superiors, peers and subordinates judge a leader’s performance primarily by perceptions of intentions and effectiveness Superiors, peers and subordinates judge a leader’s performance primarily by perceptions of intentions and effectiveness

Perceptual Biases  Perceptions are based on limited observation and incomplete information.  Subordinates do not see & hear everything that occurs in a particular leadership situation: They are selective in what they perceiveThey are selective in what they perceive This selectivity leads to the tendency or bias to perceive one thing and not anotherThis selectivity leads to the tendency or bias to perceive one thing and not another

Errors  Errors in perceptual judgment arise from inaccuracies in any part of the perception process  Errors may be due to subordinate experience  Leader’s actions may cause misperceptions

Perception and Leadership  The effect of perception, perceptual biases and errors on leadership situations: We tend to see our own success due to diligence, personality or physical abilities We tend to see our own success due to diligence, personality or physical abilities We tend to perceive others’ success as more attributable to situational factors or luck We tend to perceive others’ success as more attributable to situational factors or luck

Aspects of Perception  Attribution: Explanation we develop in our own mind for the behaviors or actions we attend to Explanation we develop in our own mind for the behaviors or actions we attend to  Fundamental Attribution Error: Tendency to overestimate the dispositional causes of behavior and underestimate the environmental causes Tendency to overestimate the dispositional causes of behavior and underestimate the environmental causes

Aspects of Perception (Cont.)  Perceptual Set: Tendency or bias to perceive one thing and not another Tendency or bias to perceive one thing and not another  Self-Serving Bias Tendency to make external attributions (i.e., blame the situation) for one’s own failures, yet make internal attributions (i.e., take credit) for one’s successes Tendency to make external attributions (i.e., blame the situation) for one’s own failures, yet make internal attributions (i.e., take credit) for one’s successes

Aspects of Perception (Cont.)  Actor/Observer Difference: People who are observing an action are much more likely than the actor to make the fundamental attribution error People who are observing an action are much more likely than the actor to make the fundamental attribution error  Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: Occurs when expectations or predictions play a causal role in bringing about the events we predict Occurs when expectations or predictions play a causal role in bringing about the events we predict

Questions? ???