First Impressions

First Impressions

First impressions are important to anyone who has to form an opinion or base a decision on only one interaction. First impressions also set the precedent for how we perceive someone in the future. In business, one of the most common first impressions that leaders have to interpret is hiring interviews. That first impression can either be the first for a new employee or their last. As leaders, it’s also important to realize that our individual characteristics play a significant role in determining our first impression or perception of someone. Our reality is determined by our experiences in life that brought us to this point. It is never going to be the same as someone else’s reality. Those experiences determine what aspects of an interaction we choose to focus on and how we perceive a first impression.

Effects of Perception

Perception is a process by which we give meaning to our environment by organizing and interpreting sensory impressions. Research on perception consistently demonstrates that individuals may look at the same thing yet perceive it differently (Coulter, Decenzo & Robbins, 2013). Understanding the role perception plays in our first impressions of others can help us form a less biased and more accurate first impression. For example: Cathy, a marketing supervisor for a large commercial petroleum products organization, age 52, noticed Bill’s nose ring during his employment interview, and Sean, a human resources recruiter, age 23, didn’t. A number of factors operate to shape and sometimes distort perception (Coulter et al., 2013). For Cathy, her perception of Bill’s nose ring will be determined by her numerous previous experiences and possibly even which theory she relates with most in McGregor’s T...

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...ation is a metaneed in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and is a necessary goal for every leader. By not understanding who you are, you fail to recognize the unique personal experiences that influenced the way you perceive people and situations today. Understanding the role of perception in what we perceive to be reality allows us to be less biased and more accurate in our evaluations of people. Those evaluations, whether first impressions or a reassessment, determine your success as a leader.

Works Cited

Clark, D. R. (2010). First impressions. Retrieved from: http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/impress.html

Clark, D. R. (2014). Leadership & human behavior. Retrieved from: http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadhb.html

Coulter, M., Decenzo, D. A., & Robbins, S. P. (2013). Fundamentals of Management (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.