When it comes to socio-economic development efforts in a developing economy like Bangladesh, negative perceptions might create absolute obstacles to the due development process. Sense of national integrity and firm commitment to the overall development might lose its speed and energy, if negative perceptions pop up and grow in the minds of many people. If the blame game rules all norms and practices, the pace of macro-economic growth will suffer.
The causes and effects must be given due consideration to find the way out of pessimistic perceptions. Find the roots of your negative perceptions. For example, if you tend to have a negative attitude toward the idea of a meaningful marriage and family life, ask yourself if you have these perceptions because of your experience as a child whose parents had a painful divorce. Or, if you have preconceived notions about immigrants in your community, ask yourself if some of the negative comments from friends about immigrants are contributing to this.
Talk to someone about whom you often have negative perceptions. For example, if you've always had a judgmental and stereotype attitude about teens in prison because of what you see in news, volunteer with a local advocacy group that makes trips to prisons and counsels teens who are serving time there. Ask the prisoners about their family life, what obstacles they faced as young children and what circumstances led to their life in crime.
Do research on the persons or issues about which you have negative perceptions. For example, if you have a bias toward politicians because all you have seen from them are corruption and scandals in their personal lives, research on politicians who are genuinely trying to run their cities and states in an impartial way and who seek to improve their communities with job creation initiatives.
Gather honest feedback. This will take a thick skin on your part, but make it known that those working for you can voice their complaints without fear of punishment or retaliation. Simply listen and take notes of their complaints. It may not be all negative, but you should be prepared for the worst when it comes to their critique of the organisation.
Respond quickly to their feedback. You may not have immediate solutions but it helps at least acknowledge that you will give diligent consideration to what they have said. Also, thank them for their time and honesty. This reinforces the fact that you are serious about promoting a better working environment.
Fear of failure and fear of criticism: Perfectionists are a good example. Because of constant criticism or not being appreciated, they believe they have to prove themselves either through performance or through perfection in order to be accepted or appreciated. Perfectionism is not good because it leads to over self-criticism. Excessive self-criticism is also debilitating and perfectionists cannot be good enough.
The remedy is to accept yourself for who you are, not what you perform. This is where faith and spirituality are helpful because people of faith that God accepts them for what they are and in spite of what they have not accomplished.
Fear of intimacy: Intimacy, openness, transparency; these are all related and they are rooted in trust. We can be open and transparent only to people we trust. Again, in spiritually and in faith, this is familiar because we know that we need to develop trust in God in order to truly be intimate with God.
Because of betrayal in relationships some people find it difficult or are even unable to trust others. It is fear which breeds isolationism and individualism, two very destructive behaviours in our society today.
As human beings we need one another. We are social beings intended to complement one another. In my writing, for example, I rely on so many people, for ideas and even more importantly, for inspiration and encouragement. This can only come from trust; believing in someone else and vice-versa.
It is not true that everyone will betray us. The first step, therefore, is to purge the perception that everyone will betray our trust. There are plenty of trustworthy people out there who are willing to be taken into confidence.
Lack of self confidence: Let me just share some words of wisdom from two great individuals on this subject of confidence: Norman Vincent Peale: "Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy". The following came from Thomas Edison: If we did all the things we are capable of we would literally astound ourselves". Lack of self confidence is the main reason we do not do a lot of what we could do.
Blame game: Tempers are short and the blame is going in all directions. Design is blaming marketing, business management is blaming design, product engineering is blaming design and marketing, design is blaming the tools, designers are blaming other designers, applications section is blaming design, programme management is blaming everyone and everyone is blaming programme management.
The subject of this article is negative perceptions and the impact they will have on designing and leading national socio-economic development. If we want high-energy, productive and predictable development, we must be managing everyone's perceptions. Finding the negative perceptions is not that difficult, we just need to be listening and paying attention to what's going on around us. Team members will typically complain about others, talk about "them" and in many cases display a competitive nature with other members. Warning signs such as these must be managed to some level of resolution or otherwise team will be riddled with pessimism about openly working with each other.
Many organisations choose to write off the negative perceptions within the team as a fact of doing business. From factual perspective this is a choice to maintain the status quo on day-to-day affairs. No amount of pressure on the team, financial incentives or sacrificial employees' terminations will overcome well-ingrained negative perceptions. The negativity must be minimised and it is the management's duty to do so.
The very first concept of mitigating negative perceptions is the fact that they may indeed be real, or at least have some real components. Real problems will require real actions. As soon as the people see action towards resolving their issues, they will be onboard to help. Participation in solutions to their concerns becomes a priority because "they want" things to be better. There is none who does not want to help improve things; when it is clear to everyone that the door to real resolution has opened. Get that door open and the process of mitigating negative perceptions will commence with energy that will surely surprise everybody.
How do we get the door open? Talking to all and "jointly" building a process that addresses the negative perceptions. We just need to create an open forum that allows all to brainstorm, putting the known negative perceptions on the table and talking about them. Exposure of the hidden "Unknowns" through this process will make sure that no stone is left unturned in the quest for finding negative perceptions.
Accept criticism: One should not be defensive when receiving feedback or overhearing things that are inaccurate. Being open to comments and listening to constructive criticism is a sign of maturity and professionalism.
Filter your comments: To avoid putting one's foot in the mouth, one should think carefully before speaking. No matter how angry someone is or how sloppy the work is, it is better to hold back, always watching what one is saying and to whom.
Dr Muhammad Abdul Mazid, Former Secretary and Former Chairman of NBR.
mazid.muhammad@gmail.com
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