*Listeners are constantly constructing or "story making." That means they are always interpreting what you say.

*Your words are transformed or reorganized to fit into the listener’s personal story or preconceived idea of you and/or similar situations.

*There will be more than one story. Each listener will create his or her own.

*The story that is created from your communication determines the meaning, not what you actually say.

*It is the story, not what you say, that will be remembered, passed on, and communicated to others.

Given these premises, the likely outcome of your communication is that you will be misunderstood, and therefore you need to be very clear, deliberate, and focused in your communication. There are many strategies and tools to help you win the empathy and communication battle to reach your targets. These strategies deal with communication, delivery of your message, listening well, empathy, clarifying assumptions and other skills to use with your team or groups. Stars will do these strategies consistently or regularly.

Getting the Benefit of the Doubt

If your snapshot image is positive, your colleagues and boss will give you the "benefit of the doubt" if you miss a deadline or make a mistake. The problem occurs when these snapshots are negative; because once the impression is made it is almost impossible to change. If this impression was created because you have been unpredictable or impulsive in your behavior, your direct reports, peers, and boss are constantly poised for that same behavior. They can’t trust that you can control yourself. Even if you make considerable changes over 6-12 months, if the same impulsive behavior happens again, in most people’s minds you haven’t changed at all. They think, "There he or she goes again." I have been in meetings with executives talking about the performance of an individual victimized by "Snapshot Management." The question discussed was, "If this person actually made positive changes, would the executives see and recognize them?" Original snapshots are so powerful that they can blind people to the multifaceted sides of a person. All of the person’s wins, strengths, and capabilities in different settings with different people can blur the original fixed snapshot, but it is a very slow process and doesn’t always stick. It is crucial to become acutely aware of how you present yourself in meetings and important to learn how to manage the snapshots you give people.

Collage versus Snapshot

The goal is to counter the one hand of snapshots with a "collage" of all your successes and efforts. That may mean communicating more than you feel is necessary about what you have accomplished. Many executives say, "I don’t want to toot my own horn" or "They will see my results." In taking the initiative to communicate in an informative and respectful way what you have been doing, you can ensure that your co-workers and boss "see" more of you than just a few snapshots. Otherwise, you are leaving your image management more in the hands and minds of others. Being more visible has been a strategy for many executives I have worked with, especially if they have negative snapshots ingrained in the minds of their supervisors or co-workers.

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