Impression management techniques

While little children are taught not to tell lies, as they age, they learn that instances arise when not exposing the entire truth might be advantageous. Impression management is the act of slightly bending the truth so as to ensure that others are not harmed or insulted by your statements as well as to make yourself appear in the best possible light. Through the use of impression management, you can control how others perceive you. Effective impression management is useful both in professional and in social situations. Dressing Formally and Maintaining Personal Appearance

While dressing up and tending to your personal hygiene by grooming and applying makeup might seem like a standard practice, it is in itself a form of impression management. An individual should make an effort to improve her personal appearance each day. By doing this you ensure that others receive the best possible impression of your physical appearance and, by connection, of you as a person. Avoiding Negative Issues

Individuals who wish to manage negative impressions of themselves can do so by avoiding issues that may be unflattering. For example, if an individual has a felony on his police record, he might purposely avoid talking about issues related to the felony so that he is not put in a position in which he is asked about the felony and forced to either divulge the truth or tell a lie. Slightly Exaggerating Positive Points

An individual can improve his image by playing up positive features. For example, if an individual is a reasonably good artist, he could make himself seem even more skilled by highlighting or slightly exaggerating his artistic successes. This type of impression management can be risky, as a fine line exists between slightly exaggerating and straight out lying. To ensure that you are not lying when you play up your positive points, make sure that everything that you say is technically true. Downplaying Negative Factors

When working to combat negative factors, some individuals will downplay the importance of these things. For example, if an individual does not have a higher education degree, she may point out the importance of business experience and minimalize the importance of formal education to make her qualifications seem desirable even though she technically lacks the potentially requisite degree. Controlling Body Language

When working to manage impressions, an individual must pay close attention to his body language. Often, if an individual is uncomfortable talking about a certain subject or nervous when venturing into a topic of conversation, this unease is apparent on the individual's face or in the way in which he carries his body. To ensure that others don't question the validity of statements, which could easily undermine impression management attempts, those working to

manage impressions must control their body language and attempt to remain relaxed and at ease at all times.

IM Techniques or Verbal Self-Presentational Behaviors Favors, Flattery, Acclaiming, Apologies, Excuse, Opinion Conformity, Association & Self Descriptions First impression. within three seconds of seeing a person for the first time we decide their: social status, politics, education, religion, sexuality, friendliness / approachability First impressions: the 93% rule 55% appearance & body language 38% tone, pitch & pace of your voice 7% what you say At work. doing a good job accounts for 10% of the impression you give 90% of the impression you give of being capable is based on perception - presentation of work - presentation of self - being seen to be doing a good job IMPACT Integrity Manners Personality Appearance Communication Thrill Two Types of Impression Management Constructive helps in the formation of self identity Strategic helps in the attainment of some interpersonal goal Ingratiation Universal agreement about standard ingratiation tactics These include.. Showing an interest in the person Smiling, Eye contact, Agreeing, Flattery 5 things you need to face the world 1). confidence 2). a personal brand (what do you want the world to think of you) 3). an elevator pitch 4). a winning image 5). transferable skills / experience 1) Confidence how? preparation, preparation, preparation

know your stuff and know you know your stuff!! find opportunities to practice presenting your stuff get involved ALWAYS be positive NEVER be a one-track pony 2) Personal brand how? who you are????? what you are????? what are your personal / professional ethics???? 3) Elevator pitch how? Do: speak!, make small talk, ask open questions Dont: ignore him / her, talk about the weather, get too personal, moan! 4) A winning image how? appropriate, balanced, professional not powerful, modern, clean 5) Transferable skills how? Interact get involved ask questions volunteer dont wait to be asked dont sit back Impression Management Tactics Behavioral Matching: The target of perception matches his or her behavior to that of the perceiver. Self-Promotion: The target tries to present herself or himself in as positive a light as possible. Conforming to Situational Norms: The target follows agreed-upon rules for behavior in the organization. Appreciating or Flattering Others: The target compliments the per-ceiver. This tactic works best when flattery is not extreme and when it involves a dimension important to the perceiver. Being Consistent: The targets beliefs and behaviors are consistent. There is agreement between the targets verbal and nonverbal behaviors. Poor Impression Management Four Motive of Poor Impression Avoidance, Obtain, Exit & Power Unfavorable Upward Impression Management Tactics Decreasing Performance, Not Working to Potential, Withdrawing, Displaying a Bad Attitude, Broadcasting L

A range of factors that govern impression management can be identified. It can be stated that impression management becomes necessary whenever there exists a kind of social situation, whether real or imaginary. Logically, the awareness of being a potential subject of monitoring is also crucial. Furthermore, the characteristics of a given social situation are important. Specifically, the surrounding cultural norms determine the appropriateness of particular nonverbal behaviours.[6] The actions have to be appropriate to the targets, and within that culture, so that the kind of audience as well as the relation to the audience influences the way impression management is realized. A person's goals are another factor governing the ways and strategies of impression management. This refers to the content of an assertion, which also leads to distinct ways of presentation of aspects of the self. The degree of self-efficacy describes whether a person is convinced that it is possible to convey the intended impression.[7]

A new study finds that, all other things being equal, people are more likely to pay attention to faces that have been associated with negative gossip than those with neutral or positive associations. The study contributes to a body of work showing that far from being objective, our perceptions are shaped by unconscious brain processes that determine what we "choose" to see or ignore even before we become aware of it. The findings also add to the idea that the brain evolved to be particularly sensitive to "bad guys" or cheaters fellow humans who undermine social life by deception, theft or other non-cooperative behavior. [8]

Impression Motivation It may simply be defined as how a boss is made to see an employee. A subordinated would try to present a picture of himself to the boss, which suits just the needs of the organization and what is expected of him. For example, when an employee has to meet his boss, he might pay special attention to his dress and take some time to do his hair. Therefore, he makes a deliberate effort to appear good in front of the boss. This technique is known as impression management. Impression Construction It may be defined as how others are made to see one. In other words, it relates to specific type of impression that people want to make. For example, someone might want to appear competitive